New Liberty Quartet Member

There will be an official press release forthcoming in the next month or so, but Liberty Quartet has added a new member, Jordan Cragun. Jordan is a fantastic vocalist and will be singing the baritone part for Liberty. Now, not to worry Liberty fans; Doran's not going anywhere. He'll still be singing occasionally, but wants to focus more on piano. For those of you who don't know Jordan, he's got a fantastic musical heritage (actually a wonderful heritage, music notwithstanding). His dad, Ray, sang bass with the Celebration Quartet for many years, the best quartet that most people never heard. His aunts include Kim Collingsworth, Julia Keep, and Sandy Adams; all incredible musicians in their own right. This is his first-ever song with Liberty, sung Friday night at the PGMA Music Festival in Eugene, OR. Special thanks to Ellen Gerig for the video. Jordan will start traveling with us full-time in January of 2009.



Jordan's solo on "He's Been There Too"...

Traveling Live

***If you get the Liberty Quartet newsletter, just ignore the text and skip to the pictures. I'm using some of the same material...

Liberty's last trip out was special, no doubt about it. We kicked off the tour at Post Falls Nazarene on Thursday. Lonnie and Melanie Capps (along with the rest of their hard workin' crew) did a fantastic job on the concert promotion. We had a phenomenal evening of worship. And, each of us ended up with a copy of Lonnie's cookbook, chock-full of delicious recipes culled from his years in the Marines. Visit out his website to get your own copy.

After a stay in the beautiful Coeur d' Alene Resort we left for Kimberly, British Columbia Friday morning. It's been a while since we've taken a trip featuring so much gorgeous scenery. Since moving to Idaho I have missed the changing of the leaves that I so often took for granted while living back east. There was plenty of leaf-changing to be seen on this trip. I spent good portions of the trip with my nose pressed up the window looking out over God's incredible handiwork. Awesome! And that was just a precursor to the Nazarene Laymen's Retreat up in Kimberly. This had to be one of the most relaxing weekends I've had since joining Liberty. The location coupled with the wonderful people we were with made for a fun three days. Kudos go out to retreat director Carrie Hoogstad and her wonderful committee. They ensured that the retreat came off without a hitch. It was a privilege to be with Pastor Kent Conrad, pastor of Nampa, ID First Nazarene. His challenges were insightful, direct, and inspiring. He had us memorize Psalm 139:23-24: "Search me, O God and know my heart. Test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me and leave me in the way everlasting." This should the prayer of every person who is continually pursuing holiness. Kent and his wife Kay are some of God's finest and we enjoyed our time together. I am just a little jealous of that big ol' Harley-Davidson that he rides. Kent's one wild hog! I'm more like Dudley.

We left the retreat Sunday morning after the closing service with 300 miles to drive. The destination was Clarkston, WA and the Living Heritage Methodist Church. This long trip was an aberration from our normal Sunday afternoon traveling schedule, but we made it with time to spare. We had a phenomenal concert! And, of course, our friends from Kings Heirs showed up. They even sang a couple of songs with us, much to the crowd's delight. After the concert we went over to Ernie Haverman's house for a mouthwatering meal of shepherd's pie, salad, bread, and rum cake. Of course, Ernie, Bob, Bill, and Pinky had to tell their stories from the road. And they have plenty after 30 years of traveling: the same 4 guys all 30 years.

After that, we hopped on the bus for what we assumed was going to be a fairly short trip home. Those of you who have kept up with my blog for a while know that Royce hates our Garmin GPS (the Garminator) with a passion, while Dan believes that it's almost infallible. There's some enjoyable irony to be found in the fact that it was Royce who followed the GPS on a course over some of the worst terrain ever. As we were heading out of town, I was sitting up in the shotgun seat and saw a sign that said next fuel station 77 miles. I looked at the guage, then at Royce and asked if he thought this was a good idea. "Oh yeah, we can get to LaGrande if we have too", he replied with all the confidence he could muster. I don't know what was going on in that little GPS brain, but we went over one of the craziest mountain passes it could have chosen. I'm not sure what kind of fuel mileage we got, but it couldn't have been that great. By the time we got over the mountain our fuel was almost gone. Royce finally saw a gas station that sold diesel, but when we pulled up it was closed. So, we shut 'er down and spent the night waiting for the station to open. When Dan walked in after fueling up the next morning the clerk said, "You came over that?", pointing in the direction of the mountain pass. When Dan nodded in affirmation she said, "I know a lot of people who won't go over that pass in cars!" Oh well, all's well that ends well. Royce has threatened various acts of violence against the Garminator. I'm pretty sure we're going to get on the bus one weekend and stumble over a crime of passion.

