Les's Life

Osage Beach, MO

Les Butler — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 19:40:00 +0000

At first I thought, "I didn't know Missouri had an ocean!" Uh, they don't. But, they do have a beach. Osage Beach.

Todd Forman and Joel Pottinger promote a quality southern gospel event called ,"Great Lakes of the Ozarks Gospel Sing."

I was privileged to represent the Singing News at their event a couple of weeks ago. Every concert was almost sold out, except the Saturday afternoon matinee and evening concert which WERE sold out. I'll have more on Todd and Joel in a moment.

I was sorry I had to miss the Thursday evening concert which featured the Ball Brothers and Greater Vision. The Ball Brothers are solid up and comers and, as most of the world knows, Greater Vision is one of my all-time favorite groups.

Friday evening featured the Higher Power QT and the Lesters. The strong male quartet sounds of the Higher Power QT were a pleasant surprise. The Lester's did a wonderful job, like always. There's a renewed energy and spirit amongst my friends from St. Louis. They blessed me Friday evening.

Speaking of blessings, the Booth Brothers Saturday afternoon matinee was one of the best programs I've ever witnessed. It was much more than your run-of-the-mill southern gospel programs. It was a program, with a purpose. Each song seamlessly dove-tailed into the next. There was rhyme and reason to every song and comment. If it was staged, you sure could have fooled me. I'm glad I've heard them during this special time in their career.

Crossroads Recoding artists, the Crist Family, were also a part of the Saturday matinee. They also did a fantastic job. In addition to their own material, they have a knack for finding classic southern gospel songs and breathing new life into them. Nice job!

Saturday evening featured the Hoppers and Gold City. No surprises here, straight ahead traditional southern gospel music, family and quartet style. Absolutely stellar performances. Hey, do me a favor. The next time you see Claude Hopper give him a rubber band. Tell him it's courtesy of his ole friend, Les Butler.

Now, allow me to brag on Todd and Joel for just a moment. They know what they're doing.

They treat those of us who worked the event, including the artists, like equal partners in the event. They helped load-in and load-out. They prepared hot meals for all of us, all day long. They were constantly checking to make sure we had what we needed. I'm talking red carpet treatment.

Not only did they deliver the highest quality talent, they did special little things. For example, the Booth Brothers were supposed to sing at last years event, but they couldn't get there due to a snow storm. Right in the middle of their set Joel and Todd made it "snow" on them. The Booth Brothers amended their program and sang a Christmas song. It made for a very special moment.

The Main Street Music Hall is a fine venue. It's located at the back of a quaint little specialty mall in Osage Beach. At just shy of a thousand seats, it's just the right size for this type of event.

They already have the 09 event ready to roll. For more information check out,greatlakeoftheozarksgospelsing.com. You can count on me being there.

The Wonderful World of Branson!

Les Butler — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 20:58:00 +0000

Let me start by saying, there's no easy way to get to Branson, Missouri. However, it is worth the effort. I just finished up five days in Branson, working on a special section for an upcoming issue in the Singing News.

There's a lot I could write about. I could write about the great food. Believe me, I consumed a lot of it. I could write about the great shows as there are tons of 'em. I could dedicate an entire blog to the beauty of the Ozarks.

But, I want to talk about what's near and dear to my heart—Southern Gospel music.

There was Southern Gospel music being sung everywhere I went. When I say everywhere, I mean…everywhere.

I sat down to eat dinner at Mel's Hard Luck Diner on Wednesday evening when all of a sudden my waitress starts singing. Bernie Parquette did a great job singing, "Mary Did You Know" and "Just A Closer Walk With Thee." She was awarded Branson's Top Female Vocalist two years in a row. After a little research I found out that all of the servers are singers. They even have two past Top 40 American Idol contestants as singing servers. They all sang gospel music. Let's just say I'll be back.

Every show I attended included gospel music. Some of the shows had a special emphasis on Southern Gospel music. Mickey Gilley did a great job singing, "Why Me Lord" and "I'll Fly Away."

