The Kingsmen Quartet

Last updated

The Kingsmen
Also known asCarolina Boys (2001–04)
Origin Asheville, North Carolina
Genres Southern gospel
Years active1956–present
LabelsStars Records
Piedmont Records
Skylite Records
Mark V Records
QCA Records
Chime Records
Kingsmen Colonial Records
Heavy Weight Records
Supreme Records
Canaan Records
Heart Warming Records
Riversong Records
Horizon Records
Members
  • Ray Dean Reese
  • Alan Kendall
  • Brandon Reese
  • Thomas Nalley
  • Cole Watson
  • Brady Jones
Past memberssee Lineups section below
Website kingsmenquartet.com

The Kingsmen Quartet (better known as The Kingsmen) is an American Southern gospel vocal quartet.

Contents

Musical career and awards

The Kingsmen are a Southern Gospel vocal quartet based out of Asheville, North Carolina. Many singers of Southern Gospel including Jim Hamill, [1] Squire Parsons, [2] Anthony Burger, [3] Mark Trammell, and others have been members of The Kingsmen. The group was most well known in the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s for their live concert recordings and band.

GMA Dove Awards

Singing News Fan Awards

Other

Lineups

1956–1957

(Under the Name "The Kingsmen Quartet")

first half 1957last half 1957
  • Charles Collier – tenor
  • Everett McKinney – lead (departed after a few weeks)
  • Louis McKinney - lead (replaced Everett)
  • Raymond McKinney – baritone
  • Reese McKinney – bass
  • Charlie Matthews – piano
  • Charles Collier – tenor
  • Louis McKinney – lead
  • Harold Bailey (sang for several months while Raymond McKinney was in military service) – baritone
  • Reese McKinney – bass
  • David Young – piano
  • Louis McKinney – tenor
  • Frank Cutshall – lead
  • Raymond McKinney – baritone
  • Reese McKinney – bass
  • Martin Cook – piano
1957-1958early-mid 1959late 1959
  • 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 Ward – piano
  • Jack Henderson – tenor
  • Frank Cutshall – lead
  • Raymond McKinney – baritone
  • Reese McKinney – bass
  • Eldridge Fox – piano
1960-19641964-19651965-1966
  • 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
19661967Late 1967-mid 1968
  • Jack Henderson – tenor
  • Frank Cutshall – lead
  • Eldridge Fox – baritone & piano
  • Calvin Runion – bass
  • Kermit Jamerson – tenor (during late 1966-early 1967, replaced by Jerry Redd, then returning in late 1967)
  • Jerry Redd - tenor (briefly during mid 1967, after which Jamerson returned to the group)
  • Frank Cutshall – lead
  • Eldridge Fox – baritone
  • Calvin Runion – bass
  • Ray Talley – piano
  • Kermit Jamerson – tenor
  • Frank Cutshall – lead
  • Eldridge Fox – baritone
  • Ray Dean Reese – bass
  • Ray Talley – piano
1968-19691970early 1971
  • Kermit Jamerson – tenor
  • Frank Cutshall – lead
  • Eldridge Fox – baritone
  • Calvin Runion – bass
  • Ray Talley – piano
  • Tommy Hensley – bass guitar (added in 1969)
  • Jerry Redd – tenor
  • Frank Cutshall – lead
  • Eldridge Fox – baritone
  • Jim McCallister – bass
  • Ray Talley – piano
  • Jerry Redd – tenor
  • Frank Cutshall – lead
  • Eldridge Fox – baritone & piano
  • Ray Dean Reese – bass
  • John Broome – bass guitar
  • Leonard Hollifield – guitar
Spring-Summer 1971Summer-late 1971late 1971-1973
  • Jerry Redd – tenor
  • Jim Hamill – lead
  • Eldridge Fox – baritone & piano
  • Ray Dean Reese – bass
  • John Broome – bass guitar
  • Leonard Hollifield - guitar
  • Jerry Redd – tenor
  • Jim Hamill – lead
  • Eldridge Fox – baritone
  • Ray Dean Reese – bass
  • Charles Abee – piano
  • John Broome – bass guitar
  • Leonard Hollifield - guitar
  • Johnny Parrack – tenor
  • Jim Hamill – lead
  • Eldridge Fox – baritone
  • Ray Dean Reese – bass
  • Charles Abee – piano
  • Jim McCauley – bass guitar
  • John Broome - drums
  • Leonard Hollifield – guitar
  • Eddie Trent – steel guitar
1973–19751975–19761976–1977
  • Johnny Parrack – tenor
  • Jim Hamill – lead
  • Eldridge Fox – baritone
  • Ray Dean Reese – bass
  • Nick Bruno – piano
  • Jim McCauley – bass guitar
  • John Broome – drums (1974)
  • Chester Arms – drums
  • Gary Dillard – steel guitar (1974)
  • Johnny Parrack – tenor
  • Jim Hamill – lead
  • Squire Parsons – baritone
  • Eldridge Fox – baritone
  • Ray Dean Reese – bass
  • Nick Bruno – piano
  • Jim McCauley – bass guitar
  • Chester Arms – drums
  • Gary Dillard – steel guitar
  • Johnny Parrack – tenor (leaves group January 1977)
  • Jim Hamill – lead (departs July, 1976 to join the Senators quartet; rejoins January, 1977)
  • Squire Parsons – baritone, lead (switches to lead after Hamill leaves the group to sing lead with the Senators quartet)
  • Eldridge Fox – baritone
  • Ray Dean Reese – bass
  • Nick Bruno – piano