Anyway, here are some pictures:

Royce tried to remember all of the songs that the current version of Liberty Quartet (6.1, I believe) knows. It's somewhere around a hundred or so. The rest of the weekend we kept adding songs to the list. He wrote out the list with a Sharpie and lays it on the floor in front of the monitor. He pulls out a fresh lineup every night. We have no clue what's coming next. Who does he think he is? Hamill?

Doran was trying to practice during soundcheck. He has this weird idea that if he has headphones on and can't hear us, then we can't hear him. We had to get him to shut up so we could set vocals. He's over there humming away...loudly!

Diane went with us on this trip. Unfortunately, her presence did little to alter Doran's hyperactive state of being. She helped Doran lead the worship at the retreat and then sang a song at each of the other concerts.

Dan calling the front desk at the Coeur d'Alene Resort...just because he could. This was the nicest place that we've stayed. At least, since I've been with Liberty. On Friday morning, I had already showered and was doing a little reading with Dan came bursting into the room with his morning cup of coffee (the man has a terrible addiction). He said that they had an awesome pool/sauna/hot tub area downstairs. Well, it sounded good to me so I changed into a Tshirt and swimming trunks and headed off. Dan told me that he had found a shortcut we could take. Well, following Dan is somewhat like trusting the GPS. He headed out a door and I walked right out behind him...into the freezing cold of the outside. It was below 32 degrees outside and by the time it hit me and I reached for the door it had shut and automatically locked. It was one of those doors that doesn't allow you to go back in. So, Dan puts on a confident face and says, "I think it's just around the corner." We end up walking down by the docks, all around the hotel in the frigid weather. People were bundled up in heavy coats, hats, and gloves and they looked at us like we were insane walking around in shorts and T-shirts. We walked for about 8-10 minutes before we got around to the resort's main entrance. Dan's laughing like a hyena and I'm in the introductory stages of hypothermia by the time we get inside. It was one of those moments. I will say that hot tub never felt so good.

Why do people keep requesting this song? The only standing ovation we got all weekend was for our bluegrass number, "The Gospel Plow".

Carrie Hoogstad was the director of the retreat and did a wonderful job of keeping it moving. She even joined Dan and I in a few dance moves on "Bus Driver".

It was a privilege to hang out with Kent and Kay Conrad. Kay is about as spunky a woman as you're going to find anywhere. She cracked me up. I enjoyed the time we spent bouncing ministry ideas/stories off of each other. She has a heart for outreach. It's pretty cool to see and hear what God is doing at Nampa First and to share what He's doing at Grace. All in all, a great weekend.

Amazed

This has been a whirlwind of a year for Liberty. This sounds crazy...it is crazy...but we are getting ready for the release of our eighth album in 2008. "Amazed" features brand new songs written for Liberty by Rodney Griffin, Phil Cross, Rebecca Peck, Twila LaBar, Doran Ritchey, and others. Dan and I were laughing last week about the fact that this isn't the traditional Southern Gospel album that most people expect from Liberty. Not that it's a bad thing. This has a new, fresh sound (for us, anyway) featuring a variety of styles. I'm looking forward to singing these songs in concert. My early favorites are Into the Water, Why Wouldn't I, and That's What Love Does. "Amazed" will be available Saturday at Family Fest.08.

National Quartet Convention

I am such a pathetic excuse for a blogger. I have the best intentions of updating on a regular basis and then...well, something always comes up. Anyway, more than a week after the fact, here's the inside scoop on NQC.

We got to Louisville about 1:30 AM Tuesday after a long drive in from Casper, WY. We stopped just long enough to grab some Kansas City barbeque. Incidentally, it was worth the stop. Anyway, the next morning when we woke up we were feeling a little cruddy due to our lack of bathing. So, Doran and I headed off to the RV shower facilities, which were about 1/2 a mile away. Literally. On the way back, the skies opened with a deluge of water and we got soaked to the bone. Fortunately, a security guard took pity on the two drowned rats and drove us back to the bus. By the way, I didn't know it was possible to smoke two Marlboros in the span of 200 yards while traveling approximately 30 mph. Well, Doran did it. No, I mean the security guard pulled off this amazing feat. So, by the time we stumbled onto the bus we reeked of soggy cigarettes. Nice.

