We’ve had a lot of fun these last ten weeks, but as our series comes to a close, let’s look at back at some of the highlights from our guests!

We hope that you have enjoyed A Look Inside with these great artists. Other than right here on the NQC Blog, the only other place to find them all is at National Quartet Convention September 9-15th. We’ll see you there!

To get more from our featured artists, visit their website for links to tour dates, social networks, and news features. Was your favorite artists missing from our series? Let us know who you want to see next year by tweeting us @NQConline, or commenting on the NQC Facebook page! One last special thank you to all our guests…

The Chuck Wagon Gang
11th Hour
The Primitive Quartet
Tribute Quartet
Jeff & Sheri Easter
The LeFevre Quartet
The Hoppers
The Bowling Family
The Kingdom Heirs
Tim Lovelace

See you at National Quartet Convention!

Tim Lovelace

There are few things Tim Lovelace cannot do within Gospel music. For the last thirty-six years he has filled numerous roles including singer, songwriter, musician, emcee, and comedian. Beginning his professional career at 18 years old, Tim would travel and sing with groups including The Masters Quartet, Florida Boys, Kingsmen, and Jake Hess before he and wife Mary Alice joined each other on stage.

Tim and Mary Alice, now married for 16 years, traveled the country together as she impressed crowds with her powerful voice and Tim’s wit and personality kept them laughing. Eventually starting a family would become a greater priority than traveling as Mary Alice decided to stay home with daughters Gabrielle and Gracie (and each daughter has an amazing story!) as Tim continued to sing.   As the family grew at home, so did Tim’s ministry on the road. As many friends and family will tell you, his passion for life, sense of humor, and contagious laughter are second to none. So putting together a comedy act just seemed natural.

Audiences around the country have grown to love the Lovelace brand of comedy that is often delivered through song and accompanied by multiple instruments. An accomplished musician, Tim finds a way to intertwine the piano, banjo, and guitar into his honest style of story telling that listeners find both familiar and hilarious.

Tim’s style of sharing his story through song and laughter has made him a sought after performer and a regular at National Quartet Convention for years. Although his role may have changed, there are still plenty of opportunities to laugh with Tim at NQC. Arrive early for the evening concerts and enjoy a hilarious preshow as Tim will share and set the tone for a great night together. Before that, enjoy a few minutes with a family that’s open about their love for Christ and a struggle to find normalcy.

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For more information and ways to support Compassion International, you can visit TimLovelace.com.

The Kingdom Heirs (L-R): Kreis French, Jerry Martin, Arthur Rice, Dennis Murphy, Steve French, Andy Stringfield, Jeff Chapman

Many Southern Gospel artists are blessed with the opportunity to sing to thousands of fans each year. The main difference between The Kingdom Heirs and the rest of the industry, their listeners are typically travelling to their hometown. For 27 years, The Kingdom Heirs have been the resident Southern Gospel quartet at Dollywood in the heart of Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. The group actually has ties to the theme park as early as 1981 while it was still Silver Dollar City. But no matter the name on the sign out front, this group has established themselves as one of the top Male Quartets in the country.

Hailing from Mascot, TN, baritone and emcee Steve French, along with younger brother and bass guitarist Kreis French, grew up with the sounds of music in the home. Sons of the local church pianist, they discovered the gift of music would be handed down at an early age. Despite growing up with other sporting interests, the calling for full-time music ministry would win their hearts, as they eventually become the owners and foundation for The Kingdom Heirs.

Joining Steve and Kreis are five talented men sharing their passion for Southern Gospel music. Drummer Dennis Murphy and lead singer Arthur Rice have been mainstays of the group for 22 and 17 years, respectively. Through time, both have been recognized as industry leaders at their positions. Dennis and the band are four-time recipients of Band of the Year honors, while Arthur is known as a talented triple threat with multiple award nominations for Lead Singer, Male Vocalist, and Producer of the Year.

New addition to The Kingdom Heirs include bass singer Jeff Chapman. Jeff joined the group in 2003 and quickly established himself as one of the most consistent and entertaining singers in Southern Gospel. It’s interesting to note that pianist (and sometimes baritone) Andy Stringfield has been alive as long as the group has been performing at Dollywood. Just 27 years old, Andy honed his musical talents in churches, schools, and the University of Tennessee. But perhaps none of The Kingdom Heirs began performing as early as tenor, and newest member, Jerry Martin. At a very young age (you’ll have to watch the video to know just how young!), Jerry began singing in his local church only to see those talents lead to a professional career.

With a song that topped the charts earlier this year (“Tell Me Why” went #1 in April) and a variety of other award nominations, it is clear The Kingdom Heirs’ message is heard far outside East Tennessee. When Dollywood is closed, these seven men climb aboard the bus and log thousands of miles as they travel and sing throughout the country and abroad. Despite a short travel schedule, they always take time away from “The Park” to join us at National Quartet Convention.

While they were between shows, a few of the guys paused to say hello to the fans of NQC. As veterans of Convention (they will perform three times from the NQC Main Stage this year), they had a lot to share and a few reasons why you should be there. As you’ll find out, there’s a lot more than three shows a day with this group.

You can socialize with The Kingdom Heirs by visiting them here:

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The Bowling Family (L-R): Terah Penhollow, Mike Bowling, and Kelly Bowling.

For a lucky few, Southern Gospel music is a family business. As members of The Bowling Family will tell you, they are among the fortunate ones. Growing up surrounded by the music made them fans, but now they know how blessed they are to sing professionally.

Mike Bowling and Kelly Crabb were first introduced at a concert – not as members of the audience, but as on-stage talent. At the time, Mike was with The Perrys while Kelly sang with her brothers and sister as The Crabb Family. Both experienced tremendous success with their respective groups and now continue to impress the Southern Gospel industry together.

As The Crabb Family made the difficult decision to pursue other interests, Kelly joined husband and father to her three children to form Mike & Kelly Bowling. While their sound was great, something was clearly missing. A reunion with sister and accomplished alto, Terah Crabb Penhollow, soon followed with some effective “persuading” from Kelly.

Now known across the country as The Bowling Family, these three are continuing the tradition of wonderful Southern Gospel as the family business. Many know their ministry comes with a remarkable story of healing, faith, and provision. In July 2010, the group was involved in a bus accident leaving Mike and Kelly physically and emotionally harmed. While some wondered if they would ever return to music full-time, their answer was an emphatic, “YES!”

Only months removed from the accident, their journey toward recovery brought them to Louisville, KY for National Quartet Convention. While no strangers to NQC, the annual visit had never felt like this. In just a few days, The Bowling Family experienced the heart of a community firmly grounded in prayer, love, and support.

As wounds heal and life returns to normalcy, the family continues to return to NQC, joyfully recalling the feeling of love from friends and fans alike. As they tour, the trio made time for National Quartet Convention to discuss being a family band, how it all got started, and the joy found in community.

You can socialize with The Bowling Family too! Visit them here:

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