  • Jim McCauley – bass guitar
  • Bob Conley – guitar (1976)
  • Gary Dillard – steel guitar
1977–19781978–19791979
  • Ernie Phillips – tenor (joins group mid-January 1977)
  • Jim Hamill – lead
  • Squire Parsons – baritone
  • Eldridge Fox – baritone
  • Ray Dean Reese – bass
  • Nick Bruno – piano (departs late July 1978)
  • Jim McCauley – bass guitar
  • Greg Fox – drums (debuts late July 1977)
  • Gary Dillard – steel guitar
  • Ernie Phillips – tenor
  • Jim Hamill – lead
  • Squire Parsons – baritone (leaves group June, 1979)
  • Eldridge Fox – baritone
  • Ray Dean Reese – bass
  • Anthony Burger – piano (debuts August 1978)
  • Mark Trammell – bass guitar, lead singer (debuts October 1978)
  • Gary Dillard – steel guitar, dobro, harmonica and banjo
  • Greg Fox – drums
  • Ernie Phillips – tenor
  • Jim Hamill – lead
  • Eldridge Fox – baritone
  • Ray Dean Reese – bass
  • Anthony Burger – piano
  • Mark Trammell – bass guitar, lead, baritone
  • Greg Fox – drums
  • Gary Dillard – steel guitar, dobro, harmonica and banjo
1979–19801980–19831983–1984
  • Ernie Phillips – tenor
  • Jim Hamill – lead
  • Mark Trammell – lead, baritone, bass guitar (departs late March 1980 to join The Cathedral Quartet)
  • Wayne Maynard – baritone (debuts late 1979)
  • Eldridge Fox – baritone (Fox scales back his singing - appearing at select concerts and doing on average one song per album - to focus on the business side of the group from here on out until health issues end his performing career in the late 1990s.)
  • Ray Dean Reese – bass
  • Anthony Burger – piano
  • Otis Lynn Dillon – bass guitar (1979)
  • Greg Fox – drums
  • Gary Dillard – steel guitar, dobro, harmonica, and banjo (leaves group mid June, 1980)
  • Ernie Phillips – tenor (departs November 1, 1983)
  • Jim Hamill – lead
  • Wayne Maynard – baritone (switches to lead & bass guitar February 1982)
  • Ed Crawford – bass guitar (debuts September, 1981; switches to baritone February 1982)
  • Ray Dean Reese – bass
  • Anthony Burger – piano
  • Sam Crowe – steel guitar, lead guitar, harmonica, banjo and dobro (Joins late June, 1980; departs late April,1983
  • Jim McCauley – bass guitar (rejoins April,1980; departs late August, 1981)
  • Greg Fox – drums
  • Gary Dillard – steel guitar, banjo, dobro, harmonica (rejoins May, 1983)
  • Garry Sheppard – tenor (debuts November 1983)
  • Jim Hamill – lead
  • Wayne Maynard – lead, bass guitar (departs late April 1984)
  • Ed Crawford – baritone
  • Ray Dean Reese – bass
  • Anthony Burger – piano
  • Greg Fox – drums
  • Gary Dillard – steel guitar, banjo, dobro, harmonica
1984–19881988–19891989–1993
  • Garry Sheppard – tenor
  • Jim Hamill – lead
  • Arthur Rice – lead, bass guitar (debuts May 1984)
  • Ed Crawford – baritone (departs July 1988)
  • Ray Dean Reese – bass
  • Anthony Burger – piano
  • Greg Fox – drums
  • Gary Dillard – steel guitar, banjo, dobro and harmonica
  • Garry Sheppard – tenor
  • Jim Hamill – lead
  • Arthur Rice – lead, baritone, bass guitar (becomes baritone when Ed Crawford leaves. Rice departs in April 1989)
  • Eldridge Fox – baritone
  • Ray Dean Reese – bass
  • Anthony Burger – piano
  • Greg Fox – drums
  • Gary Dillard – steel guitar, dobro, harmonica and banjo
  • Tim Surrett - baritone, bass guitar (debuted with group in March 1989 and split some concerts at baritone with Eldridge Fox, who was recovering from a heart attack, until the hiring of Parker Jonathan in September 1989.)
  • Garry Sheppard – tenor (departs late July 1993)
  • Jim Hamill – lead
  • Parker Jonathan – baritone (debuts September, 1989)
  • Ray Dean Reese – bass
  • Anthony Burger – piano (left group March 1993)
  • Tim Surrett – lead singer, baritone, bass guitar (first date was March 1989)
  • Gary Dillard - steel guitar, dobro, banjo and harmonica (left group in 1991)
  • Greg Fox – drums
1993–19951995–19961996–1997
  • Chris Collins – tenor (debuts August 1993)
  • Jim Hamill - lead
  • Tim Surrett – lead, bass guitar
  • Parker Jonathan – baritone
  • Ray Dean Reese – bass
  • Randy Matthews – piano
  • Greg Fox – drums
  • Randy Miller – guitar
  • Chris Collins – tenor
  • Jim Hamill – lead
  • Tim Surrett – lead, bass guitar (departs March 1996)
  • Parker Jonathan – baritone
  • Ray Dean Reese – bass
  • Randy Matthews – piano
  • Rory Rigdon – drums, bass guitar
  • Greg Fox – drums
  • Randy Miller – guitar
  • Chris Collins – tenor
  • Jim Hamill – lead (departs in September 1996)
  • Bryan Hutson – baritone, lead (joins April, 1996)
  • Parker Jonathan – baritone
  • Ray Dean Reese – bass
  • Tim Lovelace – piano
  • Rory Rigdon – bass guitar
  • Greg Fox – drums
  • Randy Miller – guitar
1997–19981998–20012001–2002

