Retro SGM Radio Liberty Quartet (Jan 2008)

Liberty Quartet Bio
Liberty is a professional Southern Gospel group based on the West Coast with a full-time
concert schedule. The members of Liberty are Royce Mitchell, bass; Dan Gilbert, lead;
Doran Ritchey, baritone/piano; and Keith Waggoner, tenor. Liberty averages 50-70,000
miles a year ministering in approximately 200 performances for church services, large
conventions including the Great Western Quartet Convention and the Gospel Music Fan
Festival in Canada, nursing homes, prisons, and other ministries. Liberty goes wherever
the Lord directs. While featuring everything from high-energy performances to moments
of contemplation, Liberty always leads the congregation in an incredible concert of
worship. Their ministry bridges all generations, bringing enjoyment to traditional venues
as well as contemporary.

1. What is your favorite thing to do with snow?
Doran: build snowmen with my kids
Keith: snowmobiling, snowball fights, and building gargantuan snow forts with my
family
Dan: ski on top of it
Royce: eat it

2. What other genre` of music would you sing if you weren't singing Southern Gospel
music?
Doran: Christian Contemporary / Worship music
Keith: CCM or maybe a little country
Dan: Christian contemporary although I'm beginning to wonder if I'm getting to old for
it to look right. I might look like an old guy trying to look young (Keith here: “Um, yes,
Dan, you would”)
Royce: is there another genre of music?

3. What is your favorite way to enjoy an Idaho potato?
Doran: Mashed with lots of butter
Keith: As part of a loaded potato soup (with cheese and bacon bits, of course)
Dan: Idaho potatoes, lots and lots of butter, sour cream, cheese, chives, bacon bits,
topped off with salt a pepper. Yum Yum
Royce: sweet potato pie

4. If someone invites you to go shopping, what will your reply be?
Doran: When?
Keith: Uh, are we going to be stopping by Best Buy or the Christian bookstore? If not,
you’re on your own.
Dan: Shopping, Ill always find a way to make anything fun, the other night my wife

asked me to go with her. I just had a little surgery on my foot so I used one of those
electric scooters (refer to "old" statement in question 2) I terrorized her at every
opportunity, and had a great time. I'm not so sure she'll be inviting me back anytime soon.
Royce: Only if it’s Walmart
5. What are you, as a part of Liberty Quartet, looking forward to in 2008?
Doran: Our group continuing to progress in our presentations, recordings, and seeing
more souls won to Christ.
Keith: Continuing to creatively (and with an emphasis on quality) present music,
concerts, and media that uplifts Christ.
Dan: I feel like we are on the verge of seeing what God has had planned for Liberty
Quartet for a long time. We have learned a lot and have grown confident in the group that
we are and the role that we play in ministry. Liberty is a very unique group that presents
a combination of humor and music that people seem to really appreciate. Christians need
to have fun and show the joy of the Lord through laughter and we help people to do just
that.
Royce: continuing to impact the world for Christ while maintaining a high standard in
our music, stage presentation, and especially our lives (on and off the platform)

Find more great stories at www.sgmradio.com

Keith Waggoner Southern Gospel Radio Rewind 2008

 Tales From The Trip

My wife and kids have been gone on a vacation back east to see our family for a little over a week while
I’ve been staying at home due to Liberty’s scheduled concerts. As a result, I haven’t been eating all that
well. Unfortunately, I don’t possess Tony Gore’s predilection for cooking, so tonight I washed 3 slices
of a Tombstone frozen pizza down with some iced tea. I’ve been working most of the day on the cover
design for Liberty Quartet’s new DVD and figured I needed to take it easy for the rest of the evening.
I ran by the closest Redbox DVD vending machine (the invention that I should have thought of) and
rented “The Bucket List” which stars Morgan Freeman and Jack Nicholson. That’s a good movie. The
premise of the film is that both of the main characters find out that they have a few months left to live.
The characters get stuck together in a hospital room and eventually, in spite of the fact that their lives
are polar opposites in many ways, they hit it off. The two gentlemen decide to put together a list of
items they want to experience before they die. The rest of the movie deals with their quest.

It got me thinking. If I could put together a bucket list (things you want to do or experience before you
retire; not die) for a Southern Gospel group member, here’s what it would be:

1. Experience the thrill of traveling in a trouble-free 2008 Prevost coach
2. Balance your checkbook in the black, even after you’ve paid for fuel
3. Enjoy an evening of perfect monitors (which begs an interesting question: Why even have a
sound check when the room dynamics are going to change so dramatically when people come
in? I know, it’s better than nothing…barely)
4. Produce a project that everyone in the group is happy with; blogger reviews aren’t nearly as
critical as our own
5. Travel with group members who genuinely love each other and honestly work through
disagreements
6. Eat at In-n-Out Burgers; you know, you guys back east are really missing out
7. Have a proven, seasoned quartet veteran mentor you on the finer points of performance,
presentation, and operating a thriving, successful ministry-business
8. Perform at least one concert with a live band; that’s one of my dreams
9. Have fellow Southern Gospel group members show up on an off night to encourage you when
your group performs in their area
10. Personally, lead someone to the Lord

These are just some ideas I jotted down with little thought. Have anything to add to the bucket list?
By the way, if you want a little more context, go rent the movie. Have a great month. I’m going to go
warm up another piece of pizza. So long!

Keith

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