2007
September
NQC Or Bust
In those days, we would have never believed that we would form our own group - The Quicks - with our two daughters Rachel and Rebecca shortly afterwards. And not only that, but be able to move back to Nashville and enter into full time ministry in only a few short years. Go figure…
Regardless of whether we sang Gospel music or not, going to the NQC each year would still be the family vacation for The Quicks! We love it!
If you get NQC fever and happen to make your way to Louisville, we’d love to see you! Stop by Booth # 1804 for a “Quick” visit! We’ll have a comfortable chair, some great chocolate candy (thanks to my new son-in-law who works for Nestle!), and a quiet place to catch your breath. Well, it’s quiet on my side of the booth. If you sit on Tim’s side, he’ll talk your ear off! And Rebecca’s turned out to be just like him! You might even catch a glimpse of our Rachie who just got married in June – she LIVES in Louisville now with Willy Wonka… I mean Aaron!
till next time…
Sally
Be sure to pick up your copy of The Quicks’ new CD – The Word is Out – on your visit to the NQC! You’ll find songs like the Gaither tune “If it Keeps Gettin’ Better,” J.D.’s “Rolling Along,” a couple of songs co-written with Daryl Williams, and the latest originals from Sally Quick.
Be listening for our new radio single release – “THE WORD IS OUT” – from our new album of the same title! Co-written with Daryl Williams. Released through the Rick Hendrix Company Comp 49.
For bookings or product, simply call 615-459-5119 or email us at for more information.
THEQUICKSONLINE.COM has a new look! To find out more about The Quicks, visit us on the web at http://www.thequicksonline.com.
To contact The Quicks, Phone: 615-459-5119 / 615-403-0047
Write: The Quicks / P.O. Box 581 / Smyrna, TN 37167
E-mail:
Hefty Man and Other Gospel Music Superheros!
Mike has shared some stories with me from his days with Gold City that were pretty bad. You have to understand that Mike and me are pretty much the same when it comes to throwing up. When I'm that sick, somebody better fill in for me or reshedule the concert because when things are coming out where they went in, I'm about to die! Mike told me that one night when he was on stage, he literally would run behind the stage curtains and throw up in a bucket between songs. Obviously, Mike is more dedicated than I am.
I can remember singing at Merimac Caverns with a group in the early 90's and that night on the bus, parked in the middle of the parking lot, miles from anything or anywhere with a bathroom, food poisoning from the burger joint inside hit me at about 3 A.M. I went running off the bus, only to find miles and miles of parking lot. It was bad for me, and whoever parked in that section the next day I can assure you! Now, I don't know if this is age or wisdom talking, but if I'm ever that sick again....I'm going home. Either to heaven or back to Nashville.
However, I want you to know that the same dedication and drive that Mike and I posessed in our younger days is still alive and well and riding on the LeFevre bus. Not too long ago, we were singing somewhere in Virginia. That afternoon, we ate at Ruby Tuesday's and because there was an authentic Mexican joint across the street from the church, a few of the guys decided to run over and eat right before the concert. We went on and did our first set. A few more artists sang and everyone took about a 15 minute intermission. During the break, one of our guys (whose name I shall never reveal) disappeared. Finally we found him on the bus, stretched out on the front sofa sick as a dog. I don't remember the last time I ever saw anyone that sick. Those of you who travel know that the only thing worse than being that sick is being that sick so far from home, couped up on a 45 foot cubicle with 5 or 6 other guys.
Well, we finished the second set without him, tore down and got on the bus to leave, only to find him getting worse. He was in the bathroom of the bus. He poked his head out and told us that all of his clothes he had on were ruined and he needed a shower. As we pulled into a hotel down the road, he asked if we could hand him a white plastic hefty bag. You know, the cinch sack kind with the drawsting handles. You see, he didn't want to put on clean clothes and contaminate them with a virus or whatever had made him so sick, so he came up with a brilliant idea as to what he should wear from the bus to the hotel room. Keep in mind that it is storming, pouring down rain. What we all saw next is something that we'll never forget. He stepped out of the bathroom with nothing on except a white hefty bag with two holes cut out for his legs. The draw string isn't just for closing the bag, it can also be used as a belt. We all felt so sorry for him, we couldn't laugh.........until he stepped off of the bus. We haven't stopped laughing since.