(Under the Name "Carolina Boys")

  • Chris Collins – tenor
  • Bryan Hutson – lead
  • Parker Jonathan – baritone
  • Ray Dean Reese – bass
  • Andrew Ishee – piano
  • Rory Rigdon – bass guitar (departs in 1997)
  • Greg Fox – drums
  • Randy Miller – guitar
  • Jerry A. Martin – tenor
  • Bryan Hutson – lead
  • Jason Selph – lead, baritone, bass guitar (debuts April 1999. He sings baritone for underneath you are the everlasting arms only until 2001)
  • Parker Jonathan – baritone
  • Ray Dean Reese – bass
  • Andrew Ishee – piano (He sings vocals for he gave me the well only until 2001. departs September 2001)
  • Colby McClatchey – bass guitar (1998)
  • Randy Miller – guitar, vocal (departs in 1999)
  • Greg Fox – drums (comes off the road in 1999 to handle the business side of the group as his father's health continued to decline. Still plays select dates and sings lead for one song per album until 2001)
  • Brandon Reese – drums (1999)
  • Jerry A. Martin – tenor
  • Randy Crawford – lead (Crawford is the final lead singer prior to the Kingsmen's name retirement, joining the group in mid-2001 after the departure of Bryan Hutson)
  • Parker Jonathan – baritone (departs mid July 2002)
  • Ray Dean Reese – bass
  • Nick Succi – piano (debuts September 2001 right after the Kingsmen name retirement)
  • Brandon Reese – drums
  • Jason Selph – bass guitar, vocal
2002–20032003–20042004–2005

(Under the Name "The Kingsmen")