After getting the booth set up, we wandered around the exhibition hall looking for freebies. For those of you familiar with this, it's a lot like IHC. You know, free candy, pens, and pads of paper. We eventually headed over to the Featured Artist Showcase to hear some new groups (to us anyway). Doran and I also spent some time at the Regional Artist Showcase. By the time the exhibition hall opened, we were stationed at our booth. Seven people came by to make our day. No, I'm just kidding. There were at least nine. We took turns going into Freedom Hall to listen to the evening performances. About 10:45 PM we checked out. We were tired and the night caught up with us.

Wednesday was our big day. We were scheduled to sing in the Artist Spotlight showcase at noon. Every morning, the showcase directors and Phil Cross meet with the artists to let them know what to expect. At that time, we also give the sound crew our soundtrack. For those uninitiated, let me explain that we use a 360 which is a machine with hot buttons that can be pressed to quickly bring up a song. Well, they only accepted CDs (which we weren't aware of). So, Doran and Dan raced out to the bus to figure out how to burn a couple of songs onto a CD. They got back in just in time and away we went.

Dan, getting his groove on, ripping "Glory Train" and "I'm His" from the 360.

Unfortunately, our showcase was was up against another concert going on in another part of the building featuring Brian Free & Assurance, the Kingdom Heirs, the Dove Brothers, among others. But, I will say that the 39 people who showed up for our showcase had a great time (including my esteemed family, Uncle Ray and Aunt Pansy McCrary). Hey, at least we weren't going up against the GVB/EHSS showcase. Anyway, our performance went very well (in fact, Scott Fowler told Doran as we were leaving that he wants Legacy Five to record "I'm His"). After we had finished, I wandered to the back of the room to listen to the other groups. While I was standing in the back, Dennis Sparks, the co-director of the regional showcases, came up and told me that he would like to put us in one of two empty slots on the main stage on Saturday night. He said that he wouldn't be able to let me know for sure until Friday, but that it was a good possibility. Well, on Friday somebody from the regional artist committee told us that they wanted to have us sing at another afternoon showcase so the entire team could hear us. They also specifically requested that we sing "I'm His". We sang, this time remembering to have a CD ready to go. To make a long story short, they offered us a slot for Saturday evening. And, that's how we were honored to sing on the main stage at NQC. Go figure! It was definitely one of those cool, surreal moments that can only be understood if you've followed Southern Gospel music all of your life. There's no doubt that God gave us that opportunity. It's pretty cool what happens when you let Him open the doors and don't try to force them open with your own strength.

See that bald dude up there? Yep, that's me. I actually started off on the other side of the stage and realized that I was singing to all of the Southern Gospel royalty. I mean all of the groups were assembled down there due to the Awards Show that followed our performance. I made sure that we eventually made it to the other side of the stage.

You can tell Bill Gaither has been to town. Look at all those little lights that everyone is holding up.

This was the first time that I had been able to be at NQC for most of the week. So, in a nutshell, here are some thoughts:

First of all, if you want to witness some great performances, head over to the regional artist showcases. Full disclosure here: Liberty did sing at the RAC on Wednesday and Saturday. But, that’s not why I showed up every afternoon for at least part of the performances. Every group or soloist who has a booth and isn’t slotted for another showcase or main stage performance is given a slot in the regional artist showcase. Most groups are given the opportunity to sing one song and you have that one chance to make your mark. Over 90% of the groups involved, travel on a part-time basis. Some of the most inspired performances of the week weren’t delivered on the main stage of Freedom Hall, but rather in the boxy confines of the South Wing Conference Center. Some of the deliveries were admittedly poor, there were pitchy notes from time to time, and some of those suits should have been left on the bus (I wish I would have had a camera, folks), but, overall, there was a sweet presence in that room each afternoon. And, I want to point out, some incredible groups that are just coming to people’s attention including Old Paths Quartet (they remind me of the 1970s-1980s Kingsmen), Father’s Daughter (a fantastic vocal group from Canada who happen to be the sweetest girls you'll ever meet anywhere), the Needhams (an energetic, big sound reminiscent of the early Greenes), McMillan & Life (featuring my good friend Josh Arnett) , among others. These are just a few that I caught throughout the week. My hat is off to the RAC crew and the other artists who make it a point to encourage and give a platform to many groups who otherwise wouldn’t have that opportunity.

