Brian Free Announced as Vice President for Abraham Productions

Abraham Productions, Inc. is pleased to announce that Brian Free has accepted the role of Vice President at Abraham Productions. Brian has served on the Abraham Productions’ Board of Directors since 2018 and has contributed on a high level.

In Brian’s new role as Vice President, he will assist in executing the duties and growing responsibilities at Abraham Productions. Ray Flynn, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Abraham Productions said, “Brian Free is respected throughout the Christian music industry and reflects impeccable character. He is a hard worker, forward-thinking, and a perfect fit for the mission of Abraham Productions.”

Brian Free is undeniably the most recognizable tenor of our generation. Since 1982, he has been at the forefront of Christian music since first joining Gold City Quartet. In 1993, he formed Brian Free & Assurance (BFA). Christian music has always been Brian’s first love, and fans, along with the Christian music industry, have honored him and the group with multiple Dove Awards, Brian’s 2017 GMA Hall of Fame induction, as well as a Grammy nomination in 2024.

Abraham Productions, Inc. was established in 1998 and is one of the most successful and respected production companies in the Christian music industry.

MORE ABOUT ABRAHAM PRODUCTIONS, INC.:

Abraham Productions, Inc. headquartered in Wilmington, NC is led by President & Chief Executive Officer Ray Flynn, and Vice Presidents Dean Hopper, Jeff Whisnant and Brian Free. Abraham Productions Board of Directors includes Ray Flynn, Dean Hopper, Jeff Whisnant, Bill Bailey, Brian Free, Karen Peck, Eric Bennett, David Sutton, and Clayton Inman. Abraham Productions produces Singing In The Sun at Myrtle Beach, SC, 40 Days & 40 Nights of Christian Music at the Ark Encounter in Williamstown, KY, the Crystal Caribbean Cruises, and several other high-quality Christian music events and tours.

Southbound Extends Successful Partnership with Daywind Records

NASHVILLE, TN – The chart-topping Southern Gospel trio, Southbound, has renewed their recording relationship with Daywind Records which began in April of 2021. Known for their Top 10 hit songs such as, “Address Change Notification,” “Somebody Testify,” “Middle of Nowhere,” “No Better Than That,” “He’s Got a Way” and the #1 song for the year in 2023, “Lost and Found.” Southbound has built a reputation for stirring, soulful vocals and powerful messages. The re-signing with Daywind Records, followed by the digital release of their latest single, “I Left It In The Water,” on Friday, Oct 11th, highlights their ongoing musical journey and commitment to expanding their legacy. With their deep devotion to sharing the Gospel through music, Southbound continues to captivate peers and fans alike. On the heels of their latest release, the trio is set to release their next full-length album in January 2025. Listen to “I Left It In The Water” HERE.

Clint Brown, of Southbound, celebrates the renewed Daywind partnership by stating, “I believe you should surround yourself with people that have already been where you want to go. And we are so excited for the opportunity to re-sign with Daywind Records and remain surrounded by a family of people that continue to lead us on our path to bring hope, help, and blessing through the songs we sing.”

Dusty Wells, director of artist & label relations at Daywind Records, commented, “We couldn’t be more thrilled to announce the exclusive re-signing of the amazing group, Southbound, which is led by Clint Brown along with Seth J. Elbe and Jody Braselton, to the Daywind Records’ family! Their heart and passion for ministry and Southern Gospel music is undeniable, and we’re excited to be a part of their journey. In their short career, they have brought us incredible music with several Top 5 chart-topping singles and also the number 1 song of the year, Lost and Found, for 2023 for the Singing News year-end chart. We are so excited about new music on the horizon. There’s a lot to look forward to, and we can’t wait for fans to experience what’s coming. Big things are in store!”

For more information about Southbound, their upcoming releases, tour dates, and latest news, visit southbound.live or follow the trio on social media.

