The Top 10 2010 Diamond Awards! The Freemans Keeping It Young The Publisher’s Perspective: A Video Message to Readers from Rob Patz Rob is still excited about the Diamond Awards. Like, really excited... Is he taking this Mr. Publisher thing too far? If you encounter problems viewing this clip, visit: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VXDyjrL3Yu0 ¦ PERFORMERS: MC BOTH NIGHTS - MATTHEW DUDNEY Friday, May 14: -ARK"ISHOPs!ARON7ILBURN "RIAN&REE!SSURANCEs+AREN0ECK.EW2IVER 4HE$OVE"ROTHERSs$IPLOMATS 4)#+%43/.3!,%./7 3ATURDAY -AY &ORMOREINFORMATION 4HE'RASCALSs-ARK"ISHOP CALLORVISIT !ARON7ILBURNs,ITTLE2OY,IZZY 888-462-6718 4HE#HUCK7AGON'ANGs#HRISTY3UTHERLAND All profits from ticket sales benefit charity. TTT?ORJIBVJRPF@CBPQ@LJ April 2010 COLUMNS 2 Publisher’s Point Video Blog... Rob Patz Publisher: 5 Greenish Me... Kelly Capriotti Burton ROB PATZ Editor-in-Chief: 6 Ms. Lou’s...Lou Wills Hildreth KELLY CAPRIOTTI BURTON 8 Eyes Wide Open...Tom Holste Features Editor: LORRAINE WALKER 10 Faith Boost... Rhonda Frye Contributing Writers D. ANN BAILEY NewS & FEATURES WES BURKE EVIE HAWKINS 12 Classic 4 Concert CHAD HAYES LOU WILLS HILDRETH 14 COVER STORY: TOM HOLSTE RHONDA FRYE The Freemans: Keeping It Young JIMMY MCMILLAN JERRY TINKLE 17 Singers Launche New Hope Music 19 DIAMOND AWARD TOP 10 NOMINEES Graphic Design: STEPHANIE KELLEY ANNOUNCED ~ Vote Now! Layout & Design: 22 Branson GMC: It Takes a Fellowship KELLY CAPRIOTTI BURTON 29 Review: Angry Conversations with God Founder: 31 The Dills Tell the Story of a Lifetime ALLEN SMITH 35 Fitness: Sumo Girls WWW.SGNSCOOPS.COM interact: 38 Being Single in an SG World twitter.com/sgnscoops 40 New Music: Firm Foundation facebook.com/sgnscoops shoutlife.com/sgnscoops SGN Scoops exists to showcase what is dis- tinguished, intriguing, and real about south- ern & country gospel music. We seek with our stories to shed light on people fulfilling a call to minister - to make or support the For advertising, inquiries, or comments: making of music that excites an audience [email protected] and glorifies God. Send news items to: And we seek to do it interactively. [email protected] 5 The past month was ing, isn’t it? The God CROSSING OVER a banner one for SGN of the world first came Scoops… not because to Earth as a helpless we had more readers child, grew up sinless- than usual, but because our readers got more vocal ly, and shortly there- than usual. after gave that same Our interview with Matthew Paul Turner (‘Jesus- life in painful death to NeedsNewPR’) won us kudos and criticism. take punishment for Our coverage of non-southern gospel groups, in par- all humankind. ticular, a Christian Rock band from the West Coast, It’s really all we Greenish me sparked a colorful debate over on our Facebook page need. That sacri- Kelly Capriotti Burton, as to what SGN Scoops is called and what exactly we fice, that gift, does are covering. not require embellishment, Editor-in-Chief Admittedly, the current publisher of SGN Scoops graphics, fonts, multimedia did not name it (by the way, SGN=Southern Gospel supplements, prefaces, or prologues: God as man, News), nor do we pretend to have a corner on the God for man. “news”(/news) taking place in Southern Gospel. I like to think that belief is simple enough for all of But, to be clear, we are open and ready to report, us, but it gets tested all the time. During this season, feature, and offer our opinions on a variety of Christian we have also seen great tragedy strike close to home. music, books, and figures, while keeping a particular In my town, a young firefighter died while attempt- focus on Southern and Country gospel music. ing to rescue a man from his burning home just last This month, we feature the Freemans, who point out week. He was 28 with his whole life ahead of him, and how important it has been for them to stay fresh and now he is someone for whom we will tie a red ribbon current in their music ministry, even as they stay true around our tree, someone to mourn and remember, to their own classic gospel roots. I appreciate this out- but someone whose contributions on earth are over. look as one that is realistic. When our debate ensued Meanwhile, one of our own staff members suffered on FB about the mission of SGM, the most argued point an unfathomable blow when her new grandson went was whether SGM has a young or growing fan base. to Heaven upon his entry into the world. Living with a teenager who lists George Younce and If you’re anything like me, these incidents, these The McKameys “up there” with Ernie Hasse and