So, the next time you come see us in person, just try to guess which one of us us is......HEFTY MAN, gospel music superhero!
David Staton
LeFevre Quartet
http://www.lefevrequartet.com
“It’s Beginning To Rain”
God has many other wonderful ways of getting His messages to our hearts. His Word is just as precious and real however He sends it. Still, my favorite way is when He gives a song!
This “song-story” began when I was a child. Our family attended a very small church. The members were not especially gifted with great singing abilities, but how dear are my memories of their voices and their songs! Even as a child, I recognized the lack of talent, but also the sweet spirit and earnest praise in their singing.
One lady was nearly deaf in one ear, so she sang louder than everyone else. I smile to remember how innocently she sang out above the congregation. One of her songs- I call it “hers” because, though everyone sang it together, she sang it with more feeling than all the rest. In my mind it is “Vera’s song.” Whenever I hear it, no matter who is singing it, I hear Vera’s voice in my mind.
She never knew what she gave to me by praising the Lord in that song. It is a treasure I’ve held onto through the years. God has used it to encourage and comfort me many times. Not just by the meaning of the words, but the feeling that is attached to the song. I see Vera with her hands upraised, eyes closed, and her warm full smile. She seemed to anticipate refreshing raindrops to fall from heaven as she sang “It’s Beginning To Rain.” /(song written by Bill and Gloria Gaither)/
Recently, I visited Vera at the nursing home where she spent the last month of her journey here. I’m ashamed to say, it was my first time to see her in over ten years. My mom asked me to come with her to see Vera, and I was almost sorry I‘d come. I didn’t wish to see her in this condition.
She’d had several strokes and couldn’t speak. I could tell she recognized us by the look in her eyes, and she tried to say our names. However, she gave very little other response to us, and slept through most of our visit. Her granddaughter sat by her bed. She was obviously weary with the many long nights caring for her grandmother. I stood listening to her and my mom talk about the past. They remembered how the Love of God had flowed out from Vera to everyone she met. All the while, the song just kept rolling over and over in my mind.
It was nearly time for us to leave, when finally, I swallowed my pride, and without invitation, without asking permission, I began singing in Vera’s good ear- “It’s beginning to rain…..”
She opened her eyes, and looked at me. She smiled, and tears trickled down her face. Her granddaughter cried too. Mom joined me, and we sang the chorus over several times. Then we sang another old hymn Vera used to love. We could see it meant the world to her! Oh, the power of a song!
It was over twenty years ago, that I first heard Vera sing, and only two weeks ago, that I stood by her bed singing the song she taught me. Today, Vera sings in Heaven, and I’m sure there is not one angel who sounds any sweeter!
Jennifer McCallister
The Bradleys
http://www.thebradleys.net
Monument Quartet
Greetings from Monument! Marshall assigned this artice and told me to have fun but not to get us expelled, so here it is.You know, there are alot of things I don't understand. Some of them are extremely inportant and used quite frequently, yet others are more obscure. An example of a widely used item would be an automobile engine. Now I did not say that it could not be understood; I just said I don't get it, however, I'm not gonna push my car till I figure it out. Other observations may seem a little trivial, but worth mentioning in my mind. This is my article anyway, so I can note whatever I deem necessary.
Here are a couple of the latest: First, why in the world does our GPS on the bus tell us how far it is to our destination "as the crow flies"? As of our last trip, in spite of several attempts, our bass singer's design for wings (to be added to the bus) have proven unsuccessful. I'm not saying it won't ever work Brad, it just hasn't yet buddy. You keep striving for excellence. Until then, I don't see the reason for this information. Secondly, and by far the most intriguing... cushioned toliet seats. Two questions spring from this subject. Does every cushioned tiolet seat come with a tear already in it? I don't think I've ever sat on one that didn't pinch. Really! Also, does it actually help? I mean admittedly I'm a big guy, but the immediate "pfft" sound denotes a lack of sustained cushioning ability. Doesn't it? A lesser remark on this subject, if your still the slightest bit wet from a shower when you sit you might slip off into the floor! Not cool...especially if your visiting. Not that I would know, I'm just saying hypothetically. You understand I'm sure.I realize that this deep intellectual kind of thought is not the stuff that sermons are made of, but honestly it seems to me that we do well when we take ourselves a little less seriously. There are also plenty of spiritual topcis I can't quite get my mind around, like God's grace and why He would choose to love me, but that's another article. This one is for laughs and maybe even a merry heart or two( which doeth good like a medicine Prov 17:22).
