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There is a name in Gospel music that has been the epitome of quality for over 40 years. Notice I said Gospel Music. This group has touched the lives of countless people, crossing genres, reaching all ages and all colors. There is only one group that I could be talking about, and that is the Imperials.

Founded by Jake Hess in the early 1960s, they were a progressive group even then. Jake started them thinking “outside of the box” and they have continued that tradition ever since. When Jake retired and Gary McSpadden left the group at the same time, the Imperials were innovative enough to go for young men with a younger, more energetic sound. Even when all of the original Imperials were gone, except for Armond Morales, Armond still surrounded himself with young men full of new ideas and energy. No doubt one of the most popular group of the Imperials performed in the 1970s consisting of Jim Murray, Terry Blackwood, Sherman Andrus, and Armond Morales. This is the group that was first able to cross the Southern Gospel sound with a more pop sound adding even more versatility. Though the Imperials seemed to veer more towards the Contemporary Christian Music side, they have always included their classics, songs that made them famous, in their programs. They have always kept in touch with their roots.

However, hold on to your seats, because this current crop of Imperials is very reminiscent of that 70s group, not just in sound, but also in ideas and dedication to quality. Armond Morales recently retired after traveling over 50 years. He said that he was just tired of the road and needed a change. Well, a change for Armond brought about a big change for the Imperials. For the first time ever, there would be someone else singing Bass for the Imperials. Before we get into the new Bass singer, let's meet the rest of the group. Singing the high Tenor part is Jeremie Hudson, and this young man can fly in the sky with the best of them. I think he has some sound very similar to Jim Murray in his younger days, so that is a big plus for the Imperials. At the Lead spot is one of the most dynamic singers I have heard in a very long time. Shannon Smith has a voice extraordinaire, and has a great range along with the ability to express a song that leaves you in awe. Jason Morales, son of Armond, has been with the group for 17 years, so he's no stranger to the Imperials, He handles the Baritone part with a blend that most groups only dream of. Then we come to the Bass part. Armond has always been known for being the smoothest Bass to ever sing Gospel Music. With that in mind Ian Owens has some very big shoes to fill. When you close your eyes while listening to the Imperials today, you can hardly tell that it isn't Armond singing. Ian has much of the same quality as Armond and is even a little lower, giving them some variation that they have never had before.

With the transition of the new Bass singer, the Imperials felt that it was a good time to return to their roots, well at least their Progressive Southern Gospel roots. Will the Imperials ever be a traditional Southern gospel group? Probably not, but they have a desire to expand their audience base to include all those fans who miss that old Imperials sound. When you hear this great group sing “First Day In Heaven”, you know that they could be an outstanding Southern Gospel group, but their desire is to bridge the gap between Southern Gospel music and Inspirational music. There is a vast audience out there who isn't into the “four men and a piano”, yet they aren't into Contemporary Christian either. The Imperials goal is to bridge that gap with music that will appeal to both audiences and catch those who are falling through the cracks.

All four of these young men are the best of friends and even admit to being somewhat like a bunch of old ladies because of their need to talk to each other everyday. Something else unique about the Imperials is that their bus has four individual bedrooms in it, allowing their families to travel with them whenever possible. In fact, they encourage their families to go along with them. They feel that this gives them a greater sense of accountability. They did mention that their bus, affectionately called Big Red, is older that Ian who is 23 years old.

When asked where they would like to sing that they haven't so far, they all agreed that they would like to sing for the President, our soldiers, and at a Billy Graham crusade.

Something very interesting that they are doing is reproducing all of the Imperials albums on CD. That's all 42 of them. I can't wait, I'll be the first one in line waiting to get them. They are also in the process of having a brand new website put up and it should be ready any day now, so keep checking back to find out where they will be, and what new CDs they have, and other exciting news about the Imperials. www.theimperials.com

If you haven't yet seen the Imperials, don't miss the 5th Annual SoGospelNews.com Convention Saturday night July 31st at the River of Life Church, 596 Sam Ridley Parkway, Smyrna, TN

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