Welcome to Gospel Music Commentary!
It is the intent of this site to have a positive effect on this great music, but the comments and topics will not always be positive. The fans deserve the truth.
Commentary
February 7, 2006-
Why is he the king of bloggers?- This article is one example of why Avery is the king of the bloggers. If I could only write half this good. Oh well, maybe I have other talents.
January 27, 2006-
The Opry with Crabbs (It works!)- Sorry for the absence, but as Avery said life is busy sometimes. I saw the Crabb family the other night on the Grand Ole Opry. I've never been a big Crabb fan. Not that I don't like them. I've just always covered my spare time with other people's music. I was very surprised at the reception they received, their choice of songs, and how well they performed them while still presenting the Gospel to a secular crowd. Jason Crabb's voice has really matured to the point that I would say he is one of the best voices in Gospel music and CCM too. When it comes to the downfall of SG and my predictions for 06 about the financial problems of SG artists, the Crabbs are not included in this. From seeing them on the Opry they have only scratched the surface of how "big" they will become. They have stepped outside the box. They have expanded their territory. They are not like 99% of SG artists who are stuck in a mold and can't seem to bring them self to even try to get out. One of Avery's readers wrote some comments that were interesting about the Crabbs. He said:
I want to know just how they actually expect to "wrap a biblical message with a youthful presentation." Exactly how does one do that? Isn't that what PCD, Avalon, Smith, POG, Third Day, et. al. already do? I think it interesting that the Crabbs feel it necessary to sit on the fence. Simply move to AC and get it over with.
Apparently this reader didn't watch the Grand Ole Opry when the Crabbs were there. They had to be on the same stage in the same night with Vince Gill and Montgomery Gentry and were very well accepted, presented the Gospel in a great way, and even got great comments from Vince about them and their message. If they can do this I don't think it will be a problem to "wrap a biblical message with a youthful presentation". And one more thing. Why do the Crabbs "sit on the fence" between SG and AC? For two reasons: 1. It is smart and; 2. because they can.
January 6, 2006-
Just being realistic- Many times I am influenced by reader's comments, other blogger's sites, and message boards into not being realistic about SGM. They influence me into thinking that I am being negative rather than realistic. The following part of a reader's email is right on with my thinking (read the entire comment on the comments page).
January 1, 2006-
2006 predictions- I'm not a soothsayer (?) or prophet but I thought I would try my hand at predictions for SG for the coming year. To some many of these predictions will sound negative. I'd rather call them realistic.
1. Many groups will continue to fall by the wayside or downsize due to financial reasons. Some will admit they are financial, some will say the Lord is through with them in fulltime status (both are true, so why not just tell the whole story?).
2. The Inspirations will continue to pack auditoriums and be financially successful with a mediocre sound and the same style songs because their 60+ fan base still have great pensions and are still in good health.
3. Lordsong, the Crabbs, and others with progressive styles will straddle the fence when it comes to labels, booking agents, and concert promoters. One side of the fence being SG. The other side being CCM. This way they can reap all the advantages of CCM while still being affiliated with SG. You can bet they will be leaning to the side of CCM.
4. This may not be born in 2006 but I'm sure we will see the beginnings of it due to prediction #1. Regional (part-time or whatever you want to call them) groups will become more popular and will gain the same fan followings of the pros (in their areas). Not only because there will be less pro groups and those that are still out there will not be able to afford the best talent, but also because the caliber of regional talent will be noticed. This will have more implications than just group popularity (see prediction #5).
5. NQC will begin to decline in popularity. As pro groups disband or become regional groups they will no longer be able to make the long trip or take the week long trip to NQC. This is good news for SG Fan Fair and more regionally aimed conventions. This may seem farfetched to some but just think about it. In the future the most travelled groups will be those who have well paying jobs with understanding bosses.
What are your predictions for 2006? gospelcommentary@yahoo.com
December 15, 2005-
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!- I guess I should have did this sooner. I just wanted to tell everyone that I will not post anymore till after the first of the year. There have been many positive things happen lately at my job and my singing. God has really blessed me. However, it does not give me time to keep up with or even think on things in SG. I hope everyone has a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. For any football fans out there. I'm picking USC to beat Texas and win the National Championship. See ya next year.
