The Talleys and Tribute announce the debut of the "Good News! He's Alive!" Tour in 2015

Nashville, TN - (May 27th, 2014) The iconic Talleys have enjoyed many years at the forefront of gospel music, with 11 number one singles, while Tribute is one of the most exciting, dynamic new groups seen in many years. They are quickly making their mark in the gospel music world with their number one hit, "Good News From Jerusalem." This tour will combine the best of both artists and feature some unique, crowd-pleasing collaborations, including partnerships with church choirs.

"Anytime we get together with the Tribute guys, we know we're gonna laugh and have fun," Roger Talley grins. "The 2 groups compliment each other well and that allows us to do some very creative things with music and media."

Gary Casto says, "We are alike in our minds and hearts when it comes to the message in our music, so I think it's just natural to come together for this tour. I'm expecting God to do great things!"

To bring the "Good News! He's Alive!" Tour to your area, contact the Harper Agency at 615-851-4500.

Tribute Quartet Joins Daywind Family

Hendersonville, TN (January 28, 2014) Daywind Records is pleased to announce the addition of Tribute Quartet to its roster of artists. Tribute is no stranger to Southern Gospel Music fans. The group was formed in 2006 by two former members of the Wilburns, Gary Casto and Josh Singletary. Those two are now joined on stage by tenor singer Riley Harrison Clark and bass singer Anthony Davis. The group received the Singing News Fan Award for Horizon Group of the Year in 2008. Their hit song, “Good News from Jerusalem” was nominated for the Singing News Fan Awards’ Song of the Year in 2013.

“Tribute Quartet is thrilled to be joining the Daywind family,” shared Gary Casto. “At this season in our ministry, after just celebrating our seventh year together, we are excited about the opportunity to work with this award-winning team as we continue to make great music for years to come.”

Added Josh Singletary, “It's exciting to watch an entity grow. Even more, a ministry. Tribute has seen a lot of growth over 7 years and each spurt has been a breath of fresh air. This is no exception. I am tickled to be a part of the Daywind family and anticipate a bright and productive future!”

The group has experienced some of its greatest success with its latest project, “Our Anthem.” Three of the songs on the project – “Good News from Jerusalem,” “Homesick Angel” and “God’s Gonna Send a Revival” – have experienced considerable success on the Singing News Magazine Top-80 Chart. “Good News from Jerusalem” was a No. 1 song in August of 2013 and was nominated for Song of the Year.

“Tribute has rapidly ascended to prominence in the Southern Gospel industry, and they are showing no signs of slowing down,” Daywind president Ed Leonard said. “We are excited to have the opportunity to work with such young, enthusiastic men and look forward to having the group as part of our growing roster of artists for a long time to come.”

The group is picking songs for their inaugural Daywind release due out in 2014. For more information on Tribute Quartet, visit the group’s web site at tributequartet.com. The group is booked by the Harper Agency.

Daywind Records is home to great artists such as Brian Free and Assurance, Greater Vision, Karen Peck & New River and Legacy Five. Daywind is distributed to retail through New Day Christian Distributors, iTunes, Select O Hits and all major digital outlets. For more information, visit www.daywindrecords.com.

Retro SGM Radio: Christmas Southern Style - December 2008

By Lorraine Walker
First Published December 2008

As the snow begins to fall and the cold winds blow, many Southern Gospel artists start to plan their Christmas vacations. For most, it is a time to step off the tour whirlwind and relax with family friends while remembering the birth of our Saviour. This year, several singers shared with SGM Radio their favorite Christmas traditions and memories.

Josh Singletary, Tribute Quartet: “My favorite memory of Christmas is that every year since my father first got a video camera, which would've been about 1988, he would video tape my sister and I exiting our rooms on Christmas morning. He would make us wait in our room until he was ready and then he would say, "Ok" and he would capture us on camera checking out our gifts. He has done that every year until 2007…you will never see those videos either!”

Gerald Wolfe, Greater Vision: “My favorite Christmas tradition is taking the family to Walt Disney World every year to see the Candlelight Christmas Processional. It's a very traditional Christmas show that features a 300-voice choir, the Disney Orchestra, and a guest narrator that tells the real Christmas story. It's a tradition started by Walt Disney himself, and it is the most popular attraction at Epcot with three standing-room-only shows every night for thirty nights. It's always been amazing to me that so many people get to hear the story of the birth of Christ in such a secular environment. It's fabulous!”

Bryan Hutson, Kingsmen Quartet: “My favorite memory is my son Jordan's second Christmas. He was born in October so on his first Christmas he was too young to really get into tearing into his presents. My favorite Christmas tradition is spending Christmas Eve with my Mom, Granny and our family in Indiana.”

