The Kingsmen Quartet

The Kingsmen
Also known as Carolina Boys (2001-04)
Origin Asheville, North Carolina
Genres Christian, Southern Gospel
Years active 1956-present
Website kingsmenquartet.com
Members Ray Dean Reese (bass)
Josh Horrell (tenor)[1]
Randy Crawford (baritone)
Bob Sellers (lead)
Brandon Reese (sound system)
Past members see section below

The Kingsmen Quartet (better known as The Kingsmen) is an American Christian music group.

Musical career

The Kingsmen are a Southern Gospel vocal quartet based out of Asheville, North Carolina. Many legends of Southern Gospel (Jim Hamill,[2] Squire Parsons,[3] Anthony Burger,[4] Mark Trammell, Ed Crawford, Ernie Phillips, and others have been members of The Kingsmen. The group is currently owned and managed by bass vocalist, Ray Reese.

The Kingsmen are one of the most awarded groups in Southern Gospel Music history. They've had fourteen Singing News Top 40 #1 songs, the second most of any group in the history of the chart, several Dove Awards and Grammy nominations, appearances at some of the nation's most prestigious venues including The Grand Ole Opry and The White House and are members of the Gospel Music Hall of Fame, Christian Music Hall of Fame and Southern Gospel Music Hall of Fame. They are the personification of a traditional male quartet with an attention to fast, driving songs as well as big, powerful ballads. The group's dynamic live performances and recordings, beginning with 1973's "Big And Live", set a standard for the genre and certainly for the group itself. The Kingsmen have come to be known for big, booming voices, high tenors and a low bass with tight, intricate four-part harmonies. They continue to produce hit songs and recordings, including 2014's "Battle Cry" which was nominated for album of the year and is the first recording in the group's rich history to produce multiple #1 songs. The Kingsmen still perform more than 200 dates per year across the nation and into Canada. They are also a staple on The Singing At Sea gospel cruise, which sails to places such as The Bahamas, The British Isles and the coast of Mexico, the National Quartet Convention and many of gospel music's other annual events including the Albert P. Brumley Memorial Sing, Memphis Quartet Show and Bill Bailey's Winter Convention.

In October 2008, long time bass singer; Ray Dean Reese joined former Kingsmen members (Eldridge Fox, Jim Hamill, Anthony Burger and Squire Parsons) in The Southern Gospel Music Hall of Fame[5] in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee.

For a brief period from 2001-2004, they were known as The Carolina Boys Quartet. In 2009, Ray Dean Reese transferred The Carolina Boys Quartet trademark to a newly formed quartet from Anderson, SC.

Awards

Singing News Fan Awards

Other

Members

The group today is composed of Owner, Manager, and Bass Singer, Ray Reese; Lead Bob Sellers; Baritone Randy Crawford and Tenor Josh Horrell.[1] Fill-in Tenor Ernie Phillips returned in 2016 while a full-time tenor was being sought. Former drummer Brandon Reese is now the group's sound technician.

Line-ups

1956–1957

(Under the Name "The Kingsmen Quartet")