November 23, 2005-
Happy Thanksgiving!!
"It's always been like this"- Inevitably on message boards and other sites, when discussion gets going about all the group changes in SG someone will say "it's always been like this". I don't know? Seems to me it has never been like this. Here are just a few changes over the last few months. Gold City gets rid of their band, Journeymen Qt. disbands, Mark Trammell Trio loses lead (due to health reasons, but it is a change), The Melody Boys lose two and gain two, Mercys Mark loses bass, Christian Bros. Qt. disbands (rumored that Christian will be MM's new bass), DBQ loses baritone, David Phelps leaves GVB, Surrett leaves the Kingsmen, Blackwood Gospel Qt. needs tenor, Toney Bros. lose tenor, and there are probably more that I didn't mention. Maybe this is normal? Maybe not? What do you think? Why do you think the changes occur so often? gospelcommentary@yahoo.com
November 17, 2005-
Hendrix loves screamers- I was reading Rick Hendrix's article on SGN called Screaming singers...I love them and really see a lot of truth in it. The main jest of the article is basically: perfect singing is not what sells albums. Rick goes on to say, "having a level of expertise is important. But lets not allow the self proclaimed Gospel gurus dictate what we all need". I don't want to rehash the whole article (you should read it for yourself), but this mindset has been proven time and time again in all genres of music. In SGM it is proven yearly by groups such as The Inspirations and The McKameys who are in no way perfect singers but pack auditoriums all over the nation. Some of the comments about the article imply that the commenters (is that a word?) think Rick is saying that perfect singing means that the Holy Spirit is not in it and unperfect singing has the Holy Spirit. I don't think that is what Rick is saying at all. Music (Chrisian music included) is art. Artistic expression sometimes needs to be imperfect to succeed. There is a mindset that SGM singers need to have clear voices, perfect diction, and always be exactly on pitch. If they are not they won't be successful. This is a bunch of bull. Was Johnny Cash always on pitch? Who was the guy that sang "You Are So Beautiful"? Anyway, did he have a clear voice? Archie Watkins, the tenor for the Inspirations, is not my favorite tenor but he catches all kinds of grief for not being a good singer. I've even read a message board post saying if Archie didn't learn how to sing correctly he was going to ruin his voice. He's only been singing for 40 years with a group that the "self proclaimed Gospel gurus" say is no good?! I myself have said many times that SGM is on it's way to change or die. In the past I have questioned Rick's marketing techniques. Now I see that maybe he is just trying to break down some of the boundaries that have been put in place by these "self proclaimed gurus". I'm with ya, Rick.
November 10, 2005-
If I had a quarter....- ...for every time I heard this same discussion or something similar I would be rich man. One side wants to save SG by limiting it. The other wants to save SG by broadening it. Which one is right in your eyes?
November 7, 2005-
SG Outlaws- Before you get the wrong idea here, I'm not talking about the same kind of Outlaws you are thinking of. I don't know how many have seen the show American Revolutions on CMT. The one I saw the other night was called Outlaws. Many of you may remember the Outlaws album that came out, I believe, in the 70's. It consisted of Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson, Jessi Colter, and Tompall Glaser. The album made stars out of Waylon and Willie and was the first country album to go platinum. When watching the show there were many things that reminded me of SGM. The main one was, at the time of the making of the Outlaws album, a select few people in Nashville controlled country music. You had to have a certain sound within a certain boundary or you didn't get recording contracts and were not accepted by the industry. The Outlaws wanted to write and perform their kind of music which did not conform to this standard. The "industry" (those few people in Nashville), however, did not have control over the fans. The Outlaws album was a hit and changed country music and Nashville's dominance. This post in no way says that I go along with the hellraising ways of Willie and Waylon. What it is saying is that all music changes over time. It is also applauding those in SGM that are breaking out of the generic SGM sound. Just to name a few: Lordsong, The Crabbs, and The Crossway Qt. These artists and many others are the future of SGM. For those traditionalists there are still traditional country artists and there will still be room for the traditional SG artists. Don't count on them being the most successful.