Of course, I enjoyed the other showcases. Dino and Kim Collingsworth just tore it up (though, I'm thinking that they just need to give Kim her own showcase), the Crabb Family still has it, and the Gaither Vocal Band and Signature Sound concert was a hit. I was also able to slip into a few of the featured artist showcases and enjoyed hearing several groups for the first time.

Speaking of the Crabb Family Reunion, I have to give props to the band mates of Jason Crabb and Crabb Revival. They were incredible! I've heard a lot of bands live: country, Christian rock, Southern Gospel, you name it. I've never had a band wow me like the Crabb band. Doran and I spent the whole showcase grinning. Justin Ellis, the pianist for Jason Crabb, is quite possibly the best pianist I've heard live. I didn't think that was possible after hearing Gordon Mote. That kid is unreal! It was one of the week's highlights.

My personal favorite, though, was the Song of a Lifetime showcase that featured Southern Gospel's most beloved songwriters. Despite the technical glitches (of which there were way too many), the audience was able to catch a glimpse into the heart of the writer and view the journey from initial inspiration to finished masterpiece. And, I'm glad that Phil Cross (showcase emcee) didn't just feature the performer/songwriters such as Rodney Griffin and Jim Brady, but also recognized the contributions of Diane Wilkinson, Rebecca Peck, Joel Lindsay, Kyla Rowland, and others. We were able to put a face to names that have just been size 9 font in album credits. These gifted lyricists have penned many of today’s classics with little or no recognition. It was nice to hear their stories. Mom and Dad, along with Sharilyn and her friend Beth were able to come down for a couple of days of NQC. I was pretty sure Dad was going to take off shouting when the Greenes sang "There's a Miracle in Me". WOW! The tears were flowin'.

Anyway, I could go on for quite awhile so let me tie it up neatly with some pithy observations:

• The north wing exhibition hall oddly resembles a flea market during NQC week. Do people really go to NQC to buy gaudy clothes or jewelry? It's almost embarrassing.
• The Booth Brothers need at least 10 more booth spaces to accommodate all of the fans who are trying to buy product. Seriously.
• It was good move to have the Gaither Vocal Band back at the convention. Freedom Hall was almost packed on Friday night.
• Les Beasley is still one of the funniest guys you’ll run into at the convention. He reminds me of Walter Matthau. Actually, he and Claude Hopper together remind me of the Odd Couple. Everyone needs to be privileged to talk to both of them at the same time. They're like a married couple.
• I would not want to run sound in Freedom Hall. Props go to Greg Shockley for providing us with a great monitor mix on the stage.
• As I've already noted, NQC really reminds me of IHC. The only thing missing is Bro. Sankey saying "if we could please shut down the booths and make our way into the service..."
  
• The fried biscuit with apple butter sold in the north wing is quite possible the most delicious concoction I have ever tasted. Fortunately, NQC only lasts for a week or I’d be riding around the exhibition hall in one of those oversized go-carts with baskets in the front.
• Speaking of which, there are many SG fans who could stand to walk away from the buffet.
• Wear dress shoes with rubber soles if you’re going to be walking around a lot. Those concrete floors will kill your feet!
• Michael Booth doesn’t even know what he’s going to say next.

All in all, a great week! We'll see what happens next year.

Liberty at NQC

I've got a lot of pictures to post from our 12-day trip back east, but in the meantime you'll have to settle for this. After singing in two showcases at National Quartet Convention, we were honored to be asked to sing on the main stage prior to the Singing News Fan Awards on Saturday evening. Thanks to Daniel Mount for capturing this video of Liberty.

Concert in the Courtyard

Wednesday, Liberty sang at Valley Shepherd Church of the Nazarene in Meridian, ID. Paul Ellis, former tenor, for Liberty is the Worship & Arts Pastor at the church. They have a monthly music series called "Concert in the Courtyard". It was one of those fun, relaxed outdoor concerts. A lot of our friends showed up for the concert. It was good to see my former college pastor, Edsel Trouten, at the concert. He's on my favorite persons list, for sure. He has had a great impact on my life and ministry. It was a fantastic night! Here are just a couple of entertaining pictures (thanks to Dee Sienknecht):

Paul joined us on "God Bless the USA". The boy can still bring it! That was a lot of fun. I'm still trying to figure out what's going on with Dan's shirt. Either he's put on a lot more weight or he caught a sudden low breeze. Nice! Also, Doran has started grabbing his belt buckle to hit those high notes. As you can see, he's supporting the note quite well.

