NQC ATTENDANCE INCREASES 120%

Return of Connie Hopper Highlights Evening Performance

Pigeon Forge, TN – The 57th annual NQC (National Quartet Convention) is in full swing at the LeConte Center in Pigeon Forge, TN. Clarke Beasley, NQC Executive Director, reports that an all-time attendance record has been set for the first-half of the week with the 11,500 seat LeConte Center sold out for Tuesday and Wednesday nights of the annual event.

A surprise appearance by Connie Hopper - who has been battling breast cancer again after being in remission for 35 years - was the highlight of Wednesday evening. The beloved singer appeared onstage as The Hoppers' hit song, "I've Come Too Far," began to play. The crowd leapt to their feet in thunderous applause and praise to God, welcoming Mrs. Hopper back to NQC. There wasn't a dry in the place as Connie spoke about having the 'peace that passeth all understanding' during this latest health scare.

The National Quartet Convention is the only event of the year where fans can see and hear their favorite artists at a single event, and then meet them and purchase their products. Music lovers can enjoy their favorite music all day and night, as music spectaculars begin each morning and continue until at least 11 PM each evening.

Although all evening concerts are sold out at this time, passes still remain for many of the afternoon events. For a complete schedyle of events,please visit www.nqconline.com.

STAY CONNECTED WITH NQC:
www.NQConline.com
www.Facebook.com/NQConline
www.Twitter.com/NQConline

NQC READIES FOR SPRING BREAK! Brand New Event Brings Christian Music’s Finest to Louisville, KY

Nashville, TN – The organizers of NQC, the National Quartet Convention, have announced a brand new concert event to take place in Louisville, KY. NQC SPRING BREAK will bring together Christian music’s finest for two exciting days and three memorable concerts. Make your plans now for Thursday, March 27, 2014 and Friday, March 28, 2014 at Southeast Christian Church. Tickets are now available online at www.nqconline.com.

“We are excited to begin a new partnership with Southeast Christian Church to keep this great gospel music in Louisville, KY,” said Clarke Beasley, Executive Vice President of NQC. “We’ve assembled some of the best talent in the industry and are looking forward to a wonderful time!”

Featured performers for the two-day event include Jason Crabb, Kingdom Heirs, the Collingsworth Family, Booth Brothers, Mark Trammell Quartet, Legacy 5, Greater Vision, Dailey & Vincent, Gene McDonald and the Sneed Family. A full artist schedule and lineup is available online.

The 2014 NQC moves from Louisville to the city of Pigeon Forge, TN, and will take place at the Leconte Center during the week of September 21-27. Complete information about the 2014 event, as well as a complete schedule of activities may be obtained by visiting www.nqconline.com.

National Quartet Convention To Offer FREE FRIDAY Webcast

Louisville, KY - During the week of September 8 through September 14 over 40,000 Southern Gospel Music fans, representing at least 40 states and more than a half dozen foreign countries will travel to Louisville, KY, for the 56th Annual National Quartet Convention. This will be the 20th and final Convention in Louisville, before the event moves to the city of Pigeon Forge, TN, in 2014.

This year’s Convention will no doubt be special for those attending this final year in the city of Louisville. The world’s largest gathering of Southern gospel musicians and fans began meeting annually at Freedom Hall in 1994 bringing tens of thousands of people to the city. In 2012, the NQC brought 40,000 people to Louisville with an economic impact of $7,955,500. “The NQC has enjoyed remarkable success in Louisville as the Kentucky Expo Center gave us room to grow and reach our full potential. Though we feel the need to relocate to a vacation destination and a mobility friendly venue for the immediate future, we will always looks back fondly at our 20 conventions in Louisville as they were all more successful than any of the other NQC’s that had occurred prior to moving to Louisville.,” said Clarke Beasley, Executive Director of the NQC.

The new venue will be located in Pigeon Forge, TN, the state which hosted the very first NQC in 1958. Long-time Convention attendees are looking forward to the move; however, many wonderful memories have been made in Louisville, where the Convention has seen tremendous growth. With this year being the final year in Louisville special festivities are plan to celebrate the success of Louisville and the excitement that awaits in Pigeon Forge.