October 28, 2005-
It's been awhile- Along with being sick, singing, and school I haven't been able to post for awhile. I haven't even been able to get on the computer much less online. Along with this is a feeling of burnout with SG in general. This happens once in a while and it is usually short lived. Upcoming posts will be about one of my friends and artist/songwriter JW Cooper. I will be reviewing his new project, Voice of Many Waters. I just need a little more listening time. About reviews I must respond to Gospel Musings Oct. 7 post called "Are you serious?"
Yes, I am serious- On some points I will concede. Chris is right in saying "many albums get multiple reviews all the time" and he is right in saying that I let my emotions get into my review of Casting Crowns- Lifesong. I wouldn't say that it is a "cardinal rule" not to do this. I'm not sure there are any "rules" for reviewing a CD. But he is right from the perspective that my emotions may have ruined the objectivity of my review. So be it. If you love something it is hard to be objective about it and I have never claimed to be a professional reviewer anyway (like Chris thinks he is). Where I will not concede is to this, "Why would you even feel the need to leave such a disclaimer? I wouldn't have cared, and nobody else would have cared." The reason for the disclaimer; because I knew some way, somehow Gospel Musings would get defensive and I really didn't want this to happen. Now I must ask, if you have been "reviewing CCM projects for 10 years" and "the readers of the Word of CFM have no idea who Gospel Commentary is" and vice versa, why do you care?
You say "just another dig at an Unthank". This is another reason for a disclaimer. I was not trying to take "another dig" and was stating beforehand what you have proven to be the justification for my disclaimer in the first place.
October 10, 2005-
Another one bites the dust. Who's next?- In a little down time I had yesterday I had a chance to have an interesting conversation with a long time fan of SG. In "long time fan" I'm talking 50+ years. The gentleman has been the minister of music at a Baptist church for 40 years and has had many SG artists at his church. He has had regional groups and the pros. He knew all about the Journeymen calling it quits, Gold City's band, and a few changes that could be in the works that I didn't know about. Even though he didn't seem to be in fear of an impending death of SG, he surely stated a few things that are concerns and opinions of mine as well. He said he has noticed a trend in the last several years of pro groups being made up of one veteran member and the rest are "kids" (his word). He even told a story about what happened not long ago where one such veteran group member confided in him that he didn't know how long he could stay on the road with kids that stay on cellphones with their girlfriends all the time. I asked him why he thought there were so many groups like this. He stated just what I think too. He said that men with families and house payments can't afford to sing fulltime anymore. That is why those that don't have families yet, live in small apartments, or still live with their parents are the only ones who can live on an SG salary. He talked about how the quality of the pros has gone down while a few regional groups he has been having just keep getting better and better.
This conversation that I had with the veteran fan may seem like two people sitting down and crying about the demise of SG or how it was in the good ole days, but really we were just being realistic. There was really not a negative tone to the conversation. Mostly because of what we both agreed upon as being the future of SG. I think the future of SG will be played out in the regional realm. Groups that have fulltime jobs and sing on the weekends are not effected by fuel costs, ticket prices, etc. Of course this is taking into consideration that they use wise business practices and don't go overboard on recording and equipment prices. I think we will see more and more pro SG groups quitting, downsizing, or becoming part-time. In a way this may even improve the quality of SG. If there are not so many group member changes groups will stay together long enough to get better and better. Of course this is just the opinion of two people. What do you think? Let me know. gospelcommentary@yahoo.com
October 6, 2005-
New CD review unlike my others- I parted from the norm on this one. I reviewed a CCM CD. Before I go any farther I must post this disclaimer:
This CD review in no way has anything whatsoever to do with Chris Unthank reviewing the same CD. This review has partially been saved on my computer for almost 2 weeks before finishing it and posting it tonight. Until yesterday I had no idea that Chris had reviewed it. I almost didn't finish and post it because of the implications that could be made of me reviewing something he had also reviewed. However, after reading his review, I did not feel as if he did it justice, listened to the CD long enough to really get a good measure on it, and seemed to just not have the literary or musical knowledge to delve into the true meanings of the songs. So I decided to go ahead and finish the review and post it.