Yeah, we're still doing Doran's favorite song. "Gospel Plow" has kind of taken on a life of its own. Really, there are no words to explain what's going on here. So...there I leave it.

Waterlogged

We had a fun-filled trip last weekend. The wonderful folks we sang to in California and Nevada enjoyed some of the new music Liberty debuted. I do have to tell you about one of those funny incidents that just seem to happen naturally to our quartet. We got to Lake Almanor, CA early in the day on Saturday. It's not too far from Gerber, CA, where we had been the night before. Doran had called one of our good friends, Dan Foos, and asked if there was any chance of getting out on the lake in one of his boats. Dan is a fantastic singer who occasionally sings a few songs with us when we're in the area. Well, he graciously agreed to take us out and we set off around noon. It was an absolutely gorgeous day. The temperature was between 80 and 85 degrees, blue skies, and bright sun. We headed off across the lake to Prattville, a trip of a few miles, where we had a delicious lunch at a RV camp cafe. After lunch, Dan took us around the lake showing us the sights. As you can see from the picture, it's beautiful.

While we were drifting around, just enjoying the weather and conversation, Dan's wife called and told him that the wind was starting to blow and the water was getting rough on their side of the lake. Well, he decided we had better head back to shore. On the trip back we started to hit a few waves and it was throwing a little water into the boat. Doran had been sitting up front, but wasn't a big fan of getting soaked so he came back to where I was sitting in the boat. These guys with hair are wimps! So concerned about what might happen to their "look". I enjoyed the spray so I went up to the front of the boat, the splash section if you will. Before too long, we started to rock and roll. Let me provide you with some context before I go on. Dan Gilbert was in the Coast Guard for four years; he's an excellent swimmer. In fact, he has fins for feet. Royce is a pretty good swimmer. He's no Michael Phelps, but he can stay above water. I'm a mediocre to poor swimmer. I'm pretty sure I could save myself if for some reason I found myself in water a little ways from shore (I mean, after all, I learned in Gordie Howe's pool; remember those days?). Well, maybe that's a little ambitious . Doran can't swim to save his life. That's no exaggeration. So, here we are in the boat heading into what are becoming good-sized waves. As we're about half a mile away from the dock, the boat suddenly dipped into the water and a huge wave just came crashing over the front of the boat. Royce and I were in the front and were instantly drenched. It partially tore off the front panel of the boat. Royce decided he was going to play Bob Vila and bent down to make the repair. As Royce leaned down to try to push back the panel, we got hammered with another massive wave. By this time, there are several inches of water in the boat and it's beginning to seriously lean to the side (this is a large boat, mind you; not some little rowboat). Dan Gilbert yelled for me to grab some life jackets, and I started throwing them back to the guys. When I heard Dan asking for a life jacket, I knew it was pretty bad. However, I didn't have enough sense to get scared because as I looked to the back of the boat, Doran had scrambled for the top of the seat and was making his way to the roof. I have never seen anyone put on a life jacket so fast! He was trying to balance on the top of the back seat, while grabbing for the roof. His teeth were chattering at about 208 bps and he wasn't humored. Between that and Royce looking like a drowned rat, standing with his shoulders hunched, water pouring off him, I couldn't take it. I laughed so hard I was crying. Dan Gilbert was leaning over the side of the boat laughing. I'm sure I looked as bad as Royce...no...there's no way I could have looked as bad as Royce! We bailed what water we could out of the boat and a very pale Dan Foos took us on in to shore. Dan has boated on Lake Almanor for 32 years and he said he had never had anything like that happen to him. I truly wish I had some pictures. It was one of those experiences that is going to be laughed about for a long time. Well, except for Doran. He still isn't laughing.

Liberty Stuff

Lately I've been consumed with all things Liberty:

This week Royce's second solo recording "Truckin' On" will be delivered. I think it's supposed to be in on Wednesday; just in time for leave time on Thursday morning. We've already been singing a couple of the songs featured on the CD. I'm really happy with this album.

Then, last week I sent off the artwork and proofs for our new DVDs, Hymnsing 1 & 2. These are, by far, the best live videos that we have recorded. I enjoyed doing the graphic design. We're hoping to have the DVDs back in the next 3 weeks or so.


