Name This Blog Poll: A Photo Finish

We want to thank everyone who voted in our poll to name the new blog!

We could never have anticipated that the results would be so close. MusicScribe.com finished just a fraction of a percent higher than Southern Gospel Central with 49% of the vote. Southern Gospel World Wide finished a distant third.

The direct link once we make the move will be blog.musicscribe.com. All the existing URLs will ultimately be set to forward to the new site, and musicscribe.com will forward to blog.musicscribe.com as well.

In the coming days we will be working feverishly to make the move and import previous posts to the new location.

As you can probably tell, we are all excited to be launching this new venture and we’re glad all of you are along for the ride!

New Blog Name – Your Vote Matters

Alright folks, we have narrowed it down to three choices.  We need y’all to decide on which one you think should be the new mega-blog name.  The poll will stay open for one week.  The three choices are as follows:

1. Southern Gospel Central
2. Southern Gospel World Wide
3. Musicscribe.com (with new tagline: News and Views from the Back Row)

Name That Blog Contest

The day has arrived.  The mega-blog merger has occurred.  We’ll be camping out here at Southern Gospel Views from the Back Row until a new blog name has been chosen.

That is where you, the readers, come in.  We need your help in naming the new mega-blog.  In the comments section give your suggestion for a new blog name.  The contest will run for one week (cut off for entries will be 8am Friday March 22nd, 2013).

After all entries are received, the five of us will determine a winner.  Be sure to be as creative as possible.  The individual with the winning entry will win a free Southern Gospel CD of their choice.  Have fun!

2013 NCAA March Madness – Chance To Win Free Music

To all college basketball sports fans, I will be hosting an NCAA bracket group for this year’s tournament.  If you want to participate, please email me (swea215@yahoo.com) and I will send you an invite.  It’s simple, the winner of the bracket challenge will win a free Southern Gospel CD of their choice.

If you have any questions regarding this please let me know.

Winner Of The Hoppers Give Away

I wanted to take a minute and officially congratulate Bill for winning the Hoppers new CD, Count Me In.  I also want to take a moment and thank all those who sent in memories.  I never expected to receive as many as I did.  It was tough trying to narrow it down to one winner.  I never expected, when I started this blog three years ago, that so many great folks would stop by on a daily basis and read/listen to my offerings of Southern Gospel music.

Bill gave me permission to post his winning entry and Bill also sent in a photo (you can click on the thumbnail) of him and his family that went along with his concert memory that he has given permission to post.  Thanks Bill and everyone for allowing me to read all your great memories.

…My favorite Hoppers memory is from January 2011.  We went to a Hoppers concert.  We had a new baby (3 months old) and before the concert a sick Kim Hopper came over to look at our baby girl and talk about her girls.  She was so kind.  During the concert she mentioned that she wasn’t feeling well, but you couldn’t tell by her performance!  After the concert the kids wanted to get a picture with the group.  We patiently waited until most of the crowd left and went up to the table.  Claude saw all the kids and started handing them group pictures, free of charge.  Kim had already made her way to the bus since she wasn’t feeling well.  Claude asked me what I did for a living and the strangest thing happened.  What he didn’t know was that I had been laid off from my job 7 months before.  I was still looking for work at the time.  The strange part was before I could answer Connie says to Claude, “Well he is looking for work right now.”  I am not sure how she knew that but she was correct.  I looked at Claude and said yes, I am looking for work.  He mentioned that he would pray for us and then we took the picture.  They were so very kind and genuine…

Hoppers Concert Review And Free Music Give Away

For all those that know me, know I am a sucker for a good Southern Gospel concert.  When a group rolls through your hometown it is even better.  Last night (09/07/12), I had the opportunity to go to Trinity Baptist Church here in Mooresville NC to see the Hoppers.

There is not another group in this industry that I have seen more in concert, over the course of my lifetime, than the Hoppers.  And what makes it even more impressive is that in that 30 years of seeing them live, I have never walked out of one of their concerts disappointed by their performance.