Greg Bentley, A&R Director for Crossroads Music, Soloist : “I love Christmas. My favorite Memory of Christmas would probably be way back in 1974. We had just moved from Daleville, AL to Boone, NC and I was 11. Coming from the Deep South, we did not see snow, so I was excited that we might. It actually came early that year. We had a big snow at Thanksgiving and then another one at Christmas. That was my first White Christmas. There are many memories spending time with family too, it's a big deal in the Bentley / Teague families to get together.
My favorite tradition has to do with my favorite thing, food! Every year my mother makes from scratch German Chocolate Cake and Martha Washington Candy. It would not be Christmas without those two sweets. Merry Christmas everyone!”

Gerald Sweatman, Soloist, Songwriter: “My favorite Christmas memory is from when my two sons were growing up. On Christmas Eve, my wife and I would send them to bed early knowing they would wake up really early. After they had gone to sleep and Santa had put their toys under the tree, I would go to their rooms and jingle my car keys letting them know Santa was just leaving. They were afraid to get up because they thought Santa might see them. I would jump quickly into bed, but before long the two little guys would be over the bed saying, ‘Mom, Dad, wake up, Santa came!’ It was several years before they would go down stairs with out Mom and Dad going with them. Now they are grown and married, but when I jingle my keys they look at me and smile. My favorite Christmas tradition is spending Christmas day with my two boys and their families.”

Jason Funderburk, Driven: “My greatest memory of childhood Christmas would be the excitement of that morning on the 25th. I could not wait to get to our living room to see what was there. A tradition my family has always done is when I would find the plate of cookies, or what was left, and beside the plate was a piece of Santa's beard I had asked for. I wanted to know that he was really there! And the milk glass would have his imprint on it and to me that was magical. But my Dad being who he was would always say, ‘Lets not forget the real reason we celebrate Christmas, Jesus died for us, and like Santa you know that He was there and He will always show up when He is supposed to!’”

Mark Bishop, Soloist: “My favorite Christmas memory is when Carolyn and I first were married over 25 years ago. We couldn't afford much but we were just so happy to be together. That year she got a vacuum cleaner for Christmas. We needed one for the new house!”

Karen Peck Gooch, Karen Peck and New River: “Christmas is my favorite time of year. Our favorite Christmas tradition is that Rickey, Matthew, Kari, and I go to Rickey’s parents’ house at noon on Christmas Eve. We eat turkey, dressings, and all the ‘fixin’s’ and then open gifts. Later on in the afternoon, around 5pm, we go to my mom's house. We eat turkey, dressings, and all the ‘fixin’s’ and then open gifts. Needless to say, we are stuffed when time for bed! On Christmas morning the kids open their gifts from ‘Santa’. I prepare a meal. We have a nice relaxed day watching Christmas movies and watching the kids figure out their new gadgets. Great memories. I am so blessed!”

Gary Casto, Tribute Quartet: “The tradition I remember growing up as a child was on Christmas Eve, my parents would load the vehicle up with lots of presents and food my mother had worked on all day. We would go to both sets of grandparents to celebrate Christmas with the whole family and not get home until late just a few hours before Santa came to visit. Even though all of my grandparents have gone on to be with the Lord, we still carry the tradition of getting together with both sides of the family and spending time reminiscing and celebrating the birth of our Savior, the happiest time of the year.”

Rusty Golden, Songwriter: “My favorite tradition is of course getting together with my whole family, both sides, and fighting over nothing! I’m just kidding about the fighting. My favorite Christmas memory was when I was eleven years old and I got my first set of ‘good’ drums. Within two years I was playing on the road with the Rambos and the Oak Ridge Boys. This coming Christmas will be sort of sad because it will be my whole family’s first Christmas without my dear grandmother ‘Gaggie’. She was my dad’s mother and was a Godly woman. That is the one thing that will give us comfort, that she is in a place she always want to go to, Heaven.”

Woody Wright, Singer, Songwriter: “Christmas Eve was the time for my two brothers and me to choose one gift to open and leave the others for Christmas morning. One year, we all wanted a slot car track set. There was a large package under the tree marked to all three of us. Our Dad told us we could open one present each, or get together and choose to open the one big one on Christmas Eve. Feeling confident that the large package was the slot car set, we decided to open that one. We were shocked to find that the large box turned out to hold pre-fabricated fireplace logs, made from sawdust. Opening the Christmas Eve gift is my favorite tradition. The favorite memory is of my Dad laughing so hard that that year, that he had tears in his eyes! By the way, we did get that slot car set after all!”

Thanks to all of our artists and friends who have shared their memories with us this year. From our house to yours, may you all have a very Blessed Christmas!