Janice Crow: Paper To Ponder

Paper to Ponder – October 2024 I have always been excited by a blank sheet of paper.  You may think, “Wow,  it doesn’t take much to excite you”.  But think of it….what possibilities it holds!  That milky white piece of paper could be the start of a pencil sketch of your grandfather’s homestead, a charcoal outline of your …

VINYL RECORD REVIEW: Steve Sanders – “I’m Happy Now” (1968)

Before I jump into the next group in my “Discography Series”, I periodically like to write about one of the albums from the stack of records I discovered in my dad’s closet when I was a kid back in the late 1970’s.  These records are what lit the spark in me for Southern Gospel Music, …

The Down East Boys bring musical ministry and artistry to new album

Arden, North Carolina (October 11, 2024) — “We are excited to share this new music,” says the Down East Boys’ Ricky Carden, as he and his colleagues release Something to Shout About, their first full-length album for Sonlite Recordssince 2020’s Faithful Still — and though he doesn’t say it, that excitement builds on what’s already been …

IN LOVING MEMORY OF DOROTHY “DOTTIE” LEONARD MILLER, FOUNDER AND CEO OF DAYWIND MUSIC GROUP AND NEW DAY CHRISTIAN DISTRIBUTORS

NASHVILLE, TN — Dorothy “Dottie” Leonard Miller, born August 10, 1945, passed away on October 11, 2024, at the age of 79. She was an incredibly generous and gracious woman who impacted countless lives with the Gospel through her entrepreneurial pursuits in Christian music and distribution. Guided by the Holy Spirit and giving glory to…

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Liberty Quartet: A Mountain Top Retreat Praising God in The Fire!

In early September of this year, some of our AGM staff participated in the Liberty Quartet Mountaintop Retreat at Trinity Pines Camp & Conference Center in Cascade, Idaho. Upon arrival it became apparent that the surrounding wildfires would necessitate adjustments to outdoor activities, but the indoor atmosphere and fellowship remained warm and inviting. After settling …

Daywind Records founder Dorothy “Dottie” Leonard Miller has passed away.

NASHVILLE, TN (Oct 11, 2024) — Dorothy “Dottie” Leonard Miller, born August 10, 1945, passed away on October 11, 2024, at the age of 79. She was an incredibly generous and gracious woman who impacted countless lives with the Gospel through her entrepreneurial pursuits in Christian music and distribution. Guided by the Holy Spirit and …

In Loving Memory Of Dottie Leonard Miller – Founder & CEO Of Daywind Records

NASHVILLE, TN (Oct 11, 2024) — Dorothy “Dottie” Leonard Miller, born August 10, 1945, passed away on October 11, 2024, at the age of 79. She was an incredibly generous and gracious woman who impacted countless lives with the Gospel through her entrepreneurial pursuits in Christian music and distribution.

Guided by the Holy Spirit and giving glory to God for all she achieved, she used her communication skills and unwavering determination to build several businesses whose products and services helped spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ around the world,  always surrounding herself with talented people to help accomplish her goals.

From humble beginnings in Wilmington, Delaware, the eldest child of William and Dorothy Golt discovered her true calling later in life. As a single mother raising two children in Hendersonville, Tennessee, Dottie learned about business through her clerical work at an accounting firm and a law firm, gained sales experience selling Jhirmack hair products throughout Nashville, and honed her communication skills working for the Democratic Party of Nashville on successful campaigns for Senator Jim Sasser, President Jimmy Carter, and others. Throughout this time, she worked a second job in ER admissions at Hendersonville Hospital to make ends meet. With no prior experience in music, she took a receptionist position at Calvary Records, building it into positions in radio promotions and sales to Christian bookstores.

She followed producer Ronnie Drake to Windchime Records to continue her sales efforts before starting her own company in her garage in 1981 with a small amount of funding from her father, William Golt, her brother, Bill Golt, and family friend, Ray Lorrig. New Day Christian Distributors focused initially on sales of sheet music and albums by independent artists like Mike Adkins and Jimmy Swaggart and eventually became a one-stop distributor for major labels like Word/Curb, Capitol Christian, Provident, Gotee, Centricity, Integrity, Fair Trade, as well as offering many other Christ-centered products to Christian bookstores from offices on Shivel Drive in Hendersonville, Tennessee. Needing products of her own, she reunited with Ronnie Drake to start DayWind Soundtracks and Daywind Records, providing resources to church singers and bringing the music of great artists like Opryland’s Gospel Quartet, the Cumberland Boys, the Steeles, the New Hinsons, Greater Vision, the Crabb Family, Gold City, Karen Peck and New River, Brian Free and Assurance, Triumphant Quartet, Down East Boys, the Perrys, the Hoppers, Tribute Quartet, the Guardians, Jonathan Wilburn, the Steeles, Joseph Habedank, Scotty Inman, the Blackwood Brothers, the Nelons, Southbound, Lefevre Quartet, The Sound, High Road, Michael English, Truesong, Legacy Five, and more to the world..