Life is fun, especially as a christian. Christ said "I came that they might have life and have it more abundantly."(John 10:10) What we have to do is live that abundant life so thoroughly that it points people to the one who gave it to us.
God bless and feel free to add anything that YOU might not understand,
John Tidwell
Monument Quartet
http://www.monumentquartet.com
http://www.myspace.com/monumentquartet
When He Said Live
We just got home from Silver Dollar City in Branson, Missouri. We performed Saturday night with Doyle Lawson and Quicksilver at the big Echo Valley Amphitheater. It was awesome! Then Sunday we performed 3 shows that were equally as exciting, aside from the convention feet syndrome. (Those of you NQC fans know exactly what I’m talking about.) The folks at Silver Dollar City were so accommodating and treated us like royalty. Not to mention the fans who came out to see us who were so charming. We are all so eager to go back, which will be sooner rather than later. We'll be there a whole week in the end of September. If you'd like to make a trip to come see us in Missouri and maybe ride a rollercoaster or two, check out our schedule at http://www.bsaworld.com or you can visit http://www.silverdollarcity.com for more details.
Before I go, I wanted to share something that has been on my heart lately. Recently I was reading in Psalms, specifically Psalm 13, where David is asking God, how long? He even says, "How long will you forget me, forever?" I don't know what David was facing, but I imagine it was a situation that seemed to have no end. Like most Christians, I have been right there, struggling with a situation that I tried to control, but couldn't, all the while wondering when God would step in and deliver me from my suffering and sadness. Then David goes on to say, "But I will trust in Your unfailing love... I will sing to the Lord for He has been good to me!" The truth is God does not ever forget us, even when we feel like He has. I look back on all the valleys in my past and what I remember most isn't the struggle, but I vividly recall standing on top of the mountain free from the battle with my arms raised in praise to the God who has never forsaken me. Thus, if you're in a valley and you feel deserted and overwhelmed by your circumstances, remember all the other times God delivered you. After all, is this valley really any different? Just remember, God inhabits the praises of His people. Never forget to praise Him for who He is.
Katy Peach
The K of TK & McRae
http://www.tkandmcrae.net
King’s Heralds - Sep 07
Now that the fall of the year is upon us, we are looking forward to a couple of events that will be here soon. The first one is NQC. If you have never been, you need to hurry and make your plans to attend. It is six days of great gospel music with showcases and worship services during the day and the main program in the evening. The dates are September 9-15. As you can see it is right around the corner ,so come on we want to see you there. By the way, The King's Herald will be perfoming in a couple of showcases and will even make an appearance i nthe main auditorium form time to time.
Our next event that we are looking forward to this fall is our trip to South Korea. Over the years the quartet has visited over 50 countries and this will make our secong or third trip to Korea. As you can imagine we are excited about this. This will happen in October so please make this a matter of prayer. Please pray for our safety and that the concerts will be a success and that the Lord will give us souls for our labour.
We have been introducing you to the members of The King's Heralds for the past several months. We hope that you feel that you know us just a little bit better..at least you will be able to walk up and call us by name.....hopefully. Anyway this month we would like to introduce you to our newest member. Many of you many remember him from his days with The Fox Brothers, Palmetto State and The Old Time Gospel Hour Quartet. He has been in and around the southern gospel music industry for many years.He has worked in just about every aspect of the music industry from artist to radio promoter to publisher and producer. He has been singing bass with the King's Heralds for a couple of years now. Many of you will know that we are talking about Jeff Pearles. Jeff resides just outside of Nashville, Tn.Please stop by our booth at convention and say hey we'd love to meet you.