Sig- tragedies, do not make you doubt your faith, but per- nature Sound and David Crowder Band, I can say for haps do make you wonder about God’s ways. Why do sure that it does have one. However, if young some heroes escape seemingly impossible feats un- people are going to feel welcome in the cul- scathed while some lose their lives? Why are some ture of Southern Gospel, that culture will babies born into the world in perfect condition and have to expand. Most new/young SG fans are some not able to take one breath? What is God trying firmly entrenched in an iPod, satellite radio, to teach us? indie coffee shop, Neither I nor this magazine has the answer. Today, Most new SG are firmly entrenched- Guitar Hero world, however, I feel grateful to be working amongst people in an iPod, satellite radio, indie cof which has opened willing to explore it, willing to listen to God for it, will- fee shop, Guitar Hero world...their their musical ho- ing to accept it in whatever musical or written form it GVB might be crossed with some DMB rizons vastly and might come in. and definitely a bunch of CCM. means that their The Bible tells us God is no respecter of persons (Ro- GVB might be crossed with mans 2:11 and a bunch of other places), and I believe some DMB and definitely a bunch of CCM. Criticiing that likely means He is also no respecter of opinions them for their varied tastes is going to drive them and tastes. We all have them, we all like our own bet- away from concerts and product tables for sure. ter than ones that differ. OK? Cool. Now, on to something else: At the end of the day, it’s our duty to come together As I sit to write this, we are in the midst of a great under the umbrella of life and grace that was given season for all Christians: the celebration of Jesus’ Res- to us at the cross, to hold each other up in urrection. At Christmas time, we often re- times of testing and sorrow, and to move on flect on the gift of Jesus, and on Easter, the in Jesus’ name. sacrifice He made. It is all equally awe-strik- Are you ready? Let’s go! 7 A DVD recording, Songs that a gathering of friends, a comforting memory comfort us By Lou Will Hildreth views by JIMMY BLACKWOOD, GARY MCSPADDEN, JOEL HEMPHILL, LILLIE FERN WEATHERFORD, BIL- LY BLACKWOOD, DALLAS HOLM, and MARK LOW- RY. BILL GAITHER included my interview, where we talked about our early Stamps-Baxter Music School experiences and his flying to Nashville to preside over my induction into the GMA Hall Of Fame in 2005. A sweet moment on the DVD is JANET PAS- CHAL’S warm welcome by the Homecoming friends as we rejoiced over her recovery from breast cancer. Later, the camera caught her and KELLY NELON in a hilarious conversation about the early days they sang together. An interview with DUANE ALLEN set the tone for a powerful OAK RIDGE BOYS song. The GATLINS had us all laughing, especially Bill Gaither, as LARRY GATLIN tried to give Bill a lesson in song- writing. Then we all listened as LARRY, STEVE & RUDY harmonized. Dottie Rambo, Lou, and Mark Performances by LEGACY FIVE, EASTERS, HOP- Lowry in 2007. PERS, PERRYS, COLLINGSWORTH FAMILY, ISAACS, JESSY DIXON, ALICIA WILLIAMSON, DALLAS HOLM, A few nights ago, I was unusually restless, praying MARTINS, JOHNNY MINICK, TIM SURRETT, TALLEYS, quietly for “Holy Spirit” wisdom, and I remembered LILLIE KNAULS, LEWIS FAMILY, GORDON MOTE, the last song DOTTIE RAMBO sang on a Gaither vid- JOSHUA POPE, and MARK LOWRY on this DVD, plus eo—“I Just Came To Talk With You Lord.” I put the the songs by the Homecoming Choir, are filled with joy DVD Nashville Homecoming in the player and relived and encouragement. A highlight is MOSIE LISTER, age the excitement of the Gaither taping in 2007 at the 85, directing the men’s choir. Featured on other vid- Grand Ole Opry in Nashville. The gathering of more eos from the taping, and adding their voices and spirit than 250 Homecoming artists by Bill and Gloria Gaither to the choir numbers, are members of the GAITHER was the first time in about five years we had all been VOCAL BAND, ERNIE HAASE & SIGNATURE SOUND, together and we were feeling the gamut of emotion! GREATER VISION, DOVE BROTHERS, GOLD CITY, Five fabulous DVD titles came from this taping---Amaz- BLACKWOOD BROTHERS, CRABB FAMILY, BOOTH ing Grace, Rock Of Ages, How Great Thou Art, Nash- BROTHERS, IMPERIALS, FLORIDA BOYS, BRIAN FREE ville Homecoming, and Joy In My Heart. I was seated & ASSURANCE, ANDRE CROUCH, DOYLE LAWSON, by two of our greatest songwriters, SQUIRE PARSONS BRENDA LEE, RANDY OWEN, FREEMANS, HAYES and DOTTIE RAMBO.