An Evening With...

JP: My grandfather sang bass for a local group, from Rome, Georgia called The Glory-Land Travelers.  They mostly sang Kingsmen cover tunes along with some they had written as well.  Some of my first memories are of me being at his concerts, and sleeping in the bunks on their bus, going back home.

 

JP:Well, my first experience being part of a group wasn't singing.  I started playing bass guitar when I was seven, and at eight, I joined a group in town, called, The Dove Quartet.  I played for them for about a year.  By the age of ten, I joined the Cedar Valley Boys, playing bass.  It was here, at the age of thirteen, that I begin to sing tenor and play piano for the group.  I stayed with the Cedar Valley Boys till I was eighteen, and left for Houston, Texas to sing tenor for The Relations Quartet.  By the age of twenty-one, I had joined the Kingsmen Quartet as tenor.  (Whew!  Talk about changing groups at an early age...)  Now I'm back in the Rome Georgia area, traveling with the Old Paths, and operating various businesses including a cd/dvd duplication company with my long term friend from my days with the Cedar Valley Boys.

 

 

JP:  guess I always knew my life would revolve around gospel music.  I couldn't help but grow up in it.  I never listened to any other style of music.  My grandfather, who sang bass, passed away when I was ten, and I remember promising him that I would continue what he had started.  Now, his favorite group was the Kingsmen, and its been very ironic that I had the opportunity to join his favorite group!  But to answer your question...I think I was in high school when I made a decision to make SG music my career.  I knew I could do more than just sing, and I could utilize those skills to be a part of the industry.  Now, not only do I sing in the industry, I engineer projects, arrange vocals, operate a duplication business and a pro-audio store, teach voice,  and am now designing websites for some major artists.

JP: One of my favorite memories is this: one evening while on the bus, one of the guys had climbed out of the bunk, and walked to the front of the bus.  Now, I was in the restroom, and was just opening the door to exit, when this group member was walking back to the bunk.  The door to the bunk area was open, and I didn't know it at first, but he was sleep walking.  Ray caught my attention, and said to be still, quiet, and just watch.  This member hit the air assist button that opens and closes the door, which in turned closed the door.  To my amazement and great humor, the sleep walker tried to walk through the closed door.  He would hit the door, stop, back up, and try again.  It was so funny!  I finally reached over and hit the button for him, which opened the door, and he climbed back into bed, as if nothing had happened!

 

JP: My favorite memory on stage was when I was still auditioning with the group.  We were in Dalton, Georgia, and my family came up to see me.  My grandmother, who's husband sang bass with the group I mentioned earlier, was there as well.  Now remember, my granddad's favorite group was the Kingsmen, and his favorite song was, "The Eastern Gate".  Well Ray took off on the first verse, and that was all she wrote.  My grandmother came running on stage and just held on to me, sobbing and shaking, while I tried to sing.  I just knew that I had lost the job, but later Ray approved and thought it was a sweet gesture from her.  Now that I look back on it, I'm sure she was proud, and perhaps it gave her some peace of mind that my granddad's legacy would live on.

 

JP:My advice to anyone starting out in the industry would be to never forget where you have come from.  Never burn any bridges to get to where you want to be.  Never put your career before the Lord or your family.  When you are at home, be at home and spend it with your wife and/or family.  They need you!  Always be honest with others and yourself, and don't do anything that would place shame on the Lord, the ministry, your group, your family and yourself.  Think before you decide to make a decision that can cost you everything.  Now I say this not because I'm guilty of these things, but because we see it so often in church and ministry.

 

 

JP: This may seem odd to some, but no matter what problem I have been presented with, or any issues that have risen, I can always go back to Genesis 1:1