King's Heralds
http://www.theheralds.org
Wait
We are gearing up for NQC next week and are so excited to be able to be there again this year. Please come by and visit with us at booths 934 and 936. We have a free gift, while supplies last. We will be singing at two showcases this year. 2nd Generation is so excited and honored to be a part of such a wonderful event. God has been moving so mightly in our services and we just fill like the doors are about ready to blow open for us. I have a poem that I read almost every day titled "Wait" by Russell Kelfer. It's too long to place on here as an article, but you can find it on the internet. But what it is talking about is waiting on God. We get is such a hurry and want everything right now and we forget that it's in God's timing, not ours. If we rush God we will never know about trusting in Him, the joy of resting in Him, the glow of His comfort, that His grace is sufficient, the depth of His love or the power He gives to the faint. He can answer us quickly, but we would miss what He's trying to do through us, not for us. We are so excited about what God has ahead for 2nd G and sometimes we get a litle anxious and impatient. That's when God reminds us that his most precious answer of all is, "Wait."
God is so good!
See ya at NQC!
Until next time, keep on singing...and waiting on God.
Brenda Denney
2nd Generation
http://www.2ndgenerationministries.com
An Old Fashioned Campmeeting!
hardly wait to see our friends.
In all the places we go there is one thing to say for certain, people still hunger for a great time of worship and praise. I have to say that we need to realize why we do what we do. God has given us a talent to use for him, and our purpose is to uplift and seek the lost. With our group it is more proud for us to hear,"You guys really blessed us tonight, I needed that". We have found that in everything you do if you seek Him and do what he would have you to do it works out much better! I wish that all the services would be treated like an old campmeeting. There's just something about a service that you can truly say the spirit has been there and not forced on by emotions.
Until next month, continue to be "Driven".
Jason Funderburk
Driven
http://www.drivenqt.com
Booked Exclusively by: The Dominion Agency #910-484-6996
Dumb Things
I can’t help but think that our God is so big that He can certainly take care of the big stuff such as a horse accident. But He is also big enough to take care of the small stuff! I’d like to challenge you to look beyond just the big stuff that you know God was with you and took care of you in, but also look at the small stuff and thank God continually for His goodness. We are told in 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 “Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” I thank God for my sore muscles! May the joy of the Lord be upon you!
Sondra Burnett
http://www.sondraburnett.com
September Reflections ‘07
But the reality was that many of the hotels were old and poorly situated, parking was a nightmare, and there were few places to eat after an all-night musical conclave. I do recall a couple of greasy spoons and an old Waffle House so smoke-filled that even the Marlboro man would have gagged.
It’s been more years ago than I’d like to think that the group I was with drove into the night to arrive in time for the Saturday morning talent contest. We had no hotel, so I changed clothes for the competition in a parking garage while my sister-in-law blocked the view of potential onlookers with her raincoat. Then we headed on over to the venue. It seemed we stood in line for hours that cool October morning, but it was all worth it, for we came away with the first place trophy. The most important prize we were offered was an opportunity to sing the winning song at the opening of that night’s mainstage event. At 2:00 a.m. we were still waiting, so we gave it up, piled in our cars, and headed on back to Illinois….disappointed, but toting the trophy nonetheless.
There are other memories that stand out…like the year a soloist won the group competition…interesting.
Then there was the year Elvis showed up and took a bow… for what I’m not sure…I guess just being Elvis. The auditorium was ablaze with flashing Kodaks and the shouts and cheers were deafening. He didn’t sing and he spoke not a word. He just appeared, took a bow, and disappeared. Strange.
I can remember more than one year rude patrons filing out in droves when the Bill Gaither Trio took the stage. Now I’m sure some of those folks would give their right arm for just two minutes of Bill’s time. It’s funny how time and life are excellent levelers.