Dottie later added Daywind Music Publishing, now the predominant music publisher in Southern Gospel and Bluegrass music genres with renowned songwriters like Lee Black, Jason Cox, Sue C. Smith, Bill Whyte, Jonathan Smith, and more, two recording studios, and a cd manufacturing facility. Lately, her business expansions include Daywind Worship (choral products), Spiritus Distribution (Catholic products), Daywind Music Foundation (Tree Radio), a 24/7 broadcaster of Southern Gospel music, and  Billy Blue and Billy Jam Records whose artists include Appalachian Road Show, Authentic Unlimited, Doyle Lawson and Quicksilver, Alex Miler, Darin and Brooke Aldridge, Tennessee Bluegrass Band, Carson Peters and Iron Mountain, Kristy Cox and Grasstime, Joe Mullins and the Radio Ramblers, Bob Minner, Dave Adkins, Alan Bibey and Grasstowne, Caroline Owens, Marty Raybon, and more.

Dottie’s impressive career received recognition in the form of Lifetime Achievement Awards from the Gospel Music Association, BMI, the Southern Gospel Music Guild, the Singing News Magazine, and Absolutely Gospel Music. She has been inducted into the Southern Gospel Music Hall of Fame and the Gospel Music Hall of Fame. Her artists and songwriters have received countless Dove Awards, Singing News Fan Awards, BMI Christian Music Awards, Grammy® nominations and one Grammy® Award (Jason Crabb), and over 125 #1 songs.

One of the most accomplished female music business executives in history, Dottie would quickly point to those who used their talents to help her along the way, including Ronnie Drake, Sylvia Mays, Wayne Haun, Marty Funderburk, Rick Shelton, Norman Holland, Brenda Wilcox, Lisa West, Dusty Wells, Vince Wehby, Janice Hoback, Theresa Richards, and many more.

Dottie’s greatest joy in life has been her family. She is survived by her daughter, Susan Leonard Sovine and grandchildren, Taylor McKellar and Kennedy Sovine; her son, Ed Leonard, his wife Kathleen, and their children Eddie Leonard, Mary Leonard, Evan Leonard, Aidan Leonard (Caroline Leonard), Rachael Zuckett (Joey Zuckett), Caroline Leonard, Ian Leonard, Liam Leonard, and Emily Leonard; her great-grandchildren Leo Zuckett and Eloise Joyce; her sister, Cynthia Paranczak; and Jere Miller. Dottie was preceded in death by her brother, Bill Golt, and her parents, William and Dorothy Golt.

Dottie became an avid bridge player after moving to Hendersonville, Tennessee, from Wilmington, Delaware, in 1972. She loved spending time in Florida where she would read and listen to the ocean and at her cabin in Lafayette, Tennessee, where she would enjoy her alpacas, donkeys, goats, and chickens. She was blessed to travel throughout the United States, Europe, and the Caribbean, but mostly enjoyed time spent with family, her co-workers, friends, and artists. She will be remembered by all as a warm, loving, generous woman with a flair for fashion and who could light up every room she was in with her engaging personality.

A celebration of Dottie’s life will be held at a later date in lieu of a funeral.

NEW HAVEN RECORDS ANNOUNCES NEW RELEASE FROM MULTI-AWARD WINNING QUARTET, GOLD CITY NEW ALBUM HITS STREETS OCTOBER 25

Nashville TN – New Haven Records has announced the release of the much-anticipated brand new recording from renown quartet, Gold City. Right Now hits streets October 25, and features 11 songs, performed as only the famed group can. For nearly a half century the name Gold City has been recognized as one of the leading…

The post NEW HAVEN RECORDS ANNOUNCES NEW RELEASE FROM MULTI-AWARD WINNING QUARTET, GOLD CITY NEW ALBUM HITS STREETS OCTOBER 25 first appeared on Southern Gospel News SGNScoops Digital.

The post NEW HAVEN RECORDS ANNOUNCES NEW RELEASE FROM MULTI-AWARD WINNING QUARTET, GOLD CITY NEW ALBUM HITS STREETS OCTOBER 25 appeared first on Southern Gospel News SGNScoops Digital.