While thousands of fans will make their way to Louisville, many who are unable to attend the event in person will have the opportunity to watch performances taking place in Freedom Hall live, as it happens, or on demand through the NQC’s popular website, www.nqconline.com. All events taking place in Freedom Hall throughout NQC Week will be available through the webcast. This is a feature the NQC has offered for several years now; however, in celebration of the final year in Louisville, the NQC is making the Friday webcast available to the public for free. NQC Free Friday is expected to produce viewership from all over the world. “Through the webcast, subscribers can watch all events live, as they occur on the main stage in Freedom Hall or on demand through the end of October,” Beasley explains. “The webcast has been very popular over the past few years. This year we are thrilled to offer Free Friday, as we expect this to be an extraordinary day, celebrating the rich history the Convention has enjoyed during our two decades in the city of Louisville.” In addition to viewing the festivities of NQC 2013 over the NQC webcast on a computer, subscribers to the webcast will also be able to view the webcast on their televisions through their Roku device.

Complete information about the 2013 National Quartet Convention, as well as a complete schedule of events scheduled throughout the week may be obtained by calling 1-800-846-8499 or visiting www.nqconline.com.
- N Q C -

NQC MUSIC AWARDS FINAL NOMINATIONS ANNOUNCED

NATIONAL QUARTET CONVENTION'S 2013 NQC MUSIC AWARDS FINAL NOMINATIONS ANNOUNCED TODAY

Awards Ceremony To Be Held Friday, September 13, 2013 During 56th Annual NQC in Louisville, KY

Final Round Voting Begins July 25, 2013

LOUISVILLE, Kentucky (July 23, 2013) – Nominations for the 2013 Annual NQC Music Awards were announced today by Clarke Beasley, Executive Vice President, National Quartet Convention, and reflect a mix of the best and brightest in Gospel music over the past year.

Based on both fan popularity and professional excellence, the awards will be presented in two categories: Fan Awards and Industry Awards. The Fan Award categories will be voted on by members of the NQC email list and the Industry Awards will be voted on by music professionals that participate as exhibitors during the National Quartet Convention.

The awards will be presented on Friday, September 13, 2013, at the 53rd Annual National Quartet Convention (NQC) in Louisville, KY during a special afternoon session in Freedom Hall.

“We are excited to once again present the NQC Music Awards during the National Quartet Convention!” states Clarke Beasley. “This event was a highlight of the convention last year and we are thrilled to once again host this ceremony.”

NQC has partnered with the Southern Gospel Music Guild (SGMG) to supervise and determine the category criteria and screened entries for eligibility. The professional membership of the SGMG will also determine the recipient of the Les Beasley Impact Award, given to an individual or company that has made a major impact in the field of Gospel Music.

Voting for the Fan Award categories will begin on July 25 through ballots emailed to voters. For more information, visit www.NQConline.com.

Get social with NQC at Facebook.com/NQConline and Twitter @NQConline. Use the hashtag #NQCMusicAwards to join the conversation.

A complete listing of the Final Nominations for the 2013 NQC Music Awards is below.

To obtain a complete schedule of events scheduled during the 2013 National Quartet Convention, visit www.nqconline.com.

ABOUT THE NATIONAL QUARTET CONVENTION:
2013 marks the 56th Annual National Quartet Convention. The Convention has made its home in the city of Louisville since 1994 but will move to a new facility in Pigeon Forge, TN in 2014. Over 40,000 people are expected to attend the 2013 event with at least 40 states and half-dozen foreign countries represented. The Convention is Christian music's largest marketplace and largest annual event with more than 500 exhibitors and nearly 300 Southern Gospel recording artists in attendance. Seats for daily and evening performances may be purchased at the NQC office, online at www.nqconline.com or on site during the week of the Convention in the North Wing lobby at the Kentucky Expo Center.

