Gospel Music Week 2003 (Monday), Feature Article

Apr

2003

Gospel Music Week 2003 (Monday)

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Monday started for us with a roundtable discussion featuring Bill Gaither, Joyce Martin McCollough (The Martins) and Paul Emery (Clear Channel). The title for the discussion was The Gaither Homecoming Phenomena. If you think that only Southern Gospel industry was interested in this you are wrong. This was attended by all genres of music. Of course, if you think you were going to find the real answer to how this came about you were wrong, because even Bill Gaither cannot explain it. However, after listening to this discussion it was easy to see that the biggest thing Mr. Gaither did was to put his business/ministry into his own hands. Early on he discovered that his success was never going to be accomplished by relying on other people to promote his music. This is great advice. Another great piece of advice he gave was to have a plan and work it, "He who has no plans becomes a victim of other people's plans."

Bill spent some time explaining how the Bill Gaither Trio came about. Bill's start in southern gospel came about in songwriting. After his songs became a hit people started asking about the songwriters. This is when he decided to travel with his wife, Gloria and brother, Danny as the Bill Gaither Trio. It was during this tenure that he adopted what has become a great method of success. Bill discovered early on that he was always at the mercy of another promoter. After arriving at many concerts where there had been little advertising and even smaller ticket sales, he realized he would need to do something else. Bill opened his own promotion and booking company for just The Bill Gaither Trio and this was a major plus in his success.

Bill attributes his homecoming video succes to being a "God thing." Much of what happened with the original video was simply an outcome of his love for the history of southern gospel music and his love for the people involved. Sounds like a "God thing" to me.

Bill talked often about the need to be sensitive in programming. The videos and concerts are primarily entertaining but he knows that there are always people in audience night after night that are hurting. He encourages all of his artists to always be aware of that and to plug into it.

Joyce Martin McCollough, vocalist of the popular group The Martins, can attest to the fact that the Gaither videos and concerts have been instrumental in the success of her group. Joyce stated that she feels that appearing so often in the Gaither videos helped place a "stamp of approval" on her group. She attributes Bill for teaching The Martins many things, especially the importance of investing in other peoples lives. Another important thing she learned is working together and not in competition with each other is beneficial.

Paul Emery of Clear Channel stated that Bill Gaither is just as interested in the "little guy" as he is the "big guy." Often times Bill has cancelled, re-arranged and gone to great lengths to not compete with others in this industry.

When asked about competition Bill laughed and said that at one time he was tempted by that green monster of envy when told that he had just packed an arena with 8000 concert goes, but learned that Elvis Presley had packed it at 16,000 attendees for 3 nights. He learned a valuable lesson that ego can rob you of your blessings. He almost forgot about those 8000 people as if they had been nothing. Never again, would he let competition ruin his blessing. He said that the only person he competes against is himself. He explained it much like a golfer is always trying to get a better score than the last time. Bill said he is always looking for a way to present a better concert, to reach more people. It is this last goal that prompted him to hire Clear Channel to promote his concerts.

This was a wonderful way to spend the morning and we all came away loving Mr. Gaither just a little bit more. One of the last questions posed to him that day was perhaps the most profound. What do you see as the future of Southern Gospel Music? To which he replied, "If you want to describe southern gospel as narrowly as some want to describe it - it has no future!"

To which I silently uttered, "Amen!"

================================

Immediately after this discussion we were privileged to attend a reception in honor of those in southern gospel music hosted by John Styll, president of the GMA. He emphasized adamantly how much the GMA wants those genres who have felt slighted in the past by the GMA to know that they are very much wanted and a vital part of the Christian Music industry. This statement was met with much applause by those attending. I encourage everyone to get involed in the GMA and give more voice to our industry. Let's remember that the music is the vehicle but the message is the same.

Reader Comments

What do you think Gaither meant by his comment that SGM has no future if we define it "as narrowly as some want to describe it"?

Tony

Commented by Tony Rush On 04/16/2003

Hey Tony:
I think one of Gaithers greatest feats was joining the different types of Gospel Music in one place. A melting pot of artists with different styles and sounds. I think he is suggesting that Southern Gospel can't stay in the narrow view of the 70's style sound and verse. What I mean by verse is the lyrics of dying and going home. We've discussed this before about the older generation that has fought the battles of life and look forward to that heavenly home compaired to a generation of cell phones and pda's

It's sort of like the old saying "Everyone wants to go to Heaven but no one wants to die". I think the new sounds that is coming out of SG is going to help, but it's going to have to touch a new generation that is really not looking at the end, but living in the now.
Anyway that's just my oppinion

Tim

Commented by Tim Hyde On 04/16/2003

Something that people fail to realize in looking at the past is that Southern Gospel has always been MORE than just 4 men quartets. The era that everyone wants to compare as the defining era of Southern Gospel Music included much MORE than just quartets. The Speer Family, The Chuck Wagon Gang, The Johnson Sisters and more come to mind. Then you had the Goodmans rise up and Southern Gospel continued to GROW and expand. The groups such as The Blackwood Brothers and The Statesmen and The Imperials were ALWAYS pushing the edge and expanding the borders of Southern Gospel Music. They also had their nay-sayers back then, that if they would have listenened to would have so narrowly defined the music that it would not have continued to grow.