There was the year Vestal Goodman came out of nowhere and literally flew up the center steps of the mainstage to pray for wheelchair-bound songwriter, Cleavant Derricks. There was no doubt in anyone’s mind that she was a lady on a mission. (Rev. Derricks was the composer of such gospel greats as “Just A Little Talk with Jesus", "When God Dipped His Love In My Heart", "We'll Soon Be Done With Troubles and Trials" and many others.)
Then the year no one will ever forget…the year we lost Big Chief.
But through it all, the good times and bad, there was a constant. It was a week of absolute musical bliss for anyone who loves harmony. Back before anyone used the term “southern gospel”, it was sweet, southern harmony. Back in the sixties The Johnson Sisters dressed up the stage in style and brought their Alabama sounds northward. The Weatherfords crooned and the Happy Goodman’s brought the house down like only they could. I can still hear the rich tones of the Blue Ridge Quartet, and the unique stylings of Smitty Gatlin and the old Oak Ridge Boys.
Out in the exhibition area they stood high on steel record cases and sold their 33 1/3 vinyl for $5.00, with a nice black and white publicity photo for 50 cents. They smiled, some blushed, but they all posed with babies and grandma’s alike. They stood and signed autographs for waiting fans and wouldn’t have dreamed of skulking off to hide while underlings dealt with us “nobodies”.
They dressed befitting the occasion, as did the fans back then…not a sweatsuit in sight. They didn’t apologize for looking “churchy”, and the names of their record labels could not be mistaken for anything but gospel.
The seventies brought new sounds like the Imperials, while J.D. Sumner and the Stamps and the Kingsmens were still a commanding presence on stage. The eighties ushered in the Gold City era and their sound became the “gold standard”. But no matter what year, what group, what city, the tenors screeched high, the basses slid down their lowest register to vibrate the floor, and we loved every minute of it.
It seemed we walked miles that week and new shoes wore blisters on our tired feet. We met kindred spirits in our fellow fans and made friends of former strangers, some of whom are still good friends today.
I can almost hear what some are thinking now. “Boy, is she clueless about what REALLY went on backstage.” No, I’m not. Trust me. I met the mean-spirited as well as the beautiful, the cad as well as the kind. But like in every other walk of life, there can’t be a counterfeit unless there’s a real thing, and thankfully I met enough of the “real deal” to convince me that this music is worth saving.
Of all the things I want to tuck away and remember all the days of my life about those times, the most treasured will always be the music. I’ll never forget my first introduction to Ronnie Hinson’s “Lighthouse”, or Neil Enloe’s “Statue of Liberty”, Gaither songs like “Because He Lives” and the Speer Family’s rendition of “The King is Coming”. They were power ballads before that phrase became popular. Most of all they were classic songs sung by classy singers and it doesn’t get any better than that.
We’ve seen our vinyl disappear to be replaced with 8-tracks, cassette tapes, CD’s, and now a variety of high-tech electronic gadgetry capable of storing every gospel album ever made; but it’s my sincere hope that while the music world continues to change around us we can preserve our unique heritage and meet in Louisville once a year just to say we’re still committed to this great ole sound…“Southern Gospel Music”.
Here’s wishing you the best Convention ever!
Janice Crow
Something Happened
Oh, He touched me
And oh the joy that floods my soul,
Something Happened
And now I know,
He touched me
And made me whole”
Words and music Bill Gaither
John 1:1-3(NIV) "That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched, this we proclaim concerning the Word of life. The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us. We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ."
We were sitting at lunch with our friends discussing a pastor’s message. He based his text on I John 1 and his main point in the message was that the most powerful and effective evangelistic tool we have is when we intersect our personal story of Jesus with the ancient history of the Bible.