  • Derrick Boyd – tenor
  • Randy Crawford – lead
  • Tim Surrett – baritone, guitar
  • Jason Selph – baritone, bass guitar
  • Ray Dean Reese – bass
  • Nick Succi – piano
  • Brandon Reese – drums
  • Derrick Boyd (is the only group member from the Carolina Boys era to never perform under the Kingsmen banner) – tenor
  • Tim Surrett – lead, guitar
  • Jason Selph – baritone, bass guitar
  • Ray Dean Reese – bass
  • Nick Succi – piano
  • Brandon Reese – drums
  • Jeremy Peace – tenor
  • Phillip Hughes – lead
  • Tim Surrett – baritone
  • Jason Selph – baritone, bass guitar
  • Ray Dean Reese – bass
  • Nick Succi – piano
  • Brandon Reese – drums
2005–20072007–20082008–2009
  • Jeremy Peace – tenor
  • Phillip Hughes – lead
  • Jason Selph – lead, bass guitar
  • Tony Peace – baritone
  • Ray Dean Reese – bass
  • Nick Succi – piano
  • Brandon Reese – drums
  • Harold Reed – tenor
  • Phillip Hughes – lead, baritone
  • Bryan Hutson – lead, baritone
  • Ray Dean Reese – bass
  • Nick Succi – piano
  • Brandon Reese – drums
  • Grant Barker – bass guitar
  • Harold Reed – tenor
  • Phillip Hughes – lead
  • Bryan Hutson – baritone
  • Ray Dean Reese – bass
  • Brandon Reese – sound system
2009–20102010–20112011–2012
  • Harold Reed – tenor
  • Phillip Hughes – lead
  • Bryan Hutson – baritone
  • Ray Dean Reese – bass
  • Cody McVey – piano
  • Brandon Reese – sound system
  • Harold Reed – tenor
  • Bryan Hutson – lead, baritone
  • Randy Crawford – lead, baritone
  • Ray Dean Reese – bass
  • Cody McVey – piano
  • Brandon Reese – sound system
  • Ernie Phillips – tenor
  • Bob Sellers – lead, baritone
  • Randy Crawford – lead, baritone
  • Ray Dean Reese – bass
  • Brandon Reese – sound system
2012–201620162016–2017
  • Chris Jenkins – tenor
  • Bob Sellers – lead, baritone
  • Randy Crawford – lead, baritone
  • Ray Dean Reese – bass
  • Brandon Reese – sound system
  • Ernie Phillips – tenor
  • Bob Sellers – lead, baritone
  • Randy Crawford – lead, baritone
  • Ray Dean Reese – bass
  • Brandon Reese – sound system
  • Josh Horrell – tenor
  • Bob Sellers – lead, baritone
  • Randy Crawford – lead, baritone
  • Ray Dean Reese – bass
  • Brandon Reese – sound system
2017–20182018-2022November 2022-December 2023
  • Chris Jenkins – tenor
  • Bob Sellers – lead
  • Randy Crawford – baritone
  • Ray Dean Reese – bass
  • Justin Nehrkorn – piano
  • Brandon Reese – sound system
  • Chris Jenkins – tenor (departs October 2022)
  • Chris Bryant – lead (departs July 2022)
  • Alan Kendall – baritone
  • Ray Dean Reese – bass
  • Brandon Reese - sound system
  • Thomas Nalley – tenor
  • Cole Watson – lead
  • Alan Kendall – baritone
  • Ray Dean Reese – bass
  • Drew Laney - bass (begins sharing bass duties with Reese in September 2022, resigns November 2023 but stays on road until early December)
  • Brandon Reese - sound system
January, 2024–present
  • Thomas Nalley-tenor
  • Cole Watson-lead
  • Alan Kendall-baritone
  • Brady Jones-bass
  • Ray Dean Reese-bass
  • Brandon Reese-sound system

Discography

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References

  1. "Jim Hamill". www.sgma.org. Archived from the original on January 14, 2006. Retrieved January 13, 2022.
  2. "Squire Parsons". Archived from the original on May 17, 2011. Retrieved May 18, 2011.
  3. "Anthony John Burger". Archived from the original on March 10, 2012. Retrieved March 10, 2012.
  4. "Year of 2000 « GMA Hall of Fame". Archived from the original on November 26, 2012. Retrieved April 1, 2013.
  5. "Hallmuseum.com". Hallmuseum.com. Archived from the original on August 19, 2009. Retrieved January 4, 2018.