Anyway, the review of Casting Crowns' latest release, Lifesong, is up on the review page. For those of you who know me as purely an SG guy and would wonder why I would post a review of a CCM project, all I can say is this CD truly ministered to me (and still is) more than any that I've heard in awhile. I know I've said this many times and say it many times in the review, but these songs have so much relevance to living a Christian life in present day times. Unlike most SG songs, I can listen to these and think "I have lived that".
September 29, 2005-
I'm not the only one- Chris Griffith over at SGML has a great commentary that goes along with my post below.
What's wrong?- Chris Unthank, in all his infinite wisdom, shares with us in his latest post what he thinks is wrong with the SG world. He says it is jealousy. We are all jealous of SSE and anyone who has success. Give me a break!! I wonder if this has anything to do with Avery's latest batch of letters ? Especially the one "On delusional thinking (and writing) or maybe even "Slithery Pete"? Whatever it is it even got a stir out of Susan Unthank in this post . Seems to me the proper word besides "jealousy" would be hypocrisy. If SSE is having success, and that would be according to what your definition of success is, they should learn a thing or two from Kenny Bishop when he said "I learned a really difficult lesson recently. I should've known it all along I suppose. If I had just followed the example of Christ, I would have known that it is not necessary to defend my own ministry with argumentative words." In other words realize that when you live in a glass house, people are going to certainly throw rocks. Grow up and build that house out of stone.
September 25, 2005-
An excellent resource site for singers- I just had to stop by for a minute and post a link to the most indepth and resourceful site I've found for singers. I came across it approximately a year ago upon the referral of Rodney Griffin and just haven't thought about posting the link. Although I haven't seen anyone refer to it on the web, it may be a well known site for others, but I never knew about it until Rodney told me about it. It is The Singers Club . It includes, among other great things, articles written by doctors from the Vanderbilt Voice Clinic. When I have more time I will put it in the links section.
September 23, 2005-
Random Thoughts (Random= all over the place)- These days it seems my thoughts are more complicated than they were 10 years ago when I got a wake up call from God. Before then I gained experience in and through the things I was doing, but all in all I was just going through the motions. There was no real meaning behind singing, working, or even living. When the day came when God said, "it's time for you to start living for Me instead of yourself", things became new again. There was new motivation and new passion for the plan ahead. Road life, home life, and everything in between had purpose. I come to the place now where I'm in no way away from God, but the only place that seems to be easy and fulfilling is onstage. This may just be the curse of living on earth in a human body. You know, "this world is not my home". Or maybe it is seeing the devastation of hurricanes and what was once extra money now paying for fuel. You may be saying to yourself at this point "gospelcommentary is just in a state of depression or having a bad day". This is really not it. I am at a place in many aspects of my life where a few promotions could take place. Not only in my singing "career" but my work career also. If God works it out one way it could be both. If not I may have to make a choice. It is sad to say but the choice would most likely be to take a promotion in my career instead of music. It is sad that a person can't make a good living singing SGM. I know I get on the financial aspects of SGM all the time. It is just something that gripes me and hurts my heart. Many times I have been able to sing CCM songs and SGM songs and see God work through both of them. I noticed a concert announcement the other day for the group Casting Crowns. The concert is going to be in a 7000 seat auditorium and ticket prices are $25 for upper level and $39 for lower level. Since I like the group I called the # and inquired about what seats were still available. All the lower level seats were sold and approx. 200 upper levels were left. The concert is still about a month away. At a minimum this concert will take in $225,000. I know for a fact that Casting Crowns sings annointed music and many people come to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ through it. Folks, SGM is doing something very, very wrong. Not long ago I was asked to be a part of a concert of a group that I know as a soloist. I did one CCM song and the rest SGM. The song that had the most spiritual impact was SGM. The song with the next greatest impact was CCM. After the concert I had many inquiries for CDs with the CCM song, but none with the SGM song. I don't know where all this is heading (I told you it was "random"). I feel in my spirit that God is getting close to making a change in my life. It is an uneasiness or restlessness. It is not like it was when I was going through the motions and came under conviction. That