Dave Emery, long-time bass singer and guitarist for The Chuck Wagon Gang will be leaving the group effective May 31st. Dave and his wife, Phyllis, plan to pursue their life-long dream of moving to Florida in the near future. "Although I will be leaving the Gang, don't be surprised if you see me singing again someday, as Gospel Music is in my blood", said Dave Emery of Seymour, TN. "To have been a member of The Chuck Wagon Gang has been a great honor, and to have sung their songs has been a real thrill. I have had a wonderful time and great experience with The Chuck Wagon Gang, and wish the group well as they continue a 75-year legacy, but I can't wait to move back to Florida!"
Replacing Dave will be 26-year-old Jeremy Stephens, who will also be performing double duties as guitarist and bass singer. Many of you have already met Jeremy, as he filled in for tenor singer Stan Hill, who was away from the group for some time during his wife's recent illness and surgeries, and also played guitar for the group during that time.
Jeremy was born in Lynchburg, VA and raised in Danville, VA. Having fallen in love with traditional bluegrass and old time music at an early age, he began playing fiddle and banjo at age 5, and sometime later picked up the guitar. He began playing with a bluegrass band at age 10. For years, banjo has been Jeremy’s primary instrument. He has played banjo with several bluegrass groups over the last 17 years. Jeremy graduated from Liberty University in Lynchburg, VA with a Bachelor’s Degree in Graphic Design, but has chosen to pursue music, his lifelong passion.
Jeremy first heard the Chuck Wagon Gang at age 12 when he started listening to his grandparents’ gospel records, and he has been in love with their music ever since. Being a bluegrasser at the core, his favorite version of the Gang is the original group: Rose, Anna, Dad, and Jim. One of his biggest hobbies is record collecting, and one of his main record collections is The Chuck Wagon Gang. Jeremy also loves the guitar playing of Howard Gordon, Anna’s husband who played for the Gang in the 50s and 60s.
Speaking from her home in Hertford, NC, Owner/Manager Shaye Smith stated: "Dave has done a great job for several years in handling many positions. He performed as guitarist, bass singer, and MC, while also overseeing many administrative duties. We will miss him, but wish him well in his future endeavors. There there is great excitement as we bring on board a very talented, young man, a dedicated CWG fan, and one who can play the style of my late Grandfather, Howard Gordon".
Jeremy says, “I am so excited to be working for my favorite gospel group. I have loved their music for years, and I’m so thankful to God for putting me here at this place in my life.” Jeremy currently lives in Nashville, TN.
Booking duties have been assumed by Harold Timmons, who can be reached at 817-944-2538.
Today, the Chuck Wagon Gang holds the distinction of being the oldest recording mixed gospel group still performing with ties to the original founding. The Chuck Wagon Gang records for Song Garden Music Group, and their latest single release, "Bare Hands" is being well received by radio listeners all across the country. Their latest recording, “My Soul Shall Live On” remains true to their famed tradition of old favorites, yet freshness comes out in several new songs. The Chuck Wagon Gang is committed to preserving the integrity of the it’s great legacy by continuing the simple style that Dad Carter established nearly 75 years ago. They will continue to do as Dad Carter instructed, “Sing the old songs, and sing them the way I taught you.”
Pictured above: The Chuck Wagon Gang with Bill Gaither taken at recent Gaither taping in Charlotte, NC. L-R: Stan Hill, Julie Hudson, Bill Gaither, Shaye Smith, Jeremy Stephens.
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