Written by Lorraine Walker. First published December 2008 on http://www.sgmradio.com
For more Christmas reading, log on to http://www.sgmradio.com

ReWind Wednesdays: Gary Casto, July 2005

Beginning this week, we will reprint some features from the early days of SGM Radio. Our feature this week stars Gary Casto of Tribute Quartet. We hope you enjoy this glimpse into the past!

Starting a New Quartet: A Monumental Task

It was a warm, sunny May weekend in 1997 when a newly-formed trio came to perform in Ontario, Canada, for an appreciative audience in a large Baptist church. Made up of members who had sung with such groups as Crimson River and the Southmen, “Turning Point” had a blend of ‘edgy-Southern’ meets ‘upbeat-Traditional’. Singing baritone was John Stemberg, who went on to sing with the Anchormen. Rod Propes sang lead, a gentleman who now has a flourishing solo ministry. And in the tenor position was Gary Casto, who went on to join the Wilburns ministry and now is involved in building “Monument Quartet”.

Gary Casto has been involved in Southern Gospel for over twenty years. He says he began at age six, but anyone who has come into contact with Gary will know that he loves trying to pull any leg he can reach. Gary’s sense of humour and ready smile have made him a favourite with fans across the country, and his work ethic and business sense have endeared him to many industry personnel as well. Involvement in any kind of organization that you believe in demands time, effort and resources. For Gary Casto, involvement in SGM has required heart and soul as well.

There are perhaps fans of Southern Gospel who are not aware of Gary’s contribution to the industry, and he is not one to be overly concerned about his prominence or position. His resume, however, speaks volumes. Gary has sung with such groups as the Harvesters, the Southmen, Turning Point, and the Wilburns. He has been involved with radio promotion, vocal training, and studio production. He serves on the SGMA Advisory Board and on the Executive Board of the Southern Gospel Music Guild. He is also involved with the Talent Competition and other areas of the National Quartet Convention. Now he has added “Group Manager” to his list of credits, and the new “Monument Quartet” is his latest endeavor.

From this writer’s first introduction to the world of Gary Casto through “Turning Point”, to the current formation of Monument, or “MQ”, there have been many challenges, life changes and even health scares, but Gary always seems to land on his feet. A vivid recollection of talking with Gary in the pew of a little church in New York State while his group started their next set without him, seeing him bound up the aisle and the steps, tripping, grabbing the microphone and still starting with the right note has often brought a smile. He has remained a generous and congenial friend, a fellow chocolate-lover who also enjoys assisting newcomers in this ever-growing industry. One of these relative newcomers, Josh Singletary, has moved from the Wilburns with Gary to join the front-line of MQ.

“Josh Singletary was an easy find—he was also a member of the Wilburns. When Josh came with the Wilburns, he and I formed a friendship almost immediately. He’s an extremely talented young man and it was one of those cases where I knew if I was going to start a group I wanted Josh on my team. He’s a musical genius, and anyone who sees him in concert knows that he has a stage presence that people fall in love with instantly. Everyone will remember that Josh was Wilburns’ piano player, but he’s actually our baritone vocalist at this point. He’s still playing keyboards some, but is doing double duty with Monument. I’ve known Marshall Pugh [tenor] for quite some time, although not well until he came on board with Monument. Marshall used to travel with the Goodmans, particularly Vestal during the last couple years before she passed away. He has an awesome tenor voice and fans are already taking to his singing. Dennis Dugger is our bass singer. Dennis came to us to try out from Bald Knob, AR, where he sang with a regional quartet, The Apostles, and we fell in love with his voice and his demeanor. He’s a joy to travel and work with. I’m excited to have surrounded myself with these people, and I can’t wait for folks to meet them and hear the group.”

Beginning this venture has been a “monumental” task for this veteran quartet-man. It is one thing to just sing in a group and take on different jobs to help in the daily routine, but quite another to shoulder the burden of Manager. Gary explains, “As a group manager, it seems my work is never done. I’m involved in every process from purchasing needed items to booking dates to dealing with promoters and pastors as we get to the concert dates to emceeing to handling interviews, and the list goes on and on. I feel personally responsible for everything that goes on, the successes, the failures, all of it. I love every minute of it, but there are pressures that are naturally there with the responsibility of knowing that most of the success or failure hinges on how well or not I do my job.”

The rise or fall of a new SGM group relies on many things, from developing the mandate and purpose of the group to catching God’s vision for what they can accomplish. The basis of the formation of Monument Quartet is a desire to do the will of God, and the fulfillment of a call to ministry. Through much prayer, seeking direction from God and advice from industry people, Gary felt the timing was right to begin to live his dream and put MQ on the road. He has received a lot of positive feedback from both industry and fans, which has been very encouraging. When someone with Gary’s resume starts a new group, it is an entirely different situation than a fledgling quartet having to “break in” to the scene. Being as involved in the industry as Gary is can make the start of something new even more of a challenge.