The concert gave the group the chance to highlight their new recording Count Me In.  Stand out performances from the new album included “I’ll Take You Home” (a classic Hoppers sounding tune penned by Jean Canter in the mid ’80′s), “He Didn’t Just Carry The Cross” (a familiar Hoppers style ballad that features Kim), “Count Me In” (a great up tempo number penned by Ronny Hinson, also the first single) and “Mighty Is The Word” (a great up tempo number penned by the late Shannon Childress).  Be looking for a full album review of the Hoppers new album Count Me In on Tuesday amongst all the NQC coverage.

The Hoppers also had the crowd on their feet after their performances of “Something’s Happening”, “Jerusalem”, “Yes I Am” and “I’ve Come Too Far”.  After two hours of giving it their all, the Hoppers closed with a chorus of their classic song “Mention My Name”.  It was also interesting that the group did not sing “Shouting Time” (not even a chorus).  I doubt the group is retiring the song, but this may have been the first time in 15 years (since the group started staging the song again) that I have not heard “Shouting Time” in a Hoppers concert.

So, because I am feeling good today and the new album is great, I thought I would give one of my readers a chance to win a brand new, unopened copy of the Hoppers new album Count Me In.  I wanted to make this give-away a little different from just a trivia question.

***To win, email me (swea215@yahoo.com) a couple of sentences of your greatest Hoppers concert memory.  From those responses I will choose a winner of the new CD.***

Concert Review And Free Music Give Away

I had the opportunity to go to the Liberty Baptist Church here in Mooresville NC on Sunday evening (09/02/12) to see the Greenes.  This was the first time to see the group with newest members Keith Skiles and Jason Gordon.  It just so happened this was group member Jason Gordon’s home church.

The group was sounding great and I was more than happy to hear some Greene classics.  The crowd seemed to enjoy the Greene classics the most.  ”More Precious Than Gold”, “Miracle In Me” and “When I Knelt, The Blood Fell” all brought the house down.

I mentioned last week when reviewing the Greenes new album that tenor Keith Skiles is  a quartet style tenor.  He really adds that extra vocal punch to the group’s overall sound.  Tim Greene was also sounding great.  Words can’t express how happy I am seeing Tim being able to travel and sing once again.  God is good!

The most memorable moment of the evening was Tim’s touching story of Tony’s last moments.  There wasn’t a dry eye in the sanctuary.  It is hard to believe it has been nearly two years already.

I wanted to offer my readers a chance to win the Greenes new album We Need America Again.  The first person to email me (swea215@yahoo.com) the answer to the following trivia question will win.

**QUESTION:  The Greenes were known for the high soprano vocal focal point.  There were four women who filled that spot over the years.  Everyone is familiar with Kim, Amy and Taranda.  Who was the fourth women to fill the soprano vocal during the mid ’90′s?

UPDATE:  This contest is considered closed.  We have a winner, who guessed Milena Parks as the fourth soprano vocalist who spent time with the Greenes in the mid ’90′s.  Thanks for your continued readership and look for more free music giveaways in the coming weeks.

 

2012 NQC Web Cast Give Away – And The Winner Is….

This post is to officially congratulate Andrew S. for being the grand prize winner in this year’s 2012 NQC web cast give away.  He picked up nine out of ten.  I also wanted to send a shout out to runner-up Charles H. for grabbing eight out of ten in the tie breaker round.  You both made for an exciting finish.

I also wanted to thank all those who participated in this year’s contest and all those who continue to come back on a daily basis to read/listen to what I have to offer regarding Southern Gospel music and its history.

The answers for the tie breaker round are as follows:

1. Roger Bennett (clip from the Live In Music City album)
2. Kim Hopper (clip from the 10th Anniversary Live album)
3. Ronny Hinson (clip from the Out Of The West They Came, Live And On Stage album)
4. Elaine Wilburn (clip from the Alabama Lightning album)
5. Jerry Goff (clip from the Live Here Tonight album)
6. Lily Isaacs (clip from the Live At Hominy Valley album)
7. Carroll McGruder (clip from the In Motion album)
8. LaBreeska Hemphill (clip from the In Action album)
9. JD Sumner (clip from the Live In Nashville album)
10. Wendy Bagwell (clip from the And That’s A Fact With My Hand Up album)