ABOUT THE SOUTHERN GOSPEL MUSIC GUILD:
In 1986, several Southern Gospel music leaders decided the industry needed an organization to foster the growth of the Southern Gospel music genre. Through the years, the Guild has grown to include every facet of the Southern Gospel music industry, encompassing artists (full-time and part-time), record companies, radio, promoters, publishers, distributors, talent management, media representatives, and booking agents. These professionals work together collectively to expand the economic base of the Southern Gospel Music industry.


2013 NQC MUSIC AWARDS FINAL NOMATIONS:

» FAN CATEGORIES

Bass Singer of the Year Nominees:
Pat Barker - Mark Trammell Quartet
Eric Bennett - Triumphant Quartet
Jeff Chapman - Kingdom Heirs
Tim Duncan - Canton Junction
Tracy Stuffle - Perrys

Baritone Singer of the Year Nominees:
Jim Brady - Booth Brothers
Rodney Griffin - Greater Vision
Scott Inman - Triumphant Quartet
Mark Lowry - Gaither Vocal Band
Mark Trammell - Mark Trammell Quartet

Lead Singer of the Year Nominees:
Ronnie Booth - Booth Brothers
Michael English - Gaither Vocal Band
Scott Fowler - Legacy Five
Arthur Rice - Kingdom Heirs
Gerald Wolfe - Greater Vision

Tenor Singer of the Year Nominees:
Chris Allman - Greater Vision
Michael Booth - Booth Brothers
Brian Free - Brian Free & Assurance
Wes Hampton - Gaither Vocal Band
David Phelps - Gaither Vocal Band
David Sutton - Triumphant Quartet

Soprano Singer of the Year Nominees:
Brooklyn Collingsworth - Collingsworth Family
Kim Hopper - Hoppers
Sonya Isaacs Yeary - Isaacs
Karen Peck Gooch - Karen Peck & New River
Lauren Talley Alvey - Talleys

Alto Singer of the Year Nominees:
Courtney Collingsworth - Collingsworth Family
Kim Collingsworth - Collingsworth Family
Sheri Easter - Jeff & Sheri Easter
Connie Hopper - Hoppers
Libbi Stuffle - Perrys

Soloist of the Year Award Nominees:
Mark Bishop
Jason Crabb
TaRanda Greene
Ivan Parker
Guy Penrod

Male Group of the Year Nominees:
Booth Brothers
Gaither Vocal Band
Greater Vision
Kingdom Heirs
Triumphant Quartet

Mixed Group of the Year Nominees:
Collingsworth Family
Hoppers
Isaacs
Karen Peck & New River
Perrys

Musician of the Year Nominees:
Kim Collingsworth - Collingsworth Family
Gordon Mote
Jeff Stice - Triumphant Quartet
Kevin Williams - Gaither Vocal Band
Gerald Wolfe - Greater Vision

Album of the Year Nominees:
A Tribute to the Songs of Bill & Gloria Gaither - Booth Brothers
For All He's Done - Greater Vision
Greatest Hits Live - Booth Brothers
Redeeming the Time - Kingdom Heirs
Through the Night - Perrys

Video of the Year:
Classic - David Phelps
I Want to be That Man - Brian Free & Assurance
I Wish We'd All Been Ready - Hoppers
Lari Goss-The Man Behind the Music - Multiple Artists
Pure and Simple - Gaither Vocal Band

Song of the Year Nominees:
Glorious Freedom - Gaither Vocal Band
He Didn't Just Carry the Cross, He Carried Me - Hoppers
He Didn't When He Could Have Passed By - Greater Vision
I Got a Hold of God This Morning - Perrys
I Played in the Band and Sang in the Choir - Booth Brothers
I Want to be That Man - Brian Free & Assurance
I'm Still Amazed - Legacy Five
Just Beyond the Sunset - Kingdom Heirs
Take it from Me Meshach - Triumphant Quartet
Unspoken Request - McKameys

» INDUSTRY CATEGORIES

Producer/Arranger of the Year:
Jeff Collins
Ben Isaacs
Donna King
Rick Sandidge
Roger Talley

Promoter of the Year:
Frank Arnold
Bill Bailey
Landon Beene
Bob Brumley
Ray Flynn
Bill Gaither
Robert York

Radio Station of the Year
WXRI Winston-Salem, NC
WGUS Augusta, GA
KWFC Springfield, MO
WBTX Broadway, VA
WWWC Wilksboro, NC

Songwriter of the Year Award:
The SGMG Awards and Criteria Committee will pull the Singing News radio charts for the eligibility time period and will assign each songwriter fifteen points for a number one song, ten points for a song in the top ten and five points for a song in the top 20. The total points for the eligibility period will be tabulated for each writer and the writer with the most points will be awarded Songwriter of the Year.