1957-1958 1958-1959
  • Charles Collier – tenor
  • Louis McKinney – lead
  • Raymond McKinney – baritone
  • Reese McKinney - bass
  • David Young - piano
  • Frank Cutshall – tenor
  • Louis McKinney – lead
  • Raymond McKinney – baritone
  • Reese McKinney - bass
  • Martin Cook - piano
1959 1959-1960 1960-1961
  • Frank Cutshall – tenor
  • Harold Bailey – lead
  • Raymond McKinney – baritone
  • Reese McKinney - bass
  • Martin Cook - piano
  • Jack Henderson – tenor
  • Frank Cutshall – lead
  • Raymond McKinney – baritone
  • Reese McKinney - bass
  • Eldridge Fox - piano
  • Jack Henderson – tenor
  • Frank Cutshall – lead
  • Raymond McKinney – baritone
  • Reese McKinney - bass
  • James N. Ward - piano
1961-1963 1963-1964 1964-1965
  • Jack Henderson – tenor
  • Frank Cutshall – lead
  • Raymond McKinney – baritone
  • Reese McKinney - bass
  • Ray Talley - piano
  • Jack Henderson – tenor
  • Frank Cutshall – lead
  • Raymond McKinney – baritone
  • Calvin Runion - bass
  • Ray Talley - piano
  • Jack Henderson – tenor
  • Frank Cutshall – lead
  • Raymond McKinney – baritone
  • Calvin Runion - bass
  • Eldridge Fox - piano
1965-1967 1967-1968 1968-1969
  • Kermit Jamerson – tenor
  • Frank Cutshall – lead
  • Eldridge Fox – baritone
  • Calvin Runion - bass
  • Ray Talley - piano
  • Kermit Jamerson – tenor
  • Frank Cutshall – lead
  • Eldridge Fox – baritone
  • Ray Reese - bass
  • Ray Talley - piano
  • Kermit Jamerson – tenor
  • Frank Cutshall – lead
  • Eldridge Fox – baritone
  • Calvin Runion - bass
  • Ray Talley - piano
1969-1970 1970-1971 1971-1973
  • Jerry Redd – tenor
  • Frank Cutshall – lead
  • Eldridge Fox – baritone
  • Calvin Runion - bass
  • Ray Talley - piano
  • Jerry Redd – tenor
  • Frank Cutshall – lead
  • Eldridge Fox – baritone
  • Jim McCallister - bass
  • Ray Talley - piano
  • Johnny Parrack – tenor
  • Jim Hamill – lead
  • Eldridge Fox – baritone
  • Ray Dean Reese - bass
  • Charles Abee - piano
1973-1975 1975-1976 1976-1977
  • Johnny Parrack – tenor
  • Jim Hamill – lead
  • Eldridge Fox – baritone
  • Ray Dean Reese - bass
  • Nick Bruno - piano
  • Johnny Parrack – tenor
  • Jim Hamill – lead
  • Squire Parsons – baritone
  • Ray Dean Reese - bass
  • Nick Bruno - piano
  • Johnny Parrack – tenor
  • Squire Parsons – lead
  • Eldridge Fox – baritone
  • Ray Dean Reese - bass
  • Nick Bruno - piano
1977-1978 1978-1979 1979
  • Ernie Phillips – tenor
  • Jim Hamill – lead
  • Squire Parsons – baritone
  • Ray Dean Reese - bass
  • Nick Bruno - piano
  • Ernie Phillips – tenor
  • Jim Hamill – lead
  • Squire Parsons – baritone
  • Ray Dean Reese - bass
  • Anthony Burger - piano
  • Ernie Phillips – tenor
  • Jim Hamill – lead
  • Eldridge Fox – baritone
  • Ray Dean Reese - bass
  • Anthony Burger - piano
1979-1980 1980-1983 1983-1984
  • Ernie Phillips – tenor
  • Jim Hamill – lead
  • Mark Trammell – baritone, bass guitar
  • Ray Dean Reese - bass
  • Anthony Burger - piano
  • Ernie Phillips – tenor
  • Jim Hamill – lead
  • Wayne Maynard – baritone
  • Ray Dean Reese - bass
  • Anthony Burger - piano
  • Ernie Phillips – tenor
  • Jim Hamill – lead
  • Ed Crawford – baritone
  • Ray Dean Reese - bass
  • Anthony Burger - piano
1984-1988 1988-1989 1989-1993
  • Gary Sheppard – tenor
  • Jim Hamill – lead
  • Arthur Rice – lead, Bass guitar
  • Ed Crawford – baritone
  • Ray Dean Reese - bass
  • Anthony Burger - piano
  • Gary Sheppard – tenor
  • Jim Hamill – lead
  • Arthur Rice – lead, baritone, Bass guitar
  • Ray Dean Reese - bass
  • Anthony Burger - piano
  • Gary Sheppard – tenor
  • Jim Hamill – lead
  • Parker Jonathan – baritone
  • Ray Dean Reese - bass
  • Anthony Burger - piano
1993-1995 1995-1996 1996-1997
  • Chris Collins – tenor
  • Jim Hamill – lead
  • Parker Jonathan – baritone
  • Ray Dean Reese - bass
  • Randy Matthews - piano
  • Chris Collins – tenor
  • Bryan Hutson – lead
  • Parker Jonathan – baritone
  • Ray Dean Reese - bass
  • Tim Lovelace - piano
1997-1998 1998-2001 2001-2002
  • Chris Collins – tenor
  • Bryan Hutson – lead
  • Parker Jonathan – baritone
  • Ray Dean Reese - bass
  • Andrew Ishee - piano
  • Jerry A. Martin – tenor
  • Bryan Hutson – lead
  • Parker Jonathan – baritone
  • Ray Dean Reese - bass
  • Andrew Ishee - piano
  • Jerry A. Martin – tenor
  • Randy Crawford – lead
  • Parker Jonathan – baritone
  • Ray Dean Reese - bass
  • Nick Succi - piano
2002-2003 2003-2004 2004-2005
  • Derrick Boyd – tenor
  • Randy Crawford – lead
  • Tim Surrett – baritone
  • Ray Dean Reese - bass
  • Nick Succi - piano
  • Derrick Boyd – tenor
  • Tim Surrett – lead
  • Jason Selph – baritone
  • Ray Dean Reese - bass
  • Nick Succi - piano
  • Jeremy Peace – tenor
  • Phillip Hughes – lead
  • Tim Surrett – baritone
  • Ray Dean Reese - bass
  • Nick Succi - piano
2005-2007 2007-2008 2008-2009
  • Jeremy Peace – tenor
  • Phillip Hughes – lead
  • Tony Peace – baritone
  • Ray Dean Reese - bass
  • Nick Succi - piano
  • Harold Reed – tenor
  • Phillip Hughes – lead
  • Bryan Hutson – baritone
  • Ray Dean Reese - bass
  • Nick Succi - piano
  • Harold Reed – tenor
  • Phillip Hughes – lead
  • Bryan Hutson – baritone
  • Ray Dean Reese - bass
  • Nick Succi - piano
2009-2010 2010-2011 2011-2012
  • Jeremy Peace – tenor
  • Phillip Hughes – lead
  • Bryan Hutson – baritone
  • Ray Dean Reese - bass
  • Cody McVey - piano
  • Harold Reed – tenor
  • Randy Crawford – lead
  • Bryan Hutson – baritone
  • Ray Dean Reese - bass
  • Cody McVey - piano
  • Ernie Phillips – tenor
  • Bob Sellers – lead
  • Randy Crawford – baritone
  • Ray Dean Reese - bass
2012-2016 2016 2016-present
  • Chris Jenkins – tenor
  • Bob Sellers – lead
  • Randy Crawford – baritone
  • Ray Dean Reese - bass
  • Ernie Phillips – tenor
  • Bob Sellers – lead
  • Randy Crawford – baritone
  • Ray Dean Reese - bass
  • Josh Horrell – tenor
  • Bob Sellers – lead
  • Randy Crawford – baritone
  • Ray Dean Reese - bass