I would say nearly half of the Oak Ridge Boys show was Southern Gospel quartet music. They sounded great, by the way.

The Pierce Arrow Show included scripture reading and great Southern Gospel music. One of the vocal members is Casey Ellison, formerly with Chosen Few. It was great to be with this talented and sincere Christian gentlemen.

New South, a quartet of young men, is the house group for the Grand Jubilee Theatre. What a sound! Their bass singer, Mark McCauley, is one of the best I have ever heard. He has a cut to his voice that is a thing of beauty. Mark has been in the Branson area singing bass since 1984. He seems to be happy where God has placed him. If he wanted to tour, he would be one of the top ten bass vocalists his first year out. By the way, show producer Mike Patrick is a fantastic piano player and emcee. What a talent!

Everything about Presleys' Country Jubilee was fantastic, especially the gospel quartet music. Charles Presley has been a member of many Southern Gospel quartets and is a very fine tenor singer.

Of course, Silver Dollar City is the Southern Gospel music capital of the Ozarks. The Silver Dollar City's Southern Gospel Picnic brings thousands of Southern Gospel music fans to the Ozark's each September. Simply stated, Silver Dollar City does it right.

Fill up the car, catch a bus, paddle a boat, but do whatever it takes to get to Branson!

Familiar Names, New Groups

Les Butler — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 21:59:00 +0000

Friday, 3/14, I was privileged to play for Mike and Kelly Bowling. They played the Crockett Theater in Lawrenceberg, TN for a young promoter, Josh Franks.

Mike, of course has had a great career as a soloist as well as with the Crabb Family and Perrys. Kelly made her mark with her siblings, the Crabb Family.

Mike, Kelly and Jeff Snyder have a big sound. Correction, I mean a REALLY big sound. As I sat at the piano and played for them, I was blown away by their blend and power. They sang songs from their great new CD, Faith to Believe, and many classic Hinson tunes. Mike, keep that Hinson music live buddy!

I simply can't say enough about Mike and Kelly Bowling. Whether it's their recordings, live concerts or just hanging out; I love 'em.

By the way, Josh is trying hard to bring southern gospel music to Lawrenceberg. He has a few dates already set for this year. So, if you live in the area, keep on the look out. He's bringing top notch talent, that's for sure

Another familiar name that's been around a while is Mike LeFevre. Recently, I hosted several podcasts with his new group, LeFevre Quartet. There's a reason why these guys won the the 2006 Singing News Horizon Group of the Year and was recently signed to Canaan Records. They are fabulous. Check out canaanrecords.com for the new podcasts which will feature interviews and new music from their soon to be released inaugural recording on Canaan Records. By the way, while recording the podcast, I got a sneak peek on the new project. Mike is more than doing his part continuing the LeFevre legacy.

2008 Jubilee at Sea, Part II

Les Butler — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 22:20:00 +0000

In my first Jubilee at Sea report, I told you how good the preaching was. Now it's time to talk about the singing.

One thing's for sure; it didn't matter which spoke of the southern gospel wheel was your favorite, i.e., male quartets, mixed quartets, family groups, country or bluegrass gospel, the Jubilee at Sea had it all.

I got to listen to every single artist, and I must admit, I enjoyed them all. That being said, there were a few standouts.

Triumphant Quartet rocked the boat. I can't say enough about their sound. I am so glad these guys are out of a theatre situation, so the whole world can hear them. They're going to be around for a long time. I must say, I thought their best moment was when I coaxed the Primitive QT and Ben Rochester to join them on stage to accompany them on their new single, "White Flag."

It's an all acoustic, bluegrassy rompin number that's hotter than a three dollar bill. Eric Bennett, bass vocalist for Triumphant, emailed me after the cruise to tell me he wanted me to get that band together again to play this song with them live at the NQC. Watch out Louisville!