National Quartet Convention Announces the NQC Music Awards Nominees

Louisville, KY – The National Quartet Convention has announced the 2012 nominees for the NQC Music Awards. In partnership with the Southern Gospel Music Guild, the NQC will present these awards on Friday afternoon during the Friday afternoon Showcase Spectacular in Freedom Hall in Louisville, KY, on September 14.

According to the NQC Executive Vice President, Clarke Beasley, the awards will be presented based on both fan popularity and professional excellence, with two divisions of awards that will be presented. The first division is the Fan Awarded categories where awards will be determined by fan voting.

The second division will be the Industry Awarded Categories, which will be determined by the music professionals that participate as exhibitors during the National Quartet Convention. No purchase was required for those that are participating in the voting. All that was required is that they were registered on the NQC e-mail list prior to July 1st.

Beasley also states that the Southern Gospel Music Guild is an important partner in this process, as the SGMG is responsible for determining the category criteria, as well as screen entries for eligibility. The SGMG professional membership also determines the recipient of the annual Les Beasley Award, given to a person or company that has made a significant impact in the field of Gospel Music.

Below is a complete list of the nominees for the 2012 NQC Music Awards.

FAN CATEGORIES
Bass Singer of the Year Nominees:
Bennett, Eric – Triumphant Qt
Chapman, Jeff – Kingdom Heirs
Duncan, Tim – Canton Junction
Dustin, Glenn – Legacy Five
Riley, Tim – Gold City

Baritone Singer of the Year Nominees:
Brady, Jim – Booth Brothers
Griffin, Rodney – Greater Vision
Inman, Scott – Triumphant Qt
Lowry, Mark – Gaither Vocal Band
Trammell, Mark – Mark Trammell Qt

Lead Singer of the Year Nominees:
Booth, Ronnie – Booth Brothers
English, Michael – Gaither Vocal Band
Habedank, Joseph – Perrys
Rice, Arthur – Kingdom Heirs
Wolfe, Gerald – Greater Vision

Tenor Singer of the Year Nominees:
Allman, Chris – Greater Vision
Booth, Michael – Booth Brothers
Free, Brian – Brian Free & Assurance
Haase, Ernie – Ernie Haase & Signature Sound
Phelps, David – Gaither Vocal Band

Soprano Singer of the Year Nominees:
Alvey, Lauren Talley – Talleys
Collingsworth, Brooklyn – Collingsworth Family
Hopper, Kim – Hoppers
Isaacs Yeary, Sonya – Isaacs
Peck Gooch, Karen – Karen Peck & New River

Alto Singer of the Year Nominees:
Easter, Sheri – Jeff & Sheri Easter
Hopper, Connie – Hoppers
Stuffle, Libbi – Perrys
Talley, Debra – Talleys
Whisnant, Susan – Whisnants

Soloist of the Year Award Nominees:
Bishop, Mark
Crabb, Jason
Greene, TaRanda
Parker, Ivan
Penrod, Guy

Male Group of the Year Nominees:
Booth Brothers
Gaither Vocal Band
Greater Vision
Kingdom Heirs
Triumphant Qt

Mixed Group of the Year Nominees:
Collingsworth Family
Hoppers
Isaacs
Karen Peck & New River
Perrys

Musician of the Year Nominees:
Collingsworth, Kim – Collingsworth Family
Mote, Gordon
Stice, Jeff – Triumphant Qt
Williams, Kevin – Gaither Vocal Band
Wolfe, Gerald – Greater Vision

Album of the Year Nominees:
Celebrate Me Home (Oak Tree) – Perrys
Let It Be Known – Booth Brothers
Part of the Family – Collingsworth Family
Songs From the Heart – Triumphant Quartet
The Only Way – Greater Vision

