Hey! Any Gospel fans out there????

Let's talk!

Ya got one right here!! I work in the Gospel Music Industry, sorta,,have for years. Whatcha wanna talk about??

Hi Betsy! Just wanted to talk about good music...Your preferences, etc. What do you do in the Gospel music field? You look like Pentecostal lady...Am I on track here?? =)

I am also a Gospel Music fan! My favorite groups are the Perrys, HisSong, and of course the Glovers. The Glovers are my nephew and his wife. Their new single, "Hurtin People" has come up in the charts this week! I go hear my favoite groups as often as possible. There is a website selling the NQC 2005 cd for $15.00 but I haven't found it. Do you know who it is?

Hi Suzie! I have heard of HisSong, but am not too familiar with their music. I have not heard of the Glovers nor the Perry's. Is this Southern Gospel?

Yep, Im an Apostolic Preachers wife.. I have been the music buyer and music department manager for a Christian Bookstore for over about 12 years now. I have met most of the artists, since it was part of my job to attend GMA week in Nashville every year, and NQC every year. Daywind music paid for the NQC for me and one guest every year, and we atteneded the breakfast and the other private dinners etc with all the artists. I have met several of the contemporary, many many of the black gospel artists..and love em all. As to my favorites,,i love ALL kinds of music,,even some of the rap gospel. Where our Christian Bookstore is located, 80 percent of our sales is black gospel, so I try to really keep up on that, and go to great lengths to find old out of print stuff customers ask for. Lets see,,,My favorite artists are: Southern Gospel: Bill Gaither Mark Lowry The Crabb Family (had breakfast with them once) Gaither Vocal Band (met them lots of times,, The McCraes Mike Bowling Signature Sound The New Hinsons (met them several times, great people, especially Rhonda Hinson) Russ Taff (my all time favorite voice,,met him lots of times) Gold City Black Gospel: Luther Barnes James Bignon Kurt Carr Byron Cage Hez Walker Kirk Franklin Donnie McClurkin Contemporary: 4 HIM (personal friends) Newsong Michael W Smith (met him several times, a great guy) Carman (He hugged me and I lived right through it! LOL) Avalon Steven Curtis Chapman (a wonderful person) Crystal Lewis Bryan Duncan There are many others, but I dont want to write a book here. Now, who are your favorites??

Well, you are a lady that certainly knows her Christian music!! I enjoy many of the groups/vocalists you mentioned above. Some of the Comtempoary artists like Steven Curtis Chapman, Hillsongs, The Lakewood Worship Team, Michael English, and Avalon are very good. I also think the Crabb family is awesome, though I am not a huge fan of Southern Gospel. I do enjoy Southern Gospel, but it is not too big out here in Southern CA, so there is not much to choose from when it comes to buying music. All of that being said, I will have to say that nothing in this world can take me to the throne faster than Gospel. There is an anointing there that I do not find in many Christian artists. I love Donnie McClurkin, John P Kee, Kurt Carr, Kirk Franklin, Israel Houghton, Yolanda Adama, Cece Winans, and Gary Oliver to name a few. I also really like Bob Carlisle. Though he is not Gospel, I find him to be a superb vocalist. There are also some UPC/Apostolic artists that I find to be very good. Too good to not be out in the mainstream, though I do see some of them starting to inch their way out. I like Karen Harding, Timothy Spell, and Vonnie Lopez. Janice Sjostrand is absolutely awesome. I was raised with Janice, and she is a dear friend of mine. =)

I agree with you,,,,,gospel is my favorite! I love Bob Carlisle too,,he was in our store for a meet and greet one time,,a real nut!! But I love his voice!!. Donnie McClurkin is a wonderful man! My daughters little girl was killed,,and she was going through a terrible time during the court proceedings and all, called me at midnight one night and said she couldnt take it any more. I went to her house, and took her a tape of Donnies song"Stand", tht I had copied over and over. I said, go into your bedroom, put this on,,and talk to the Lord about it." Needless to say, that became her theme song. Well, when she met Donnie at GMA (I took her with meone year) she told him about it,,he took her in his arms, held her, and they both cried for a long time, whoile he prayed for her. Well, from themn on, he became my favorite ! Had Pizza with Israel one time years ago,before he became one of the bggest names inPraise nad Worship,,a real sweetheart. Joh P Kee is a favorite too, he is originally form Indianapolis, where we are. Ive had some fun times, and made a lot of memories since being in the business. It is a fun job. Rightnow I am off on sick leave due to a fall and a herniated disk in my neck, but looking forward to getting back to work soon. As to the Apostolic artists..one of my favorites is Nancy Grandquist, she is so anointed.I have loved her for about 25 years now. I love Karen Harding too,,and Tim Spell. Also, Mickey Mangun is awesome. We are blessed!

Yes, I know Nancy and Dick Grandquist as well. I have sang with her before when they spoke at our church, years ago. I have not seen them in YEARS. Mickey Mangun is also very anointed. I tell you, one would have to get up and go some to beat Donnie McClurkin both spirit wise, and vocally! I saw him not long ago out here, and I was so blessed. The stage literally rocked when he was preaching. He was preaching alongside the Winans brothers, so you can just imagine what the service was like. He has some kind of testimony. Another one is Gary Oliver...He used to be UPC years back. That man preaches even better than he sings! And he is an awesome singer. He is very well known in the Black churches, and is pastoring a church in San Antonio now, if I remember right. I feel like I have been blessed abundantly to live the life I have and minister in music. I would not trade it for the world.

Oh yeah, I know gary Olivers music! I wish he would record more, he only has three recordings that I know of. I have always loved Mickey Mangusn stuff...I especially love to hear her sing Long and Winding Road... Nancy Grandquist has been the speaker at the Indiana Ladies Conference and she is always awesome. I just love her. Yeah, when Donnie and Bebe Winans sang Stand at GMA, I couldnt stay in my seat! It was so powerfully anointed! Have you read his book? He sat with us and told us his testimony, we were all crying. he is a great man! Michael English is pretty great too. I always felt likehe got a raw deal by the industry when he made his big mistake, and have alwys loved him. He is so nice, and humble. Nice looking too,,and a really big man. I was surprised by that when I met him. he has a great website. Wow! Looks like we havelots in common, huh??! Do you like Phillips Craig and Dean? They used to be UPC,,,I like them, have all their cds. Great harmony. Have you ever heard of Clint Brown? Our choirs do a lot of his stuff. He used to be UPC too I think. He's got some great songs. And Vickie Yohe,,,I love her voice, and know her personally. She used to come to Indiana camp and sing with the choir when I was a teen counselor there several years. Her dad was a missionary, to Japan I think.