A new series is on the horizon: Where YOU Been?!
The focus of the Where YOU Been?! series is to locate those folks in the gospel music industry that have kinda fallen off the face of the earth. We’ll do our best sleuthing, tracking their recent steps, guest appearances, etc. (and I’m really gonna need y’all to fill in the gaps with me) until we locate the person and figure out what they’ve been up to since we last saw them.
We’re talking industry execs, well-known choir soloists of old, anyone! I’ve got at least four people in mind already… and they’re GOOD (so good, in fact, that I don’t wanna say who just yet… I don’t want anyone ruining my fun by saying “oh, Jane Doe isn’t hard to find at all… in fact, she goes to my church and here’s her myspace page”).
In the meantime, if you have suggestions about who we need to find, comment to this post and lemme know!
I have a few : Drea' Randle Nancy Jackson (sp?)
I Promise EJ if you say "my alter ego" I'll punch u in da face. to Jerod: Drea Randle is a good one
Tarralyn Ramsey Debra Killings Any of the Winans from Phase 2 Montrel Darrett Maybe I'm out of the loop - but haven't heard anything from or about these in a long time....
Ummm, I think I'm a little upset with Tarralyn Ramsey. I saw her on that VH1 singing contest several years ago, and she kind of disappointed me. Now, I didn't mind that she was attempting to sing "secular" music, but it was the way she referred to her gospel music career that turned me off. One of the other contestants on the show/in the contest was asking her if she was Tarralyn Ramsey the gospel singer, and she was quite excited (and a little stressed) to find out that she was competing against THE Tarralyn Ramsey who sings gospel. Tarralyn Ramsey's response was something like, people always ask me if I'm the Tarralyn Ramsey that sings gospel, but they don't know that the Tarralyn Ramsey who sang gospel had $100 in her bank account. So... yeah, it almost made me feel as if she was implying that singing for and about Jesus was not enough or worth it. Granted, I don't know what her financial situation was like, but it was just a statement that had the potential to leave a taste in unbelievers' mouths that wasn't an accurate depiction of Christ's ability to provide. But, back to the main idea of the post: where is she anyway?!
I am REALLY excited about this new series. Some suggestions: Daniel Hawkins Jamie Hawkins Shirley Miller (SEE A TREND ANYONE??) Billi Thedford Londa Larmond Chris Willis Lizz Lee (big points if you even know who this is...but you're a REAL gospel diehard if you do.) Yolanda Harris (for all the Ron Winans Family and Friends fans) You're probably sad you got me started at this point, huh?
Keith Pringle Michael Fletcher
I saw Lizz Lee in Atlanta with her husband at a Stephanie Mills show and about went bonkers. I loved her on the Youth for Christ cd from like '90 or something like that. Monica... what about the lead from "Sinner's Lullaby" on Ron Winans Family and Friends... I believe it was Donyell Jones... one of the craziest soprano's ever. Yolanda Harris was in the first incarnation of Witness. I loved Michael Brooks' sister's voice - Tina Brooks. My others: Lisa Page Brooks, Sha Simpson, Lucretia Campbell, Sheila Lakins, Charrisse Nelson-MacIntosh, some of James Hall's leads: Crispell... whoever sang "When He Comes Back in the Clouds" ... my, my. I want to start another kinda-post while we're talking... if anybody TRULY loved Vanessa Bell Armstrong, they would make her do nuthing but gutter gospel from here on out. Not a synthesizer in earshot. Organs, blues banjo's and choirs on backs. No smooth Donald nuthin! No funky Deitrick nuthin. Whitfield Reincarnated 'Nessa. Won't trick me anymore!!!
I just listened to Yolanda Harris on "No Weapon" Ron Winans Fam & Friends. AMAZING.
Where is Gaye Arbuckle? Anybody remember the song "Miracles and Blessing"??? She SUNG the juice out of that song.
This may be long before your time, But can you find anything about Raymond Rasberry and the Raymond Rasberry Singers. The came from Cleveland, Oh and were very well known during the time period of 1950 & 1960. I have been trying to find some of their music, but have not, any information you can give me on this group will be appriciated and where con I find CD's or any music by them. Thanks