is the good thing about God. Even in restlessness there is peace. One of my friends that you all know and most respect who doesn't even know who I am (but after this probably will) told me something the other day that really stuck. He said, "Maybe instead of telling the Lord you'll go through any door He opens, you should say, "Lord if I'm not to move onto other things, don't let the opportunities come". This is just what I'm doing. I guess I've rambled long enough. gospelcommentary@yahoo.com September 20, 2005- Time for a change- I got tired of looking at blue so I changed colors and the layout a little. If anyone has any objections, let me know and I will change it back. September 18, 2005- The Future of SG- Avery did somewhat of a comeback from his last group of posts from NQC that I commented on yesterday. He not only was more positive he also made a statement that I totally agree with. He said, "I think LS (Lordsong) is where the future of sg is, on the bleeding edge of harmonies and chord structures, styles and sounds that look back but move irrepressibly ahead. If sg is to thrive, it will be because it finds a way to define itself so that a LordSong is as much a part of the tradition and style as the Doves or Greater Vision or the Perrys. To reconceive of sg this way is to emphasize the GOSPEL of southern gospel, a wide ranging musical tradition that embraces all comers who pay their way with talent and attention to the legacy they've inherited. The only other option is to emphasize the SOUTHERN part, that is, to throw up walls and circle the wagons and narrowly conceive of the music as comprising a small group of traditionalists." AMEN!! Avery gets rather wordy at times (and that is saying it lightly) but there is more truth in those last few sentences than I believe he or anyone else has ever said. September 17, 2005- National Quartet Prevention (or did Avery forget to pack his medication?)- The most read blogger will never be the NQC poster child. After reading his NQC coverage I'd say he is trying to prevent anyone from wanting to go next year. I would also ask the question why he would make the trip if it is so bad. Sounds like everyone except Katy Van Horn Peach and Greater Vision should have stayed at home too. I understand he is just giving his opinion (just as I am giving mine now), but was it so bad? Please let me know what you think (not about avery, about NQC). by clicking here I think if you didn't have a chance to go to NQC and want a realistic rundown of how things went check out DBM's road trip . He gets my vote for best NQC coverage. It must be nice to travel with no schedule constraints. I almost forgot. About Avery ripping the Inspirations to shreds. They are not my favorite group and are not the best singers, but if the economic strains that are affecting SGM get worse. The Inspirations will still be standing. I've said it before and I'll say it again, the Inspirations are the most financially sound group in SGM. If I could have my pick of being an awesome singer, sing to half full auditoriums, and make $400 a week (before taxes) or be a mediocre singer, sing in sold out auditoriums, and make $60k+ a year. I'd be an Inspiration. September 9, 2005- Kenny Bishop signs or gets signed?- I congratulate Kenny Bishop on signing a record deal with Daywind. I state the title in a question because so many times you hear that, unlike other genres of music, signing a record deal in SG means forking out money to pay for the deal. In no way do I mean to lessen how good it is to be on a top label such as Daywind whether you had to pay for it or not or question whether Daywind would be calling Kenny rather than the other way around. It just seems from reading Kenny's story that he had no set plans as to what he would do next except to walk through whatever door the Lord opened for him. It would seem from this perspective that Kenny probably did not call Daywind looking for a deal. It was probably the other way around. That is just my take on it. This brings up a question of what percentage of artists are signed because they were called by the record company and what percentage paid their way into a record contract? By the way, this news came from none other than the SGM news guru, Chuck Peters and can be read here . At the time of this writing it was not listed on SGN or SN. Chuck does it again. September 8, 2005- I've said it before and it's worth saying it again- Nick Bruno should be the President, CEO, King, Grand Poo bah, etc. etc. of Southern Gospel Music. His latest article is probably his best yet. So far there are no negative comments about it. This time it is going to be hard for anyone to disagree with him. Some may think I'm joking when I say Nick should be the President of SG. Even though I say it in a light hearted way, if he were President of SG, it would not only stay alive but live well. What do you think? gospelcommentary@yahoo.com September 6, 2005- A fresh new sound- Not long ago a friend of mine sent me a CD of another SG soloist. If you've read past posts and my CD reviews the only soloists I've mentioned are Ivan Parker and John Lanier. Soloists are certainly a minority in a genre defined and dominated by harmony and groups. The CD I received is called No Fault