I have grown up thinking the way to tell someone about Jesus was to go straight down the “Romans road.” But so many times the “god of this world” (Satan) has blinded so many people toward the gospel, that it is very difficult for them to take anything “by faith.” 2 Cor. 4:4(KJV) says, “In whom the god of this world has blinded the minds of them which do not believe, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them.” We all know that Satan is hard at work to keep people's mind blinded to the gospel, we also know that only the Holy Spirit can truly bring someone to conviction that they need Christ, but we are all called to “go tell, ” so how can we do our best to break through to them? The Pastor’s answer was to combine our personal story with the Bible and he then gave his own testimony, “I was a drug addict and an alcoholic for 10 years of my life, and then something happened, I met Jesus, He came into my life and changed me, and I have never turned back to drugs and alcohol and now I stand before you teaching you about Jesus and His power.” Something Happened. II Cor. 5:17 says “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. “(NKJV) He said I can't really prove to you without a shadow of a doubt that what the scripture says is true, but I can tell you that I believe every word of the Bible because “Something Happened” to me when I surrendered my life to Him, He made me whole, and I have never been the same since. Something Happened.
I have to say that my story is not one big dramatic event where I was living in addictive sin and God radically changed my life as he did in the pastor’s life. God has continually changed me throughout my life and is still continuing to do so. When I was born into this world, I was blessed to have Christian parents whose lives had been changed by Christ, whose parent's before them had been radically changed by Christ. By faith, my granddaddy was a first generation Christian who went through many hardships and abuses as a child during the Great Depression. He has told us of how he went to church and made the decision to accept Christ and Christ radically changed him and his family's future. By faith my dad, after losing his sweet Christian mother to cancer kept on trusting God and so by faith, my parents followed in their parents footsteps and became Christians and then proceeded to teach me about Him all my life. By faith, at age nine sitting in a revival at our church, sitting by myself because my parents were in the choir, I felt the conviction of the Holy Spirit and I asked Jesus into my heart to save me forever…He changed my eternal destiny. By faith, at the age of 16, I felt His call on my life and I surrendered my life to Him…He changed the direction of my life. By faith, at the age of 22, I married a wonderful man of God who had also surrendered his life to Christ and committed to spend the rest of my life with him…. He changed my heart. By faith, at the age of 36, I gave him my fears and my dreams….He changed my purpose and He gave me a new dream and a new purpose to lead others to be worshipers of Him. By faith, at the age of 38, I gave Him my health, and asked Him to take control of my body ...He healed me of cancer. By faith, the more I yield myself to Him, my will, my understanding, my emotions, my dreams, my heartaches, the more He keeps changing me and drawing me closer to Him and the more I see His glory in my life.
Towards the end of our lunch, a man sitting behind us turned to us and said he was trying to work on his computer, but he couldn't get anything done for listening to our conversation because Christ had radically changed his life and he wanted to share his story. He began with telling us he had really messed up his life. He was an alcoholic and wanted in 3 states (he didn’t say for what) and he had lost his wife and children. A friend invited him to church and he went. He said at first, the gospel of Christ scared him to death because he felt the conviction of the Holy Spirit to give his life to Christ and he didn’t know what to do with that. He told his friend to never invite him back because he would not go. The Holy Spirit continued to work on his heart and he could not rest until he went back. He said he could not wait until the end of the service, but came down to the altar during the singing and gave his life to Christ. He continued telling us stories of how God had changed his life, but, long story short, he said “Something Happened” to him when he met Jesus and he was no longer the same.
Christianity is “faith-based” and it takes faith to believe God is who He says He is, who He says He was in the beginning, Who He will continue to be throughout eternity, and who we can become if we just trust in Him. But doesn’t faith surround our lives anyway? Do we not have faith that when we go to work tomorrow, there will be a job there for us to do, that the company will have the money to pay us for the work we do. How about faith that the car we drive will get us to where we need to be, that our children will be safe in the care of others, that the earth will continue to spin, the sun will keep shining, that all the molecules in our bodies will stay together, that we will continue to discover the mysteries of God so that one day we will have cures to diseases such as cancer, that the rivers will run, that one day it will rain again. "Faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen". Hebrews 11:1 Still people find it hard to believe in the “things unseen” but Christ can become real and tangible to someone when they witness or hear about the miracle of “Something Happened” in our lives and we have never been the same because “He made us whole.” We need to share our stories, so tell me how has God changed your life?
Kerri Mullins
Everyday Driven
http://www.everydaydriven.com
http://www.myspace.com/everydaydriven
Page 1 of 1 pages
Now Playing
Artist Articles Archives