Speaking of quartets, Tribute Quartet recorded a live DVD during the cruise. Tribute is doing a lot of things right. They are all excellent singers. Their stage presence is professional, yet genuine at the same time. Gary Casto is one of the best managers in Southern Gospel music today.

Soul'd Out Quartet also did a great job on the cruise. Quartet music is alive and well in 2008!

Mark Trammel Trio is, well...awesome! Goodness gracious, what a sound. They may have the best song selection in the business today. Mark, don't change a single thing.

Jeff and Sheri Easter did their usual fantastic job. This will be the last cruise with Charlotte Penhollow Ritchie. She and Greg are launching out into the world of soloists. If any female can pull it off, Charlotte can.

The Primitive QT and the Rochesters served up the bluegrass on this trip. Both groups asked if I would sit in with them for the week, which I was more than happy to oblige.

The Rochesters

I played dobro for both groups, as well as the piano for the Primitive QT.

Man, I had a ball. Even preacher Joe Arthur picked with us. Mike Riddle got a touch of the flu and had to miss Wednesday night. He was back at it Thursday.

Karen Peck and New River have never sounded better. Every time I heard them sing their new single, "Hey," it stayed with me for the remainder of the evening. That's a catchy song.

On the first night, the Perrys soundtrack machine didn't work. It was so refreshing to hear the Perry's with Matthew Holt at the piano. Great singers, great songs, great piano playing...the way God intended it to be!

The Dills, Galloways, Pfeifers, Whisnants, Faith Trio, Aaron Wilburn all did a fantastic job. What a great week of great singing!

Oh, I almost forgot, Jeff Easter asked if I would get Lester "Roadhog" Butler and his Cadillac Cowboys to do a short radio show during the talent show. So, I got the boys together and they picked, "Little Liza Jane," and we sang, "Always Marry an Ugly Girl," and the sacred song, "Stank Rangers." I wouldn't be a bit surprised if we get asked to be a featured group on the cruise next year. Check out these pictures of me and the Cadillac Cowboys.

Les

2008 Jubilee at Sea, Part 1

Les Butler — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 22:02:00 +0000

There's so much to report, I'm going to have to do it in phases.

First, a great big thank you to Templeton Tours for hosting such a great week for fans of southern gospel music. Maurice and Jeff Templeton, and Danny DeArmus are top notch folks. Southern gospel music is blessed to have them on board, uh, if you'll pardon the pun.

We shipped out of the Port of Jacksonville, FL on Monday, 2/18. Our ports of call were Freeport, Half Moon Cay and Nassau, Bahamas.

The food was very good and there was certainly lots of it. You gotta love a place that has ice cream and pizza available 24/7. We had steak, lobster, soups, salads, desserts by the dozens. I'm pretty sure I heard my bath room scales moan when I stepped on them for the first time upon my return home.

Me and my lovely wife Bev, in the water at Half Moon Cay.

Half Moon Cay is a private island, owned by Carnival Cruise Lines. We spent all day Wed at the beach, playing in the ocean, catching some rays, playing volleyball and eating at the barbecue luncheon. Now, that's the life!

The Celebration anchored offshore at Half Moon Cay

To me however, the best part of the week was the preaching. I knew all of the preachers, although it had been a few years since I had been in service with some of them.

I have lots of favorite preachers. One of them is Joe Arthur. I got to be in two of the three services where Brother Joe preached. On one of the services, he preached himself right off of the platform and out of the room. He was having himself a time! Joe preaches at my church a couple of times a year. He will be there May 2 and 3. Come and join us.

Joe Arthur winding up to deliver a barn-burner sermon.

"Crazy" Larry Brown also preached. I call him crazy because, well...he's crazy! But that man can forevermore preach. Anytime a preacher uses the pulpit as an automatic sub machine gun, you've got some preaching going on!

TD Burgess, Ralph Sexton, JR and Jerry Goff rounded out the speakers for the week. Again, each one of them knocked it out of the park. I used to sing for Ralph Sexton, SR when he would preach in Florida in the 80s. It was good to see his son, carrying on the proud tradition of carrying the gospel of Jesus Christ.