We got the rough mix back for our new CD, Amazed, which is slated for release on September 27. Roger Talley, Phil Cross, and Doran combined their producing skills on this project. The final result is awesome! It has yet to be mastered, but I'm already impressed with what I'm hearing. It's hard to label this recording stylistically. It has a Southern Gospel feel for sure, but we've also incorporated elements from other genres. It's a unique sound for Liberty.

I'm taking a break today. I just got in from a Washington weekend and I'm still a little groggy.

Bus Driver

Thanks to one of my loyal readers, Ellen, Liberty's version of Bus Driver is now available. Check out my shaved head. I've gone Bic and I'm not looking back.

Amazed

Shhhh...keep this between us. I just heard the rough mix of the new Liberty CD "Amazed" and it's...WOW!...just...man, I don't know how to say it...it's very...well, just wait 'til you hear it.

You can hold it in your grubby little hands on Saturday, September 27 (but, only if you come to Family Fest.08 at Valley Shepherd Nazarene in Meridian, ID).

I'll let you be the judge.

Canadian bound

I mentioned in the post below that I'm getting ready to leave for Canada. We're going to be singing at the Frenchman River Valley Gospel Music Jamboree (try to say that one real fast). So, I've been working on our inventory forms for the Canadian border, making sure that everything's ready to go for a smooth, fast crossing (who am I kidding?). We have to pay tax on everything we take into the country to sell, whether or not we sell it. Now, we don't pay a tax on the sale price, but on the production price. Anyway, so I've been filling out the B3 form. You have to make sure you have the right Canadian classification number which is tied to the world-wide Customs Tariff. There are 99 chapters in the Tariff. It's pretty much 2 NYC phone books put together. So, after 3 hours of research and then converting the US prices to Canadian prices and so forth I hit a button that populates a PDF form and, voila, it promptly disappeared. So, I had to start over. I strained some veins on that one.

While I'm working on this little project of joy, I get phone calls from Royce and Dan informing me that our bus, which has been in the shop the last couple of days for repairs, won't be available for this weekend's trip. Now understand, this going to be a 20 hour trip, by the time we get through customs and finally get to our destination. Dan has been calling around to several places trying to rent either a van or SUV. As of now, I'm not sure what our final ride will be. I've definitely taken the bus for granted. So, I feel like I'm in the GBS quartet again. Nothing like close fellowship for 20 hours.

So, get ready, Liberty Quartet is coming to town!

I still have a lot to catch up. Our video taping of our two hymns DVDs, my T-ball coaching endeavors, embarrassing photos from the past: plenty of good material. But, this will have to do for now. Have a great weekend.


OK, Jolene does this get me off the hook for a few days?

Liberty and Greater Vision

Greater Vision joins Liberty on "City Comin' Down". Thanks again, Ellen.

Liberty at Fresno

Thank you Ellen for uploading these clips to YouTube. Royce sings "I Thirst".

Les of Liberty

OK, this is hilarious. Les Beasley joins Liberty on "Jericho Road". For some reason, Les's mic was cranked up hotter than anyone. Very interesting.

Saturday Nights at Fresno

Saturday evening was our last performance at Fresno. Our set list included:

• When the Roll Is Called Up Yonder/Hallelujah! We Shall Rise
• Battle Hymn of the Republic
• I Thirst
• Great Day
• City Coming Down

What a fantastic response! They wouldn't let us quit singing! This was only the second time that we had sang "I Thirst". It's going to be on Royce's solo album (coming out next month). By the time we got to the last song, the crowd let us know how much they appreciated our ministry. Greater Vision joined us on the last 2 choruses of City Comin' Down, much to our delight. It was a wonderful way to cap an incredible weekend. Thanks to everybody who stopped by to say hello. I hope you enjoyed it as much as we did.

I don't know how this picture got in here. This is actually me singing the solo on "I'm His" in the Songwriter's Showcase.

I don't know what we're doing, but we're pretty intent on doing it. Feet planted, chin jutting out, this is serious stuff, folks.

Greater Vision hitting the last chorus of "City Coming Down" with us. Royce was absolutely awesome on that song. He's gonna kill me for putting this in here, but I'm going to anyway. 2 or 3 of the big-name artists on the bill (I'll protect their identity since I just happened to overhear them) told Royce that he was one of the best in the business today. I agree totally. He's one of the best I've ever heard. I don't just say that because he signs my check...well, OK, maybe that's part of it. No, seriously, he's incredible and I'm privileged to travel with Royce and the other guys.