by J.W. Cooper Jr. (www.jwcministries.com ). I'm not going to do a review of No Fault because it has been out for awhile (and as soon as I receive one I will review Cooper's new project that just came out- Voice Of Many Waters). I will say that listening to No Fault is not only a blessing but a breath of fresh air in SG. Cooper is an excellent songwriter who writes with relevance and soul. His musical style is on the country side but at the same time progressive. I will comment more on J.W. Cooper when I review Voice of Many Waters. For now check out his website and the soundclips. I have also learned Cooper lives in Mississippi and his house and job were affected by Hurricane Katrina. Please remember him in your prayers. September 5, 2005- Contacts and Control- I have been asked by Chris Unthank (I think? or maybe Amy?) to answer a couple of questions. One was the statement I made in my last post about having inside contacts and how "are we (they) to verify or even believe" that I have inside contacts when they don't even know who I am. The second question is about my statement on "control" and what contention I have with the Unthank kids or anything Unthank. Contacts- They can believe what I say about having inside contacts or not. That is their choice. (I will say this much: my contacts range from members and former members of well known pro groups to writers in SGM news publications and websites.) Verification would involve naming names and I am in control of that which leads us to...... Control and contention- Contention first. First of all I was brought up in a family that hashes out issues, holds no grudges, and tells each other what we think no matter if it results in heightened emotions. In other words, you make me mad, I tell you about it (or the other way around), and it is over. No love lost. I think what the Unthanks see as contention is just me telling them what I think. Anyone who has commented on their message board or sgblognews knows that this does not always go over well with them. Example: They asked for comments about their thoughts on shutting sgblognews down. Part of my answer: "Although I appreciate the hits I get from Sgblognews, they only account for approx. 2% of the 75-100 unique views that I receive daily" I, being one blogger that they list, thought this would be of interest to them. But what did I receive back: "For the record we aren't concerned whether 2% or 200% of your hits come from Sgblognews, that isn't even relevant to the topic at hand". Then I was blamed for causing war? Huh!? Other than the fact that we just seem to have a personality clash, I have no contention against them. At least they try. Not that I'm right and they are wrong or the other way around, but we are just two different kinds of people that will have to agree to disagree. God knows my heart just as He knows theirs. For the record, due to our apparent differences and the fact that the SG web world needs no more negatives, I would respectfully ask to be taken off of Sgblognews or any future endeavor they pursue. What I mean by control can be easily seen. The blog phenomenon in SG started and many people seemed to have a problem with it. Namely SN and SGN. More than likely because they were no longer the sole sources of SG discussion. They were no longer in total control. I bet Averyfineline receives more hits than both combined. It's just my opinion, but I think Sgblognews was started so SGN could jump on the blog bandwagon (I believe avery said that). Over time their hits fell off and they realized that fewer and fewer people linked to blogs through them (this could be the reason my comments about 2% brought on so much animosity?). Now they need to do something else with Sgblognews because it is no longer working. This is just my opinion. What is yours? gospelcommentary@yahoo.com September 4, 2005- SG blogs have outlived their usefulness and we're all gonna quit- Just kidding! I don't know if any of you have noticed the topic and comments at www.sgblognews.com ? Probably not, since everyone (including me; according to them I started a war) that has commented is a blogger. It seems Chris and Amy Unthank, in all their wisdom (excuse me while I get sarcastic), have decided that SG blogs have outlived their usefulness and are thinking of taking their site "in another direction". I think that would be a good idea, Chris and Amy. You have my approval. Really though, they are citing a few reasons why they think this. Bloggers not updating regularly, lack of comments, and lack of originality. The only one of the reasons that I think is legitimate is bloggers not updating regularly. If someone like SGblahger, who hasn't updated since January, I'm sure his readers have abandoned him by now. I'm not trying to criticize SGblahger. I'm just trying to make a point. Of course the very person (www.gospelmusings.com) who told me "your spare time is not consistent is an excuse for not being consistent" is the same person who, until today, had not posted in 3 months. I wonder what his "excuse" is? Lack of comments- I don't receive an incredible amount of comments, but I do receive some. Some I post on the comments page, some I include in a post, and some stay conversations between me and the reader or fellow blogger