Tenor

(names in bold are current members)

Lead

Baritone

Bass

Pianist

Additional Musicians

Discography

1950s and 1960s

1970s

1980s

1990s

2000s to present

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Kingsmen Quartet Announce New Tenor". SingingNews.com. Retrieved 3 June 2016.
  2. http://www.sgma.org/inductee_bios/jim_hamill.htm Jim Hamill biography (Southern Gospel Music Association)
  3. http://www.sgma.org/inductee_bios/squire_parsons.htm Squire Parsons biography (Southern Gospel Music Association)
  4. http://www.sgma.org/inductee_bios/anthony_burger.htm Anthony Burger (Southern Gospel Music Association)
  5. http://www.sgma.org/inductee_bios/ray_dean_reese.htm Ray Reese at the Southern Gospel Music Hall Of Fame
  6. http://www.gmahalloffame.org/site/year-of-2000 Gospel Music Hall of Fame 2000
  7. http://hallmuseum.com/induction.htm Christian Music Hall of Fame inductions
  8. http://www.sgma.org/inductee_bios/ray_dean_reese.htm
  9. http://www.metrolyrics.com/1979-dove-awards.html 1979 Dove Awards for From Out Of The Past
  10. http://www.southerngospelblog.com/archives/3125 Southern Gospel Blog: CD Review: Missing People
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