We had a great time and we're already looking forward to next year. Now, I'm off to bed. Night, all.

Songwriter's Showcase

Doran was asked to participate in Saturday's Songwriter's Showcase. He did a fantastic job! He told the story behind his composition "I'm His". It was powerful. We then sang the song. I had so many artists stop me after the showcase and tell me how much they appreciated the message and performance of the song. I'm proud of the guy. Doran and Connie Hopper spent most of the afternoon in transfixed wonder, drinking in the words of host Phil Cross.

The showcase concluded with the Hoppers and everybody else belting out Phil Cross's hit "Yes I Am". Dan and Mitchel Jon cranked it out louder than anyone. The mic is off and they're still drowning everybody out. Sheesh~!

Fresno Candids

Diane, Doran, Royce, Tammy, Donna, Tammy, Keith, Lori. It was so much fun to have our wives along. However, it's a good thing that we depend on everyone else to laugh at our jokes. In all seriousness, we couldn't do what we do without the support of our better halves. They are strong, dedicated women. We're blessed!

Dan with his parents, Bill and Audrey Gilbert. Bill occasionally drives bus for us. And, for those of you who have yet to meet Audrey, she is the life of every party!

Dan with our incredible graphic designer/details person/booking agent/fill in the blank, Dee Sienknecht. Dee did a fantastic job of handling a lot of the details of our Fresno trip. We brought a bus with 43 people on it from the Treasure Valley. From the sounds of it, they had more fun than we did. Rick Waitley, our manager and president of Associated Management Group served as tour host, and the bus was driven by my old friend Milo Wittkopf.

I have this thing for art of Jack. Really. OK, it's a little creepy.

Speaking of creepy, security got several calls about some weird guy circling the RV parking lot begging for food. He was chased off, last seen clutching a bag of Cheetos.

Diane, Lori, and Donna pose with our wonderful friend Wilma Pound (see Grillin' with Liberty).

A startling resemblance to be sure. The jowls are a slightly more pronounced on the little guy.

I had a chance to reconnect with a lady who has become a special friend, Dot Veltkamp. Liberty was privileged to be able to minister to her at a very low point in her life.

Breakfast with Liberty

Saturday morning, Liberty hosted a outside breakfast for the Fresno fans. They had the biggest breakfast turnout they had ever had. We laughed. A lot. Here are some highlights:

Lori and I just try to be servants. We used our God-given talent for distributing napkins. It was greatly appreciated by our unloved, saved ones.

Dan explains to Dean Hopper his philosophy of sound: "Now, Dean, here's what yer goina' wanna dew: get that there microphono in close and personal. pretend it's a lollipop if that helps ya out. Then, just wail on it for all yer worth. Yep, that's what I have ol' Big Daddy here do each and every night and look where it's got 'em." Royce tries to pretend that Dan's a dab of lard on the sidewalk.

Royce and I nailed the choreography on "This World Is Not My Home", while Doran (once again) stumbles along behind.

Les and Roy Webb were in rare form. Les got a phone call while Dean was talking. First off, he never even heard it ringing and it was on deafening loud volume mode. So, everyone but Les knew he had an incoming call. Finally, Dean asks him if he's going to answer it. He pulls it out of his pocket, says (into the mic) "well, lookee here, it's my wife" and then answers the phone "hello, honey." While everyone watches, he chats a while. Finally, he gets off the phone and say, "Good news, folks. I just saved 15% on my car insurance."

Les decided to join us on "Jericho Road". The result was painful and hilarious. Dan, yes, Dan of all people was feeding him words. The crowd loved it and of course Les hammed it up. I'm convinced that Royce is Les's long-lost son. There are some similarities there. It's like looking down the road 40 years. But, I digress...

Amanda Henry has become one of our good friends. She sings soprano for the Herb Henry Family. She was out there trying her best to get us to laugh. Well, Dean decides to bring her up in front of everybody and ask her if she's content being single. She had a classic response. She said, "I have to be, since you're taken." Dean blushed a deep red and couldn't utter a word. That's the first time I've seen him at a loss for words.

Lately, Dan has been reading Fanny Crosby's autobiography and it's starting to have an effect on his appearance.

I have no clue what we're doing right here. Ol' Fanny looks surprised, though.

Roy Webb was very impressed with the way Dan lays out the cords. He kept muttering, "Curious. Very curious."