Song of the Year Nominees:
Almost Home – Triumphant Quartet
Ask Me Why – Legacy Five
Blue Skies Coming – Perrys
I Believe – Brian Free & Assurance
I Know a Man Who Can – Greater Vision
I Want to Know – Mark Trammell Quartet
Please Forgive Me – Gaither Vocal Band
Saved By Grace – Triumphant Quartet
She Still Remembers Jesus Name – Booth Brothers
Tell Me Why – Kingdom Heirs
Who Am I – Jason Crabb

INDUSTRY CATEGORIES

Arranger/Producer of the Year Nominees:
Lari Goss
Wayne Haun
Ben Isaacs
Donna King
Steve Mauldin
Rick Sandidge
David Staton
Roger Talley

Concert Promoter of the Year Nominees:
Bill Bailey
Landon Beene
Ray Flynn
Bill Gaither
Brian Lester
Mike Wheeler

Radio Station of the Year Nominees:
WBOZ – Nashville
WCGW – Lexington
WJBZ – Knoxville
WTRM – Winchester, VA
WXRI – Winston Salem

SONGWRITER OF THE YEAR AWARD: The SGMG Awards and Criteria Committee will pull the Singing News radio charts for the eligibility time period and will assign each songwriter fifteen points for a number one song, ten points for a song in the top ten and five points for a song in the top 20. The total points for the eligibility period will be tabulated for each writer and the writer with the most points will be awarded Songwriter of the Year.

To obtain a complete schedule of events scheduled during the 2012 National Quartet Convention, visit www.nqconline.com.

SOUTHERN GOSPEL MUSIC GUILD ANNOUNCES PARTNERSHIP WITH NATIONAL QUARTET CONVENTION TO PRODUCE THE NQC MUSIC AWARDS

NASHVILLE, TN (February 16, 2012) – The Southern Gospel Music Guild has announced that they will be partnering with the National Quartet Convention to create a brand new awards presentation called the NQC Music Awards. These awards will be presented at the National Quartet Convention on Friday afternoon, September 14th during the Friday afternoon NQC Showcase Spectaculars in Freedom Hall.

“This awards presentation will be unique in several ways,” states Clarke Beasley, SGMG President and NQC Executive Vice President. “I believe we can expect a very large voting base to participate and much interest will be generated by the fact that awards will be given in both fan popularity and professional excellence divisions.”

There will be two divisions of awards that will be presented. The first division will be the Fan Awarded categories where awards will be determined by fan voting. To participate in the voting, all that is required is to sign up on the NQC e-mail list at www.nqconline.com. There is no purchase of anything required. The second division will be the Industry Awarded Categories, which will be determined by the music professionals that participate as exhibitors during the National Quartet Convention.

The Southern Gospel Music Guild will determine the category criteria as well as screen entries for eligibility. The SGMG professional membership will also determine the voting base for the industry categories and the recipient of the annual Les Beasley Award, given to a person or company that has made a significant impact in the field of Gospel Music.

To participate in the voting of the NQC Music Awards by signing up on the NQC e-mail list, just go to www.nqconline.com. A complete schedule of events set to take place during the 2012 National Quartet Convention may also be obtained there.

ABOUT SGMG
About the Southern Gospel Music Guild: In 1986, several Southern Gospel music leaders decided the industry needed an organization to foster the growth of the Southern Gospel music genre. Through the years, the Guild has grown to include every facet of the Southern Gospel music industry, encompassing artists (full-time and part-time), record companies, radio, promoters, publishers, distributors, talent management, media representatives, and booking agents. These professionals work together collectively to expand the economic base of the Southern Gospel Music industry.

ABOUT THE 2012 NATIONAL QUARTET CONVENTION
This year marks the 55th Annual National Quartet Convention. The Convention has made its home in the city of Louisville since 1994. Approximately 40,000 people will attend the 2012 event, which takes place September 9-15, with at least 40 states and a half dozen foreign countries represented. The Convention is Christian music's largest marketplace and largest annual event with more than 500 exhibitors and nearly 300 Southern Gospel recording artists in attendance. Seats for daily and evening performances may be purchased at the NQC office, online at www.nqconline.com or on site during the week of the Convention in the North Wing lobby at the Kentucky Expo Center.

