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Song and Fellowship at the National Quartet Convention

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Each fall, folks from around the country gather to celebrate the people who bless them with the Word in song—on radio, from pulpits, and on stages. For more than half a century, the week-long National Quartet Convention has been the mainstay of the Southern Gospel music calendar. Today that reunion of sorts takes place in the mountains of East Tennessee, at the LeConte Center in Pigeon Forge.

It is a week of stage appearances, visits with artists at their booths, the Singing News Fan Awards, and the Southern Gospel Music Hall of Fame inductions—this year Phil Cross, Clarke Beasley, Clayton Inman, and Conrad Cook—along with record-label receptions and get-togethers hosted by artists for the people who follow their careers.

For lovers of quartets, mixed groups, and soloists, there is no better place to catch up, get a photo, buy the latest release, share a piece of anniversary cake, or congratulate an artist on an award.

Shaye Smith and Nick Poe of the Chuck Wagon Gang and Randy Shelnut, Sr. of the Dixie Echoes with Randall Franks fiddling on Great Speckled Bird.

I was blessed to attend this year’s event. From the moment I entered the building, I found friends at every turn. I sat and visited a while, then moved through the exhibit halls, seeing groups I knew and many that were new to me. Some of those newer names would later share their gifts on a showcase stage, and sometimes on the main stage.

The musical sets are timed to the minute. Ministries including The Inspirations (2026 Singing News Favorite Quartet, and favorites in the Musician, Lead, Baritone, Bass, and Tenor categories), Jeff Tolbert and Primitive Road (Favorite Band and Young Artist), The Troy Burns Family, Karen Peck and New River (Favorite Soprano and Favorite Song, “I Speak Jesus”), The Chuck Wagon Gang, The Dixie Echoes, Jeff & Sheri Easter (Favorite Duet and Alto), The Perrys, The Kingsmen, Eleton House, and so many others bless the thousands gathered. Day after day, song after song, the love of God flows and lifts those who are there and willing to be carried higher.

The early part of each day includes special musical showcases and preaching from pastors from around the country. You can also catch artists giving television interviews, recording radio-station liners in a quiet corner, or talking with print media.

I would equate the NQC to a recharging station, where artists and music lovers alike can receive a full charge and go out for another year to spread the gospel in song—in small towns, mid-size towns, and big cities across this land.

Whether I was sitting in the audience, standing and talking with artists in the exhibit area, or taking out my fiddle to play a few tunes with longtime friends, I came away happier, hopeful, and more content to face the world.

I encourage you to make plans to attend the National Quartet Convention in Pigeon Forge next fall (natqc.com). More than that, I ask you to support the gospel groups who come to your town. If you see them in concert at a local auditorium, buy a ticket, fill a seat, bring a smile, and go home blessed. If they are in a nearby church, attend and put a generous donation in the offering.

The life they lead to uplift us is not an easy one. Your support could make the difference in a bill being paid, the bus being filled with fuel, or the group choosing between hamburgers and bologna.

Bless others so they may bless you with their gifts. If you love gospel music, show love to those who leave their homes and families to share it with us.

Read more of Randall’s writings through his books in our Store.

Chuck Wagon Gang rides still 

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     From my earliest memories of music emanating from our mahogany cabinet phonograph, there was always an album or two from one of gospel music’s longest running acts – the Chuck Wagon Gang. Their sound and history were unique; growing in much the same way other acts did from the Depression era, radio stations, churches, schoolhouses, county fairs and everything in between. The group originally made up of members of the Texas Carter family, not the Appalachian one that went by that name, although Dad Carter was from Kentucky.
     The group has seen many personnel changes over the years — its sound and devotion to old-fashioned gospel has remained much the same. I was privileged as I came up in gospel music to appear with members of the original group as well as subsequent configurations. It was always a joy to share the stage with them, no matter when, where or who.
     Their greatest significance is that the band provides an important link between country music and traditional sacred songs of the South. This music has moved Johnny Cash, Merle Haggard, Charlie Daniels, and generations of gospel singers and open-eared listeners. For more than 80 years, the Chuck Wagon Gang has offered hope and harmony, faith and family and is now in its third generation.
     Their latest release Come Go with Me is all new for Mountain Home Music Company and it features a variety of both old and new songs all bearing the signature sound that has sustained the group for an unprecedented career that’s now lasted nearly 90 years.
     Produced by Jeremy Stephens, leader of the popular bluegrass revivalist band, High Fidelity, and a former member of the Chuck Wagon Gang himself, Come Go With Me makes a compelling case for the timelessness of the group’s sound.

     “I have loved the Chuck Wagon Gang since my early teens when I raided my grandparents’ LPs and found several CWG records,” Stephen said. “I was so blessed to play guitar and sing with them for 6 years prior to beginning to tour with my own group, High Fidelity, and working for Jesse McReynolds, but the biggest honor was being asked to produce their latest album. It was so special to be able to take the direction that the group wanted to go with the album while still remaining true to the original stylings that the Chuck Wagon Gang is so well known for. “
     Indeed, at a time when the listening audience’s appetite for the down-to-earth resonance of acoustic sounds, the sturdy simplicity of traditional styles and the abiding warmth of sincere gospel sentiments has never been larger, the elemental approach embodied in this down-to-earth yet well-crafted collection has never been more appealing.  
     With Stephens on board not only as producer, but also as instrumentalist alongside studio wizard David Johnson and award-winning bassist Mike Bub, they serve up a set that embraces continuity through a seamless blend of material that, whether old or new, sounds tailor-made for their old-school approach.
     Bookended by new songs — the closing “Our Sins Are Washed Away” even comes straight from the pen of the group’s leader, Shaye Smith — the Chuck Wagon Gang visit classics like “I Dreamed About Heaven Last Night” and Dottie Rambo’s thoughtful “For What Earthly Reason” and recent arrivals like “The Mighty Word of God” and the bluegrass-flavored “I Will Not Cry Today,” presenting each in an arrangement that faithfully reflects the essence of the sound first brought to the world three generations ago, yet infuses it with new energy.  
“We have an interesting variety of selections on Come Go With Me,” Smith said. “Maybe for the first time ever, there are as many brand new songs as recognizable favorites. But even these old favorites are new for the gang. I believe there is something for everyone within this album and we’ve been anticipating its release with great excitement!”
Learn more about the Chuck Wagon Gang by visiting https://thechuckwagongang.net/.