Roy also leaned in to get a better look at Royce as he hit one of those crazy low notes that seem to emanate from some subterranean chamber.

A great time was had by all.

Grillin' in Fresno

We have so many good friends that drive out for the convention. The beautiful part of it is that they love feeding us! On Friday, we all headed over to the RV parking lot for lunch with some dear friends: Larry and Wilma Pound; Bob and Toni Conway; and Courtney and Lucille DeWeese. The food was incredible as you can see from the pictures below.

Wilma trying to explain to Larry that a fork works just fine for flipping chicken on the grill. Either that or she's challenging him to a duel. If that's the case, and knowing her spunk, my money's on Wilma.

Doran, Lori, and I trying to get as much food on our plates as fast as possible. Now Lori knows why I've put on a few pounds since I started traveling. However, I'm not quite as plump as my billowing shirt would make me appear. Sheesh! I look bloated. I work hard to protect my svelte physique.

Tri-tip steak, grilled chicken, baked beans (which I avoided, reasons which are understood by those who know me; probably not what you're thinking, either), asparagus, salad, fruit, garlic bread, and strawberry shortcake.

Diane, Tammy, Donna, and Lori pose beside Wilma's Liberty painting. We inspire the arts! This was the first time that all of the wives were able to go on a trip. We had way too much fun. I have so many stories that I can't share. I'd love to, but if I did a missing person's report would soon be filed and my body would end up in some secluded ravine wrapped in plastic. You don't want to mess with these women.

This was supposed to be a picture of Doran and Diane, but somehow an orange albatross ended up in the shot.

The same thing happened in Tammy's picture. They really need to do something about those birds. They're annoying. I sprayed it with Round-Up.

Thanks to all of you guys (yeah, I know you're out there and you read this blog) who fed us, clothed us (OK, that didn't happen), and made us feel like we're someone special. We love you!

Thursday concert

We left Boise/Nampa on Wednesday around 5:00 PM and drove throughout the evening. We arrived in Fresno around 8:30 AM Thursday. John Bentham, promotions director of the Fan Fest, called me Wednesday afternoon to see if we could do a TV interview with Fresno's CBS and Fox affiliates. I asked him what time we needed to be there and he said 5:00 AM. There ain't no way! So, while it would have been fun we had to skip the interview. Besides, who wants to sing tenor that early in the morning? We were the first group in to set up our booth, so once that was out of the way we took off for some food. We had planned on checking into the hotel early and grabbing a little shut-eye before our 4:30 PM sound check, but that didn't happen. The earliest we could get in was 3:00. By the time we picked up the rental cars, ate, got in the room, and showered it was time to head to the Save Mart Center.

Dan and Royce were dragging. Apparently neither one slept well (if at all) and they were dead tired. We were the first group on, so we dressed and headed backstage. Now, my favorite part of these concerts is hanging out in the green room. Besides all the food, I've heard the biggest stories from all the old road warriors. They're always trying to one-up each other. It's great.

We hit the stage at 6:09 PM and had a great set. Our songs for Thursday evening included:

Ride That Glory Train
I'll Fly Away (Doran piano solo)
Bus Driver
The Eastern Gate
Say It Again
In God We Still Trust

I have to hand it to the sound crew. They did a fantastic job! Wes Pritchard was running the monitors and they were spot on. This is probably the best sound that we ever had at a convention/festival. The crowd responded so well to our songs. I think we had the right lineup. It was a nice mix of up-tempo and laid back songs. And, for all of you who were praying for my voice, God came through (like He always does). It sounded fine. Well, as fine as my voice gets anyway. Thanks for praying!

For a full run-down of Thursday night, click here.

Enjoy the pictures!


Gargantuan Keith coming at you. Lori made sure that my nose and ears were free of impeding and conspicuous hairs. She's a caring wife.

Royce had the crowd laughing throughout our Thursday evening set. I'm not sure what he's doing here, but I apparently enjoyed it.

Dan found paternal satisfaction in my histrionics, watching proudly as I sang my little heart out. It was either that or the fact that he hadn't slept for 32 hours. Shortly after this we carried him off the stage.

One of the highlights for me was singing "In God We Still Trust", one of the most powerful patriotic songs you'll ever hear. The energy in the arena was electric!

Overall, it was a wonderful night. After we were done we had a chance to relax and hear some of our favorites: the Booth Brothers, Legacy Five, the Beene Family, the Herb Henry Family, and the Hoppers among many others.