Dave's Top Eight

1. Jerry Reed...Revisited by Darrell Toney (reviewed 6/07) (5 Stars)
2. Sounds Like Sunday by Janet Paschal (reviewed 5/07) (5 Stars)
3. True To The Call by Kingdom Heirs (reviewed 3/07) (4 1/2 Stars)
4. Revival by Gold City (reviewed 10/06) (4 1/2 Stars)
5. Get Away Jordan by Ernie Haase & Signature Sound (reviewed 2/07) (4 1/2 Stars)
6. Breakin' Chains by Three Bridges (reviewed 5/07) (4 1/2 Stars)
7. Big Sky by The Isaacs (reviewed 4/07)
8. Skywriting by Mercy's Well (reviewed 7/07)

Click title to purchase at CBD.com...click artist name to read Dave's Review. A CD will automatically fall out of the Top Eight after twelve months if no CD surpasses it before then.

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November 30, 2004

Well said, John R.

John R. made a concise and well reasoned comment on the topic of true artistry vs. artist mimickry in a thread at Sogospelnews.com. You can see the entire thread here or click the title of this post to go directly to John's post. In part, John says:

One of the biggest problems with groups is that they think that they have to play the "Southern Gospel Circuit" (or circus). In order to eke out a minimum living, they have to conform to a certain preconceived image, act a certain way on stage, dress a certain way, tell certain stale jokes and have to declare that they are Bapticostal.

John goes on to say the danger is in being too much like other acts. I agree. The artists who will be remembered most in the future won't necessarily be those who were technically perfect or even superior performers. Fans adore the artists who make a special connection in a unique way. It doesn't matter how many are turned off by the idiosyncracies of a performer. Many people will change the channel when Bob Dylan comes on, for example, but he will be remembered. So many fans did identify with his art. I'm not one of them, to be perfectly frank, but that's not the point.

Southern Gospel has a number of individuals (or combinations of individuals) who have been able to sell their own special brand of music to fans. For each artist that did, there's a hundred acts trying to copy their success by singing the same songs in the same key and using the same arrangements. For this, they expect to be paid a decent living wage. That's not the way it's done.

Now if you're like me and lack the musical talent to be truly unique on a broadly appealing scale, it's best to get the notion of being a gospel music legend out of your head and just perform for local and/or regional events. There's nothing wrong with covering the songs made famous by someone else.

Sadly, too many groups memorize George Younce's jokes, learn the Cathedrals' version of "Sinner Saved By Grace," convince themselves that they sound just as good, and assume they will be the second coming of the Cathedrals once they get enough publicity. In practice, though, it doesn't work that way. The SG world has already experienced the Cathdrals. To get that level of recognition, you'll have to come up with some new elements that they'll never forget once they hear you present them as only you can.
posted by David Bruce Murray @ 9:41:00 PM


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