I wasn't expecting the crowd to be so engaged when it came time for the preached word. The rooms were basically filled to capacity and the people were hungry to hear God's word. I am talking about old time, wide open, full throttle camp meeting. Man, I'm ready to go again tonight.

In my next blog I'll focus on the artists who provided some great Gospel music and entertainment for this week at sea.

Movin' in Music City

Les Butler — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 14:03:00 +0000

Last week found me movin' all over Music City, USA.

I dropped by Omni Recording Studio to listen in on the tracking session for the new LeFevre Quartet album to be released on Canaan Records.

The LeFevre Quartet - Have they added a 5th singer ?

The amazing Nashville pianist, Jason Webb, was also doubling as session leader. I saw guitarists Kelly Back and Bryan Sutton strategically placed in their booths. While I was there they were tracking a classic song originally recorded by the 50's and 60's LeFevre configuration which included Uncle Alf, Eva Mae LeFevre and Rex Nelon. Mike LeFevre and the guys were in the control room singing as the musicians recorded the instrumental tracks. I could tell this was going to an excellent cut!

Thursday was a very busy day, starting with announcement of the 39th Annual Dove Award nominations. There were lots of Southern, Country and Bluegrass gospel nominations in their respective categories. However, I was extremely pleased to see Southern Gospel represented in categories which are typically void of Southern Gospel nominees. These categories and nominees include Gerald Wolfe (Male Singer), Ernie Haase & Signature Sound (Group) and Austin's Bridge (New Group). Congratulations to all of these special nominees.

After the Dove Award nominations were announced, I drove to the Warner Building to congratulate the Hoppers at their No. 1 party. "I'm Just Waitin For My Ride," written by Ronnie Hinson, took the number one spot on the Singing News Magazine chart. Canaan Records did a great job hosting the party.

The Hoppers celebrate their latest No. 1 song.

We heard some great stories from Canaan Records President Dave Clark, group members Dean and Connie Hopper, songwriter Ronnie Hinson, as well as Jim Van Hook, Dean of Curb College of Entertainment and Music Business.

I'm writing this blog from a hotel room in Jacksonville, Florida. Later today my wife and I will be boarding the Jubilee at Sea Cruise. I'm sure I'll have some great stories from this week at sea. Stay tuned!

Catching Up

Les Butler — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 21:06:00 +0000

Last week, I dropped by the hospital to visit with Jackie Wilburn. Jackie has certainly been sick, but I'm happy to report that he's turning the corner. Honestly, I don't have enough time to tell you the entire story. Basically, Jackie had a bad reaction to some medicine. They tried to correct it with other meds, which just complicated things even more. It ended up being a run away snowball which turned into an avalanche. After several weeks in ICU, he's now in a private room. He's breathing on his own now and his appetite remains strong. Continue to pray for Jackie.

A few nights ago Bev and I went to Bellwood Baptist Church to hear Greater Vision. Honestly, I never tire of hearing Greater Vision and the anointed songs of Rodney Griffin. Oh, and by the way, Gerald Wolfe is arguably the best emcee in southern gospel music today. Since I was there, they sang a bluegrass version of the great old hymn, "Unclouded Day." It wasn't bad for a bunch of city slickers! I was inspired to play their recorded version of, "Unclouded Day," on my syndicated radio show, Front Porch Fellowship, this past weekend. I received several favorable emails from fans which I forwarded to Gerald. He responded with, "Maybe we should do a bluegrass record." My response? Uh...YEAH!

The Rochesters were at my home church, Middle Tennessee Baptist, this past Sunday. Scott Matthews, rhythm guitarist and husband to vocalist Becky Rochester, has been in the hospital and had to have a portion of a lung lung removed. He is on the mend and was with them for this trip. His doctors feels very good about his long term prognosis.