that are not posted. Jim Boulden of CNN wrote an article about advertisers starting to use blogs: "Mink Media is trying to convince advertisers not to look at the number of people who click on a blog or the comments but instead to concentrate on the niche community the blog creates." Hmm. Kind of like the niche of SG. Lack of originality- I don't know who told the Unthank kids that blogs had to be original? The very essence of a blog (weblog) is a journal of anything the blogger wants to write about. Sure, if the title is Gospel Commentary it should, for the most part be about SGM. This is not to say that a blogger won't get off topic occasionally. It is their blog. It is their right. Josh Quittner, Editor of Business 2.0 puts it like this: "The cool thing about blogs is somebody can say something, or point to a story in Time magazine or CNN, and other people can have at the story. What this does is takes information and it puts it out before a community of users who will, in effect, crash test it.” In conclusion I believe that SG blogs are very useful for many reasons. Too many to list here but here is one. Bloggers like myself, www.averyfineline , www.sgmblog.com , etc. and SG news people like Chuck Peters (www.sglive365.com) have inside contacts and will put normally untalked about topics out in the open for everyone to read and think about. Erica Hill of CNN said it like this, “Now, I'm turning to blogs to feel closer to events overseas. Blogs have a way of exposing things no article can. They are not edited. They are not journal entries hidden under lock and key; these are shared with the world.” This could be a reason that so many of the SGM "news" sites have/had a problem with the SG blog phenomenon when it started and the reason the Unthank kids started SGblognews in the first place. It's called control. August 30, 2005-
If Chuck doesn't know he will find out- This is what a true reporter does. I posted yesterday asking why the major SGM news sites didn't report the Gold City band news. One of my theories was maybe they didn't ask. According to Chuck this is true (thanks for clarifying this, Chuck):
Some people screen their phone calls- I think SGM screens their news. A reader emailed me with the following about Gold City no longer having a band:
"I did not know that they had dropped the band…. When did this happen? I was out of town last week, but…. WOW! I looked on their site and nothing is there, and also get an enewsletter, and don’t remember seeing anything about it.."
I learned this news from Chuck Peters www.sglive365.com . It seems Chuck has the only SGM news site that deems this "news". It is on message boards but I searched through all the major SGM news sites and never found anything about it. I just don't understand why this is not "news". To me it is a lot more important than "lead singer for XXX quartet's grandmother has an ingrown toe nail". Maybe Gold City asked that it not be reported or just gave Chuck information because he asked. I'm not faulting Gold City for this. I guess it is kind of embarrassing to have to get rid of your band. If this is the case I can understand. However, being that Chuck Peters can get the information and even get an interview with Daniel Riley, it seems the big boys in SGM news would do something. I just hope it is not "something that is looked over by news agencies, artists, or fans" as I said in my Aug. 16 post. If it is someone please help me to understand why SGM screens it's news. I can understand not putting personal things like divorces, etc. on SGM news sites, but something like this needs to be told. People need to know how bad off SGM is financially. I'm glad that the SGM news sites do not report the weather. We would never know a hurricane was coming until it was too late.
August 20, 2005-
Benefit concerts- Go ahead call me a copycat and get it over with. Avery posted about groups doing benefit concerts. He was middle of the road about it, not really leaning one way or the other. The reason I wanted to post on this subject also is that I am going to lean one way. I believe, unless it is one of their own, professional groups should not do benefit concerts. By "one of their own" I mean if the benefit was for a member of another pro group or their families. Also a member of one of the group's churches. Sort of like the take care of your own mentality. I don't want to sound totally uncompassionate here, but it is simply not good business for a group that makes it's living singing to sing for free. Avery asked one of his friends about this and they made a statement that I've made numerous times, "I'd be better off just sending somebody a check for $1500 and staying home." This is exactly what we've did before. This is exactly what a regional group in our area does every time they are asked to sing at the local yearly Shriner's telethon that is televised. The reason they just send money is a local so called "Pro Sound" company does the sound for the event every year and it is terrible. I caught a little of it this year and a female trio was singing with a band and all I heard was someone singing lead and the drums. The regional group that just sends money instead of agreeing to sing for free does not want a bad representation of their group.