IMHO this is the type of narrowness that Bill Gaither talks about. Had you been in attendance and heard him mention his mentors of the past, Hovie Lister and Jake Hess, as two of the greatest "forward thinkers" and "innovators" of our music you would have a better understanding of what he was trying to convey. EVERYTHING must grow to live. Potted plants must have their pots enlarged to continue to grow. Keep them in the same pot and eventually they will become stunted or die. Unfortunately it is the same thing for human beings. Science and biology tells us that we grow till a certain age/point in our life and from that moment on we start to die. Why? Because without growth the only alternative is death.
At no point in Mr. Gaither's discussion did he mention "watering" down the genre. But he did talk about embracing the future while honoring the past. To me that is what makes his phenomena so great.

I find the entire need to seperate Christian music so rigidly as curious as I find those who will not embrace other denominations. While I may choose a particular denomination to worship in, I certainly embrace the other denominations as my Christian brothers and sisters and recognize their accomplishments as an extension of the body of Christ. Most people in Southern Gospel music have no tolerance for those outside the genre and would be content to keep the doors tightly locked as to who can join their club.

Commented by (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) On 04/16/2003

PART two:

While it has been said that Mr. Gaither has opened the doors too wide by including so many forms of Christian music into his videos etc, what he conveyed to me that afternoon was how he opened the doors of southern gospel to many artists/genres/people who had never heard it before. What this has done in turn has increased exposure of the music to many.

And this time I do not silently say, AMEN! But may I scream it from the roof tops.

Commented by (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) On 04/16/2003

Well, it's a catch-22 situation. I don't think that Southern Gospel is just 4 men and a piano. But I also hope we never see Southern Gospel Rap. LOL!!! I have always tried to take an attitude that I have my preferences in what I like to hear, but if other styles/genre are getting people saved, then they're reaching people I never could. I guess, kind of a live and let live attitude.

The problem I have seen sometimes is not that we should let groups "push the envelope" in SGM, it is that when someone does, all should join them. And I don't agree with that, either.

I like almost all kinds of music, but I sure love that good ole Southern Gospel!!!

Commented by Bob Whitehead On 04/16/2003

I also think he meant that gospel music styles must change to draw as many people to Christ as possible.

There are some influential people in southern gospel music who think that it can only be a 4-part 50-60's style of music. There is even an opinion column in the leading southern gospel music publication, where the writer puts down the groups or singers who don't sing to his liking. They are so wrong.

The most important part of gospel music is the message of Jesus Christ, crucified and living again, even in this world of chaos.

And the idea that Bill Gaither has opened the door too wide is ludicrous. We should all have first in our hearts. that southern gospel music is a MINISTRY, and not try to regulate it as an Industry.

If different types of music, get people to hear the gospel that would normally would not, then,
PRAISE THE LORD!

Commented by (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) On 04/16/2003

Oh but it is an industry! And yes, I'm one of those who says it can be both...ministry and industry. It's positive message can be ministry and one of the main purposes of SGM is to glorify God... BUT, another purpose of SGM is to entertain with a positive message. Good, wholesome entertainment never hurt nobody. I'm not saying that ministry shouldn't be top priority but you also must take into account that the industry part is what gets recognized...in other words how do you become as big as Gaither if you leave the business/industry part out? It's simple...you don't. Gaither is a SMART man...he's at the top and being a good businessman is what got him there. He isn't narrowminded...he thinks outside the box...which is what you must do if you want to get the message out there. You must find new ways to get things accomplished, otherwise you'll get left in the dust.

Commented by (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) On 04/16/2003

I hope southern gospel stays southern gospel.The Perry's and Point of Grace are definantly different,as is Kirk Talley and Micheal W. Smith.Thank You.

Commented by Joshua Hunt On 04/19/2003

Joshua, The Statesmen and Blackwoods, and even the Imperials didn't allow Southern Gospel to STAY Southern Gospel. They had the insight to makde it grow by attracting more people. Let's see, the Perrys and Kirk Talley, both of whom I love listening to, will draw 200 people. Point Of Grace and Michael W Smith will both draw 20,000 people. Who is reaching more souls. Why not keep it Southern Gospel with a little "progressive" feel like Gaither Vocal Band does and draw 15,000 and reach many more souls with the message and style that we love.

Commented by (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) On 04/20/2003

Well, I love all kinds of Christian music, but most of the people at my Church that are into contemporary or praise and worship, will turn up their nose at the best of southern gospel and totally obstain from it!

Commented by (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) On 04/23/2003

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