The Rochesters, as always, knocked it out of the park. Ben Rochester is gospel music's most underrated talent. Hand's down he's the best multi-instrumentalist in our business today. And boy, can he sing! The talent, humility and anointing of the entire Rochester Family is a breath of fresh air.

That's it for now. Les's life is a busy one, so there'll be more to report soon!

Hoofin' It

Les Butler — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 18:49:00 +0000

The past few days I have really been hoofin' it...literally. I attended the big bluegrass gospel shindig at Hoofer's Gospel Barn in LaGrange, Georgia.

Let me start by saying that if you've never been to Hoofers, make plans to go. What a wonderful venue! It's a very relaxed atmosphere for any type of a concert. Feel free to bring your camper and spend a few days. In addition to bluegrass gospel they also host many of your favorite southern gospel artists. Oh, and the buffet is great! The staff was wonderful to work with. Hoofers owner, Rick Torrance, couldn't have made me feel more at home. No wonder he's successful in all of his many ventures.

I traveled to Hoofers by jumping on the bus with the hot new bluegrass band, Dailey & Vincent. Dailey and Vincent are being fronted by former Quicksilver member, Jamie Dailey and former Ricky Skaggs band mate, Darrin Vincent. Thanks for the ride, guys. By the way, great job Thursday evening.

Dailey & Vincent - Their first official Hoofers concert.

The Primitive Quartet was also on the Thursday evening ticket. If you know me, you know how I feel about the Primitives. The only thing I don't like about them is that I'm not an official member of the group.

Late Thursday evening the weather took a turn for the worse, so the guys decided to stay at Hoofers. That's when the real fun began. I was staying in the Hoofer's cabin, which is connected to the venue. They moved in with me for the night. They are preparing to record a new album so they rehearsed in the cabin until well after 1 a.m. (They've got a bunch of great tunes coming our way, by the way).

The Primitive Quartet, rehearsing songs for their upcoming album.

At the rehearsal, Randy Fox had to stop singing one particular song. He just had to praise the Lord a while. After they finished the song, his father-in-law, Reagan Riddle told Randy, "If it touches you, it will touch others."

Friday evening featured Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver along with Paul Williams & the Victory Trio. Man, I was in hog heaven! Doyle has recently had a considerable change in band personnel, and once again as he always does, has landed on his feet, running hard. He sang his new gospel radio single and honestly, it's a gem.

Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver, always a crowd pleaser.

Paul Williams, in my humble, but accurate opinion, is the best bluegrass tenor of all-time. He and his group only get better with age. They are also recording a new CD, so be listening for a new single entitled, "What A Journey It's Been."

When it was time to come home, Doyle was kind enough to allow me to jump on the bus and head back to Tennessee. His new dobro player, Josh Swift, was headed to Nashville, so I finished the last leg of the journey with him. If you're a fan of the dobro, you have got to hear this kid!

So, in 55 hours I've taken two bus trips, a car ride, held three meetings, worked two concert events at the Singing News booth and jammed with the Primitives. I also wrote an album review, a story on the upcoming Legacy Five Celebration weekend and a Front Porch Fellowship column. Don't forget to check out all this and more in an upcoming issue of Singing News Magazine.

Now that's what I call, hoofin' it!

Vacation? Wow, what a concept!

Les Butler — Thu, 03 Jan 2008 20:50:00 +0000

Yesterday, I returned to the office after taking a 16 day vacation. 16 days! I honestly didn't think the world could exist without me for 16 days.

June 5, 2008 will mark the 25th anniversary for me and my wife, Bev. In nearly 25 years, she's never been forced to be with me for 16 consecutive days. We've probably taken a one week vacation 10 times in our 24 plus years together. Our specialty is, "the long weekend." Thank God for 'em.