Other than the above mentioned examples, I believe that benefits concerts should be left to the regional groups. It is a good way to gain exposure, do a good deed (give back), and fill their schedules. After all they do most of their concerts for almost free anyway.
One more thing. I've known churches who had benefit concerts to raise money for a new building. I really have a problem with this. It seems to me if all the church members were tithing the way they should that the needs of the church would be met without resorting to outside resources.
August 16, 2005-
The bands are gone. What's next? (maybe buses?)- To some I'm sure it was a rude awakening when they heard the announcement that Gold City's band was leaving the road. Anyone that has read any of this site, Avery's, and many others has heard us talk often about the financial status of SGM. After all the economics of SGM has been one of those subjects that is, for the most part, kept quiet by the SG news agencies. Money has always been sort of a bad word in SGM anyway. I don't want to get into all the statements like "you shouldn't ask for a flat fee, the Lord will take care of you", "we are a ministry, we don't ask for money", etc. I've been criticized before for laying blame on the fans for being cheap. I think I've been justly criticized. It is not one certain person or group of people that is to blame. We shoudn't even be looking to blame anyone. We should be looking for what the solution is. For now the solution is downsizing. In the future it could be to do away with buses. I've often heard them called "money eating monsters". To some just the knowledge that one of the most successful groups of today having to downsize because of financial reasons might be a wake up call and have some positive effect. Some will still be naive to how poor SGM actually is. To those I say WAKE UP! This should not be something that is looked over by news agencies, artists, or fans. We should talk about it and talk about it and talk about it. We should all put our heads together and at least start working in the right direction. When the human body gets a disease one of two things happens. It is cured or it dies. The financial situation of SGM is a disease. If the cure is not found, death is certain. I'm praying for healing.
August 9, 2005-
Sometimes the truth hurts- It goes without saying from my past posts that I am one of Nick Bruno's fans. I highly respect everything he writes. By the majority of the comments made on Nick's latest article http://sogospelnews.com/index/articles/comments/4268/ you can see why the truth sometimes hurts. You can also see from the majority of comments the very reason why Nick is right. The negative comments about Nick's article is the very mindset that will cause the death of SGM. As an artist and fan I have the advantage (sometimes I think it could be a disadvantage) of being on the outside looking in and the inside looking out. From this all around perspective it is easy to see how complicated the solution to the many problems killing SGM actually is. From pastors giving you a lecture on why you shouldn't charge money to come and share the Gospel in song to Eddie Crook signing every group on the face of the earth (have you ever noticed that he signs a couple of groups every week? He probably has a million by now) to top 80 charts to record companies recording anyone who has the money. This is just one person's idea and opinion. When you have a complicated problem that makes a music genre the poorest and least quality of any kind of music you need a leader with a clear vision. I cannot say that this statement (or whole post for that matter) is void of any sarcasm because I don't think there is much hope in this happening. I've said it before and I'll say it again. I vote for Nick Bruno to be president of SGM. He has a clear vision of what we need to do to raise the bar of quality and keep SGM alive. I praise him for the courage to write articles that speak the truth no matter how much it hurts.
August 2, 2005-
Clarity- Kenny Bishop has edited his story on his website and it is a lot clearer than it was before. At least I understand where he is coming from now. www.kennybishop.com I believe him and my best friend that I told about on July 6 have a lot in common. However, unlike my best friend, Kenny is surrendering to God's call.
Less posting- I am and will be posting a lot less in the coming months. We have been extra busy and there is just not time to even check out the latest SG news, blogs, and boards, much less post. I appreciate all the hits I've been getting anyway and the emails.
bravenet.com