“…It’s both a blessing and a curse, if you will.” Gary states. “I have to say that I do believe that people in the industry know my heart and work ethic. I hope that they see I am in this for the long haul, and I hope that I have proved myself to be dedicated to southern gospel music and wanting to better it. I’ve also been very blessed to have worked with the Beckie Simmons Agency (BSA) for several years through my involvement with the Wilburns, and have been fortunate to have her support—support that might not have been there if I was a new-comer. So, I guess you’d say that I do have some advantage from my years of involvement, but I can also tell you that while folks may see it as a “head start,” it can also be a real challenge to live up to expectations that others place on you. There’s this gnawing in me that says I have to succeed, because everyone is expecting great things because of my involvement in the industry to this point. So, while the advantages may be there, the bar is still raised pretty high. If I had to be honest, I place a lot of pressure on myself to do things the right way and be successful, so I think I’m accurate in saying that my previous involvement is both a help and a hindrance.”

Any good businessman planning on releasing a new product will tell you that what you are promoting should be unique enough to create demand, or fill a niche not currently being met. This can be a daunting prospect in today’s SGM. Gary describes the style of Monument as a “traditional male quartet with unique harmonies”, for which he credits their producer, Johnny Minick. Their concert performance includes a variety of styles within southern gospel, and with Gary’s hand guiding the vocals, fans will hear a group geared to excellence in delivery of both song and message. Instead of just being “another new quartet”, Gary has determined that MQ will make a positive mark on the industry, and more importantly, do positive things for God with His guidance.

“If I didn’t think I could make a difference and a positive contribution to Southern Gospel Music, I’d quit today. That’s one of the reasons why Monument Quartet was formed. I think Southern Gospel Music is a wonderful thing, but as with all organizations and businesses, we face challenges every day. The goals of Monument Quartet are to share Christ through our music, and to personally preserve the heritage of Southern Gospel Music while promoting its future. We love this industry and want to see it continue to thrive. Life today is full of changes, challenges, and potential, and SGM is no exception. I think our industry needs to honor God, focus on our mission, be ourselves, live what we sing about, be good stewards of our finances, and work on more professionally promoting ourselves and we’ll be able to withstand whatever may try to come against us.”

Gary laughs as he comments on where he sees Monument five years from now. “I hope we’re not selling burgers and fries somewhere! There’s nothing wrong with that, of course, but it’s not what we’re called to do. There’s nothing I’d love more than to see Monument Quartet be out here for the next 40 years singing gospel music. I hope that we can make some great music that fans will remember and cherish, I hope that we find a favored place in the hearts of many people, and I want to be consistent in producing great quality southern gospel music. But really, it’s more about what God wants us to do, so above all I really hope that in five years people still find us faithful to doing what God wants, following the path He’s set forth for us.”

Listening and talking to people, sharing the challenges and victories as a child of God is a huge part of being a Southern Gospel artist. Saying that this is what sets SGM apart from any other type of music, Gary loves the fact that the message in the songs offers hope and the Solution to life’s problems. And being able to share one-on-one with fans helps to bring the message to the specific place they find themselves at that moment. “I think that makes us more effective ministers of the gospel, because so much of a group’s effectiveness in this industry happens off the stage before or after a concert. Our fans can walk right up and talk to us and we can share one-on-one with them, and I think that makes our industry unique and more personal.”

Gary Casto himself has lived through many of the challenges and situations that his audience experiences. This latest undertaking has been used by God to teach him another truth about his faith. Gary shares, “I’d say that the fear of the unknown in starting the new group has been a serious spiritual challenge to overcome. Fear can be an overwhelming presence in someone’s life, and we all know that fear is not of the Lord. Finally, it was to the point that I had to either make up my mind to move on and start the new group and let God have it or invalidate everything I’d sung about to this point. Once again, I’ve learned that God is always there, faithful and in control and He always has a plan if I let him take care of things. So, once I gave Monument Quartet to Him, it made all the difference.”

A monument can be defined as “an icon or emblem that stands for something of extreme importance or significance”. Monument Quartet has determined they will stand for Christ. And for Gary Casto, that is the most significant accomplishment.

Monument Quartet is on the web at www.monumentqt.com, and have just released their new single, “Roll On”.

First published on www.sgmradio.com in July 2005. Article reprinted by permission.

))Author's Note: Monument Quartet is now Tribute Quartet.
Comments? Suggestions? sgmradio.lorrainewalker@mission-services.com