We took a few days and went to Charleston, SC and Savannah, GA. We enjoyed both places, but Savannah was very nice. Savannah is the home of The Food Network star, Paula Deen. Not only did we get to eat at the Lady and Sons (Paula's restaurant), we got to meet Paula and her son, Bobby. We took a couple of pictures for you, found below. The food was so good we dined at the Lady and Sons two consecutive evenings. Honestly, it was so good, it deserves its own blog at a later date.

Paula Deen, host of Food Network's Cooking with Paula and Paula's Party.

Les and Bev eating lunch with their tour group at Uncle Bubba's
in Savannah. Bobby Deen, Food Network host and Paula's son,
stopped by for a visit during lunch.

The number one thing I enjoyed about our vacation was the time I got to spend with my family. If you and your spouse can make it 16 consecutive days without killing, or seriously harming each other, then you've got a pretty strong marriage. Bev is as beautiful as the day I married her. If you don't believe me, just ask the many folks who stopped me during our travels to tell me how beautiful my "daughter" is.

Most of our vacation was spent at home. I was privileged to spend some much needed time with my 21 year old daughter, Amber. She, like her mother, is beautiful and has a lot to offer the world. She no longer lives at home so this was a special treat.

My 19 year old son, Matt, is one handsome young man. He too,has a lot to give. Even though he still lives at home, busy schedules don't allow us to see each other much.

I've often heard that the older you get, the faster time flies. Well, it's true. So, before time passes you by, slow down every chance you get. Look your spouse and children right in the eyes and tell them that you love them. Don't assume they know it. Make sure, absolutely sure, they know it.

By the way, you don't have to wait for a vacation to get started. A good time to get started would be right now!

I've got lots of southern gospel music and travels coming up this year so stay tuned!

Les

Lots of Bluegrass and a Little Thing Called Respect

Les Butler — Mon, 03 Dec 2007 17:06:00 +0000

Last week I attended a Bluegrass Homecoming video taping. It's another great Gaither TV production.

There were two beautiful production sets. See below for pictures. And yes, I know I'm not a professional photographer.

Here is one of the production sets.

I was somewhat confused when the first two performers were George Jones and Marty Stuart. George delivered his usual, straight ahead traditional country gospel sound. Marty and his Fabulous Superlatives were swampy, Mississippi Delta country gospel. His version of, "Unseen Hand," was the best of the afternoon. Although it wasn't bluegrass, both artists did a great job.

I got to hear Ralph Stanley and the Clinch Mountain Boys. Now THAT'S traditional bluegrass gospel.

Ralph Stanley

The new bluegrass kids on the block, Dailey-Vincent Band, did a wonderful job. Jamie Dailey spent ten years with Doyle Lawson and Quicksilver. Darrin Vincent was a member of Ricky Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder for several years. Dailey-Vincet stayed and backed former Statler Brothers Tenor, Jimmy Fortune. You've got to hear them sing, "I Believe" and "More Than a Name on the Wall." Now, THAT was some mighty fine harmony.

Jamie Dailey - Caught by the "not so candid" camera.

As always, the Isaacs did a fantastic job. Whether it's on stage at NQC, CMA Awards or the White House, just wind them up and get out of the way!

Ben Isaacs mingling in the crowd.

The Booth Brothers did their usual stellar job. They sang with tracks as well as with the live house band. You always get top notch singing from these guys.

As I worked the room I met several more artists including, Grasscals (Multi-IBMA award winners), Larry Sparks (IBMA Male Vocalist of the Year 06), Cherryholmes (Multi-IBMA award winners), Collingsworth Family and many others.

As always the taping included many Homecoming regulars such as, Ernie Haase and Signature Sound, Reggie and Ladyee Love Smith, Wesley Prichard, Kevin Williams, Gordon Mote and the Gaither Vocal Band.

Country music and Grand Ole Opry star, Vince Gill was also in attendance. I didn't get to stay long enough to hear his set, but I didn't need to hear him to know he was awesome.