Retro SGM Radio: Clarke Beasley and the NQC, June 2006

Clarke Beasley: At the Helm of the National Quartet Convention

The National Quartet Convention has long been one of the biggest and most prestigious Southern Gospel institutions. From its humble beginnings in 1957 in Memphis, Tennessee, this weeklong event sees fans and performers from all over the world descending on Louisville Kentucky for six days and nights of Southern Gospel Music. Sgmradio recently caught up with NQC Executive Director, Clarke Beasley, to find out about the man behind the helm of what JD Sumner called, “The Grand Daddy of them all”.

Clarke Beasley, son of a man who is also a Southern Gospel institution, Les Beasley, took on the role of Executive Director of the National Quartet Convention in 1993.“It was a big challenge, but it was also very exciting”, Clarke says. “ I had been working at the GMA for two years and had received quite a bit of event planning experience there helping to produce GMA Week. That really prepared me for the job at NQC… I was hired [initially] to bring all of the convention services in house, i.e. ticketing, advertising promotion, event management, etc., and move our headquarters to Louisville in preparation for the event’s move to Louisville in 1994.”

When JD Sumner first conceived the idea of a three-day event, he wanted to bring together artists and industry personnel, which was a unique idea at the time. However, Clarke also pays tribute to another Southern Gospel legend for making the NQC come to life. “[JD] was singing for the Blackwood Brothers at the time and convinced James Blackwood that it was something the Blackwood Brothers should sponsor. Much credit should be given to James Blackwood for being willing to take the initial risk.”

The National Quartet Convention is now a major production; a yearlong project directed by a board that oversees all of the activities, exhibits, concerts and showcases. What might appear enormously daunting to outside observers, Clarke as Executive Director finds exciting. “It is a multi-faceted event with many moving parts. The challenge is to keep all of the balls in the air without dropping any of them. That aspect of the job makes it a continuous challenge.”

“I love the event itself, and I always have. Even though I have enormous responsibilities now, I still love the event as much as I did when I attended the event as a kid. The actual event itself always charges my batteries for the planning process that takes place throughout the year.”

There are always special occurrences at NQC that are not experienced anywhere else, and as both industry insider and Southern Gospel fan, Clarke has his favourite memories. “The moments that stand out were the Speer Family retirement celebration, the Singing Senators performance (Trent Lott, Larry Craig, John Ashcroft and Jim Jeffords) and of course the Cathedrals Retirement and Glen Payne’s [call-in] performance of “I Won’t Have to Cross Jordan Alone.” That was probably the most special moment of them all.”



The 49th year of the National Quartet Convention promises to provide many memorable moments of its own. The Celebrity Baseball game is returning, as well as the Pianorama with famed pianist Dino. Friday afternoon will provide concertgoers the special treat of a presentation of the Brooklyn Tabernacle Singers along with Jim and Carol Cymbala. This will be of special interest to those who sing in their own church choir, and many who enjoy the ministry of the Cymbalas and Brooklyn Tabernacle. Clarke talks about this event directed to Church.

“I firmly believe that much of the future of our music will be determined by to what extent we can become a regular component of Sunday morning music in America’s mainstream churches. Bringing in the Cymbalas helps us appeal to a range of church leadership that might not otherwise be interested in what we are doing. Brian Hudson, who is handling many of the Brooklyn Tabernacle Singers dates, mentioned the idea to me, and I thought it was a great idea. With Dr. Jeremiah leading the morning Bible study, the Cymbalas and Brooklyn Tab performing that afternoon along with Mike Speck’s choral extravaganza, the Friday package has a stronger church appeal than we have ever offered. You can expect more of this in the future.”

