David Bruce Murray
Nov 21, 2009
In The News
Through The Grapevine
The Palmetto State Quartet issued a press release three weeks ago announcing the departure of long-time lead singer Kerry Beatty. The press release also indicated that Kerry Beatty had sold the group to bass singer Larry Strickland, and that the other group members would be Strickland, Robert Fulton, and Brian Beatty with musicians Casey Martin and Woody Beatty.
Yesterday, I was told that Kerry’s brother Brian and his father Woody are no longer part of the group. My source also said Brian’s replacement will be Aaron Minick. Can anyone else confirm this?
If true, it’s an interesting turn of events. It’s not particularly surprising, given the group’s turnover rate, but interesting because the Beatty’s (father and sons) have been the one common thread for the group through all their constant changes in the past twelve years. For most of the group’s history leading up to 1997, Jack Bagwell and Jack Pittman were the group’s two mainstays. Woody Beatty came to the group in 1989 during their last years with the group and facilitated the transfer of the group to his son, Kerry in 1997. The addition of Kerry’s brother and the return of his dad came in the last couple of years. Now, it would appear that for the first time in more than 20 years, there are no Beattys in the Palmetto State Quartet.
Aaron Minick has recorded some crooner records and sometimes sings in a quartet with his dad Johnny Minick, Mike Allen, and Allison Durham Speer. Paul Lancaster is a great singer. He’s the sort who has improved the sound of every group he has joined…Martins, Nelons, Greenes, etc. He’s just never stuck with any one group for very long. Strickland’s claim to fame is that he sang bass with the Stamps while they toured with Elvis Presley and he married Naomi Judd, opening the door for PSQ to sing on her daughter Wynonna’s current tour.
Of course, anyone who paid attention in school remembers that Robert Fulton invented the steamboat…and died in 1815, curiously enough.
Reports have also been coming in for the past week or two that indicate Ed Hill has joined the Songfellows. This is confirmed by a photo of the group on their website which includes Hill.
Hill’s Prophets Quartet is presumed to be put on the back burner again, but no official word has been issued on the subject.
