The New/Old/Revamped Gaither Vocal Band

Bill Gaither has often said he chose the name "Vocal Band" so the group would not be limited to strictly quartet work. 20+ years later, he finally made use of that decision. The Gaither Vocal Band is now a quintet.

You've by no doubt heard the news by now, but just to be safe....the now-current lineup of the GVB consists of David Phelps, Michael English, Wes Hampton, Mark Lowry, and Coach Bill. The long-speculated (and apparently not-that-surprising) permanent departure of Guy Penrod became official today in a press release from Gaither. According to the PR, Guy is finally going after a country career (something he mentioned he had always wanted to do on the Best of Guy Penrod DVD a couple years back).

What IS surprising to a lot of people, however, is that Marsh Hall is also out. The press release states,

[Marsh] is a talented singer and producer, as well as an experienced worship leader, who will undoubtedly enjoy a solid future building on the experience gained during his five remarkable years with the Gaither Vocal Band.

....which implies to me that, as of right now, Marsh has no plans, and also implies that his departure wasn't necessarily voluntary. I had always felt that Marsh would have a successful run with the Vocal Band, especially since he wouldn't be killing his voice by singing the baritone part, but then again, I've been wrong before!!

The return of David Phelps doesn't entirely surprise me. Rumor has it that he is no longer with Word Records, and he seems to be enjoying himself in the footage that has been posted on YouTube recently. Mark Lowry and Mike English coming back, however, was a little bit of a shocker. Mark's been quite successful with his tours with LordSong and Stan Whitmire, and I figured he enjoyed the freedom. Mike just released his big return to Contemporary Christian music last winter and finished a Christmas tour with Casting Crowns; I would've figured he was ready to take on CCM again.

Mark even said in his e-mail newsletter,

I've only known about this for a few days, so I'm still sorta speechless....

which means that this hasn't really been something that's been in the works for a while, although initially I suspected that the Reunion DVD may have been an impromptu tryout for former members....

The most head-scratching move to me, though, is keeping Wes Hampton around. Granted, Wes is more-than-capable as a singer and has filled the void during Guy's absence by switching to lead quite a bit, but with three Vocal Band members filling all essential parts, it seems like Wes' presence would be more to just fill an occasional overdub, kinda like a piano player would.

Anyway, I am anxious to hear what Bill has planned for this group. Some have speculated that it may be "one last hoopla" for the group before Bill finally retires the group, while others have wondered if Bill plans on just stepping down and letting the other four singers take over. It wouldn't be too much of a strech, considering the GVB has pretty much been just three tenors and a baritone for much of its existence anyway, but still, one just has to wonder.

For the record, the photoshopped publicity photo is cool looking, but you'd think someone would've darkened David's shot just a bit so it matched the rest of pictures....

UPDATE: Here's a more detailed press release from Michael English's website:

January 13, 2009

Meet The Brand New Five-Member
Gaither Vocal Band!

Today Gaither Music Group announced plans for a radical transformation of the Gaither Vocal Band, including the departure of long-time GVB lead singer, Guy Penrod, and the group's baritone since 2004, Marshall Hall.

As Gaither has stated at various times of transition, "You never replace a group member� you simply find a fresh, new direction." And with that philosophy at heart, Bill Gaither has gone far beyond simply replacing his long-time lead singer. He has completely recreated the Gaither Vocal Band, now expanding the size of the group from four members to five and bringing back an all-star cast of voices from the Vocal Band's rich legacy of talent.

Effective immediately, the new roster for the five-member Gaither Vocal Band will be: Bill Gaither, David Phelps, Wes Hampton, Michael English and Mark Lowry.

Bill Gaither states, "I am so excited about the sound that this particular group creates together. There are few groups, if any, that have the advantage of having two fine tenors like Wes Hampton and David Phelps at one time! Their sound together is like liquid gold� truly stunning. Together, they will share the demands of the high tenor part and offer a sound we've never heard from any previous Vocal Band. David has been extremely gracious to rejoin the group while also pursuing his solo career, and I have to say that I am enjoying his contribution more than ever."

"Having Michael English join us is also very exciting for many reasons. Today Michael is a very different individual than the young man who traveled with us back in the early '90s. I am seeing a grateful, restored individual who had every reason to believe his singing days were over a few years ago. Throughout his recovery, I have watched him grow healthier spiritually, emotionally and physically� and I now firmly believe his best days are yet to come. What a joy to welcome him to this powerhouse line-up."

"And Mark Lowry� what a defining influence he has been! It is impossible to imagine bringing back an all-star group without Mark. His energy and his unique gift for communication really round off this new direction for the group. Audiences love him and we love him."

"This line-up has energy and vocal power that will blow your mind. And the most exciting part is� their hearts are in this. This announcement grew out of unexpected change, but I've learned to pay close attention when God starts shaking things up. He always has plans that are better than our own."

During this transition Michael is committed to fulfilling as many previously scheduled solo appearances as he possibly can and will do whatever possible to make sure everyone is satisfied. He will continue to do solo dates in the future as his schedule allows.

The public's overwhelming early response to the January 20th release of The Gaither Vocal Band Reunion DVD, as well as the group's 2009 Grammy nomination, has already begun what could be the group's most unforgettable season yet.

The first live concert of 2009 will take place January 29 in Huntsville, Alabama, and tickets are still available. For more 2009 concert dates visit www.gaither.com and click on the 'Tickets' banner.