One other thing I'd like to mention about Vince. Southern gospel artists, take notice. I was there for 5 hours worth of video taping. Vince sat on a stool, in the audience, for that entire time. He paid attention to the country, bluegrass and gospel artists as they sang their gospel songs. He didn't get up, walk around or have his posse bring him stuff. Are you ready for this? He didn't even touch his cell phone. He sat, listened and enjoyed. That's called respect. Respect for the host, the other artists and the music itself. There's a lesson to be learned here.

Before signing off I'd like to mention that I caught Gold City Sunday evening. If you haven't heard these guys recently, you need. They've got it going on. I'm proud of ya fellas.

Les

Fish, Turkey and Southern Sound QT

Les Butler — Tue, 27 Nov 2007 17:07:00 +0000

Boy, it was great to get a few days off. Over the Thanksgiving holiday my father-in-law and I depleted the local fisheries of a few bluegill. I caught 31, most of which were pretty big. We fished during a heavy rain storm one day. We had a ball.

Thanksgiving day was wonderful. My wife did the cooking. She needs her own cooking show on one of the food networks. It was fabulous. It was a blessing to have our children with us, as well as my in-laws. I missed my parents. Maybe next year they can come up from the Sunshine state to spend a few days.

Speaking of turkeys, Ben Harris may be one (just kiddin) but his quartet certainly isn't. Traditional quartet fans, I highly recommend Southern Sound Quartet's new CD, For Heaven's Sake. They've got it all; low bass, high tenor, powerful lead and baritone along with a tight 4-part blend.

If your taste lends itself to the more country feel of southern gospel music, I recently heard a rough mix of 3 songs from the new Mike and Kelly Bowling project. Great songs and great singing! I can't wait to hear the entire project.

Finally, my friend Kurt LaBouve attended my church this past Sunday. He is a blind preacher, singer and songwriter. Kurt excels at everything he does. If he is ever near-by, you owe it to yourself to check him out.

That's it for now.

Les

Hello Blog World

Les Butler — Mon, 19 Nov 2007 19:11:00 +0000

Blog. Doesn't that sound like something that requires a shot from your family doctor? Ah, but not to worry, you won't need to visit your doctor to check out what's going on in the life of your ole buddy Les. Just log on and read.

Les' life is a full one. First of all, I'm a husband and father. I am Director of Business Operations, Singing News Magazine. I have been in southern gospel radio for 29 years and currently host weekend radio shows on the Solid Gospel Radio Network. I lead the Middle Tennessee Baptist Church band. Periodically I even get to hit the road with my friends to do some pickin. Les' life is a blessed one, that's for sure!

Last weekend, I jumped on the bus and traveled to Dalton, GA with Crabb Revival. Adam and Terah have assembled a group of young folks, and a sound, that is very similar to the Crabb Family sound. Boy, can they sing! If you liked the 2003 Crabb Family release, Driven, you'll enjoy Crabb Revival. Like the original Crabb Family, they travel with a live band. The lead guitar, bass guitar and drums provided a very full band sound. It sounded like a band of 8 musicians. Of course, Adam adds some great harmonica licks from time to time. Adam asked me to bring my mandolin and dobro along. I was very happy to oblige. I enjoyed playing their new music as well as many of the Crabb Family hits of the past. If you get the chance, go see Crabb Revival. Long live the sound of the original Crabb Family!

It was great to be a part of the Voices Won 6th Annual Singing. Voices Won recently signed with Crossroads Music. The sibling harmonies of Voices Won are very solid, even Gatlin-like.

Finally, I was priviliged to hear Old Paths last weekend. This is the second time I've heard them live in the past couple of months. Old Paths is the best quartet traveling today, that you've neved heard of. These guys can sing on any stage, anywhere, anytime with anybody! Don't hesitate to see Old Paths when they come to town.

Last week I got to hear 3 or 4 tunes from the new Mike and Kelly Bowling CD. If the entire CD is as good as what I've heard thus far, it's going to be fantastic project.

That's all that's going on in Les' Life for now. Bring on the turkey and pumpkin pie!

Les Butler