As regular readers know, I often offer quick memory snipets from yesteryear. Today, I'm looking back 15 years ago.
It was May 1992. Here is what was happening....
- Long-time record producer Eddie Crook released his first piano solo recording, "Hits & Hymns."
- Singing News Magazine was celebrating a 23rd Anniversary. In his column, Jerry Kirksey proclaimed that Southern Gospel music was in the process of converting from an artist to a song driven industry. As of May 1992, he felt that the conversion was 50% complete.
- The No. 1 song in May of 1992 was the Kingsmen's "Wish You Were Here." (Yes, that's been 15 years. Need to sit down?)
- Other big songs of the time were "Royal Descendant" by the Perrys, "When It's My Time" by the Perkins Family, "He's In the Midst" by the Bishops, "When Dust Shall Sing" by the Wilburns and "I've Read The Back of the Book" by the Cathedrals.
- Thus Saith J.D.: J.D. Sumner let everyone know exactly why he was crossing the Atlantic Ocean to participate in an Elvis festival in Germany...
"It has to do with $10,000, five paid airplane tickets, five hotel rooms and our eats. Yes, to remove all doubts from those minds that will say 'I knew it,' the Stamps are singing for money, ditto, ditto, ditto! You can rest assured we are not going on a love offering. I'm talking about money - the kind of money that my family will use to further our desires, such as eating, house notes, car notes, things that take place in the real world."
Even though J.D.'s column was often filled with fun pokes at other people in the industry, J.D. was very successful in reminding readers that Gospel performers are real people, too - and to put them on a pedastal or expect them to be flawless was a prescription for disaster.
- RiverSong/Benson introduced the "Masters of Gospel" series that featured the hit songs of such artists as the Cathedrals, Gold City, HeavenBound, Imperials, Kingsmen, Oak Ridge Boys, Rambos and J.D. Sumner & the Stamps. (Yes, I have them all.)
- Tim Riley was just getting out of the hospital after battling pancreitis.
- Six Flags Over Texas (Arlington) was gearing up for Southern Gospel Music Day (May 30). Featured would be the Florida Boys, Talleys, Nelons, Singing Americans and Mid-South Boys. (Remember when a lot of the theme parks would feature Southern Gospel music on occasion? I remember riding with the Bishops to Houston, TX, one year to take part in such an event - and the group refused to set up their product. Why? The theme park wanted 35% of sales and the group would have to hire a park employee to work their table. I soon found out that that kind of thing happened frequently - and that's one of the big reasons you don't see Southern Gospel artists in many venues like that today.)
- The Kingsmen were promoting their first "Singing In The Sun" (not the Myrtle Beach event of today) for Orlando, FL. One of the things that would happen at that concert was the recording of their first Horizon effort, "Singing In The Sun" which had such songs as "He's All I Need," "The Cross Has Won Again" and "Healing Stream."
- Line-ups of your favorite groups? Gold City: Brian Free, Ivan Parker, Mike LeFevre, Tim Riley, Garry Jones, Mark Fain, Doug Riley. Cathedrals: Glen Payne, George Younce, Roger Bennett, Scott Fowler, Ernie Haase. Dixie Melody Boys: Ed O'Neal, McCray Dove, Rodney Griffin, Eric Ollis, Derrick Boyd, Larry DeLawder. Perfect Heart: Jeff Stice, Dale Shipley, Aubry Stephens, Mike Presnell, Mark Lanier, Danny Funderburk. Kingsmen: Jim Hamill, Eldridge Fox, Anthony Burger, Greg Fox, Parker Jonathan, Gary Dillard, Tim Surrett, Garry Shepherd, Ray Dean Reese.
- Karen Peck & New River released their second recording, "Restoration." The big songs from that project included "When Jesus Passes By" and "Rain and Shine."
- The Canaan record label was aggressively promoting their newest addition to their artist roster: The Statesmen. Johnny Cook, Bob Caldwell and Biney English were on the road with Hovie Lister and Jake Hess. Had they stayed together in this configuration, Hovie might just have seen the Statesmen at the top once again. But it was short-lived and one personnel change after another brought things to a halt.
- Finally, those we have lost since their appearance in the May 1992 Singing News: Rex Nelon, Doug Riley, Buddy Stokley, Jimmie Davis, Glen Payne, Brock Speer, George Younce, Roger Bennett, Anthony Burger, Pat McKeehan, Rosie Rozell, Earl Weatherford, Fred Maples, Cecil Blackwood, J.D. Sumner, James Blackwood, Eldridge Fox, Ina Goff, Max Epperson, Lela Epperson, Wendy Bagwell, Geraldine Morrison, Hovie Lister, Jake Hess, Johnny Cook.
