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

Musical career[edit]

The Kingsmen are a Southern Gospel vocal quartet based out of Asheville, North Carolina. Many legends of Southern Gospel including 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.^{[citation needed]} 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.^{[citation needed]} 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, the National Quartet Convention and many of gospel music's other annual events including the Albert E. 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, South Carolina.

Awards and Accolades[edit]

#1 Hits

• Excuses (1981)


• Saints Will Rise (1983)


• Stand Up (1986)


• Go and Tell Somebody (1990)


• Wish You Were Here (1991)


• He’s All I Need (1993)


• I Will Rise Up From the Grave (1995)


• The Next Cloud (2001)


• God Sits on High (2003)


• When God Ran (2008)


• God Saw a Cross (2009)


• Everything I Need (2011)


• Oh Yes I Am (2015)


• Battle Cry (2015)


• Cross of Grace (2015)


• I Know (2016)

GMA Dove Awards

• Album of the Year - Big and Live (1974)


• Album of the Year - Chattanooga Live (1978)


• Southern Gospel Album of the Year - From Out of the Past (1980)

Singing News Fan Awards

• 
  Favorite Group (1980, 1985)


• 
  Favorite Traditional Male Quartet (1981)


• 
  Favorite Horizon Group (2002, as Carolina Boys)


• 
  Favorite Lead: Jim Hamill (1974, 1975, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1985)


• 
  Favorite Male Singer: Jim Hamill (1981, 1984, 1985)


• 
  Favorite Tenor: Johnny Parrack (1976), Ernie Phillips (1980, 1981)


• 
  Favorite Bass: Ray Dean Reese (1979, 1985)


• 
  Favorite Baritone: Wayne Maynard (1981), Parker Jonathan (1992, 1993)


• 
  Favorite Band (1978, 1981 to 1984, 1986 to 1997)


• 
  Favorite Musician: Anthony Burger (1980 to 1989)


• 
  Favorite Musician (non-pianist): Tim Surrett (2004, 2005)


• 
  Favorite Horizon Individual: Bryan Hutson (1997)


• 
  Song of the Year: "Sweet Beulah Land" (1981), "Wish You Were Here" (1992)


• 
  Album of the Year: Wish You Were Here (1992)

Other

• BMI Radio Airplay Award, “Oh Yes I Am” (2016)


• BMI Radio Airplay Award, “Battle Cry” (2017)


• 
  Gospel Music Hall of Fame (Inducted in 2000)^[6]


• 
  Christian Music Hall of Fame (inducted in 2007)^[7]


• 
  Southern Gospel Hall of Fame
  
  • Eldridge Fox, inducted in 1998
  
  
  • Jim Hamill, inducted in 2004
  
  
  • Anthony Burger, inducted in 2007
  
  
  • Ray Dean Reese, inducted in 2008
  
  
  • Squire Parsons, inducted in 2008
  
  
  • Mark Trammell, inducted in 2018^[5]
  
  

Members[edit]

The group today is composed of owner, manager, and bass singer, Ray Reese; lead Chris Bryant; baritone Alan Kendall, and tenor Chris Jenkins. Fill-in tenor Ernie Phillips returned for three months in 2012 and three more months again in 2016 while a full-time tenor was being sought. Former drummer Brandon Reese is now the group's sound technician. Bob Sellers, lead singer since 2011 departed the group in June, 2018 to pursue a solo career. Chris Bryant replaced him as the new lead singer. In late July, 2018 baritone Randy Crawford announced his resignation due to health issues, and was replaced by Alan Kendall.

Line-ups[edit]

Additional Musicians[edit]

Discography[edit]

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References[edit]

External links[edit]

• Southern Gospel Music history: Kingsmen Quartet


• The Official Kingsmen Quartet web site


• Illustrated discography