This choir presentation, along with the webcast of NQC Radio, and the soon to be released NQC TV, are just some of the new initiatives being developed to keep NQC relevant to its audience, and to help it to retain it’s notoriety as the premiere SGM event of the year. Clarke explains that it’s these one-of-a-kind events that will help the NQC retain its competitive edge. To those who think that this event has had it’s day, he responds, “Some say that about our music in general. I believe that as the music goes, so goes the NQC. That is why I work really hard to expand the economic base of the entire industry through my work with the Southern Gospel Music Guild. I currently serve as President of the Guild, and I really enjoy working on behalf of the industry at large.”

“SGM is musically charming and unique…however, the most important component of our music is the overt, straight-forward presentation of Biblical truth within its lyric. We must guard with all vigilance that component of our music to insure that never changes.”

Clarke has seen the industry from both a performer and a promoter outlook. He traveled for several years with the Florida Boys, and knows what it’s like to get on the road, week after week. “What many do not realize is how truly arduous the lifestyle is. Traveling over 200 days a year is enormously taxing both physically and psychologically. Those who do it are truly called and gifted.”

Having this insight into the life of a Southern Gospel Artist has given Clarke great regard for many of the industry’s performers who have been traveling for decades. This includes his father, Les Beasley. He is grateful to have grown up as the son of one of SGM’s legends. “It was quite a privilege, not just because of his status in Gospel Music, but because of who he is. I cannot imagine a greater example to emulate.” Clarke continues, “My favorite quote of his is, ‘There is no limit to what someone can do as long as he does not care who receives the credit.’ That is a belief he has lived by.”

Meanwhile, Clarke’s own children are not quite ready for the SGM mantel to be passed down to them. They do enjoy Southern Gospel, but haven’t yet shown interest in becoming involved in the family business. “My children are 10 and 7, so their primary interests right now are in baseball, their friends, and how they can blame each other for their bathrooms being messy.”

The next generation will tell the tale of the future of Southern Gospel. What does Clarke see as the future of SGM? “I see a future where we are a regular component of Sunday morning worship in most churches. I also see a future where high standards will be set and artists will be required to meet them. These high standards will be set not only in musical excellence but in ministry readiness and in personal conduct.”

“I believe that the next five years will be of critical importance to the next 20 years of the future of our music, and as I said before, as the music goes, so goes the NQC.” Clarke continues, “I am very optimistic on what we can achieve within the next five years and in the future beyond that. I am convinced our music will be used as a powerful tool of evangelism to reach the lost and encourage the believers.”

Clarke Beasley and his team are working hard to pull together an event that will, as always, surpass the year before it. That requires a day-to-day determination to keep to the vision and mission of the event, as they work toward September and the beginning of the 49th NQC. Even Clarke however, is aware that SGM and the NQC are rooted in an experience in the daily lives of the singers, songwriters, and all who are involved in this type of musical evangelism. He was reminded of this lesson again recently.

“With one of my close friends and neighbors losing his wife this week, I am reminded that life is precious and short, and I should strive every day to enjoy the God-given blessing of life and make each day contribute something to the Kingdom of God.”

For more information on the National Quartet Convention, click on www.natqc.com

First published June 2006 on www.sgmradio.com
Written by Lorraine Walker

For current features and columns, click on http://www.sgmradio.com

Clarke Beasley Statement on Charles Burke

The greatest among us are those who do not focus on elevating themselves but elevating others. Charles Burke spent a lifetime elevating others, dreaming dreams and bringing them to fruition, advancing the cause of the music he loved and the professionals within that music that he loved even more. To the countless people whose lives he impacted, his memory will be cherished and he will be greatly missed.
Last week, as president of the Southern Gospel Music Guild, I watched as Mr. Burke was celebrated by the people who loved him most as he was presented the Lifetime Achievement Honor. I am so glad he knew just how much he was appreciated.

Clarke Beasley
Executive Vice President, National Quartet Convention
President, Southern Gospel Music Guild

Charles Burke Family pictured at the SGMG Lifetime Achievement Honor Reception
L-R: Kristen Dellinger (Michael & Tina's daughter), Michael Burke, Tina Burke, Carolyn & Charles Burke,
Donna Goodson (daugher of Charlie & Carolyn), Franky Goodson
Photo by Aaron Crisler / The Judy Nelon Group / NQConline.com