The Kingsmen Quartet

The Kingsmen
The Kingsmen
Also known as	Carolina Boys (2001–04)
Origin	Asheville, North Carolina
Genres	Southern gospel
Years active	1956–present
Labels	Stars 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; Harold Reed; Cole Watson; Brady Jones;
Website	kingsmenquartet.com

Last updated September 23, 2025

The Kingsmen Quartet (better known as The Kingsmen) is an American Southern gospel vocal quartet based out of Asheville, North Carolina.

Musical career

Many singers of Southern Gospel including Jim Hamill,^[1] Squire Parsons,^[2] Anthony Burger,^[3] Mark Trammell, Tim Surrett, and others have been members of The Kingsmen. Compared to the more polished and choreographed quartets before them, The Kingsmen emphasized exuberant gospel energy, especially beginning in the 1970s.

They have had over 75 Top Ten radio hits, more than any other southern gospel music artist, and twenty have went to the #1 spot, more than any male quartet in history.

Discography

1956 Single: If Everybody Prays/This World’s Gonna Bow to the King of Kings
1959 EP: House of Gold/Till I Found God/New Jerusalem/This is a Mean World
1960 What Love
1961 New Jerusalem
1962 Closer to Thee
1963 That Kingsmen Sound
1964 From the Land of the Sky
1965 A Visit with the Kingsmen
1966 Carolina's Favorite Quartet
1966 Songs and Spirituals
1967 Sing Out!
1968 Kingsmen Kountry
1968 Daddy Sang Bass
1968 Crown Him King
1969 Try a Little Kindness
1969 Standing Room Only
1970 The Kingsmen
1971 Then and Now
1971 Suddenly There's a Valley
1971 America's Favorite Hymns
1971 Presented by Colonial Mobile Homes
1972 May Day
1972 Turn Your Radio On
1972 It's Time to Ring the Bell
1972 Johnny Parrack Out Front
1972 Hymn Time in the Country
1973 High and Low: Johnny Parrack and Ray Dean Reese
1973 Sing a Lot of Gospel
1973 Reverend Everett Beverly and Anna Laura
1973 Just Plain Singin'
1973 Just As the Sun Went Down (same album as above)
1973 Big and Live
1974 1686 lbs. of Gospel
1975 Jubiliation
1975 The Old and the New: Jim Hamill and Squire Parsons
1975 24 Carat Gospel
1976 It Made News In Heaven
1976 Just In Time
1976 Golden Gospel
1977 Just a Little Closer Home
1977 Chattanooga Live
1978 The Upper Window
1979 From Out of the Past
1980 Ring the Bells of Freedom
1981 Live...Naturally
1982 Your Ride Is on the Way
1982 With Grady Nutt
1983 Live from the University of Alabama
1984 Kingsmen Silver (compilation album with two original featuring Garry Sheppard)
1984 The Game of Life
1985 Better in Person
1986 Stand Up at Opryland USA
1987 Mississippi Live
1988 Anchors Aweigh
1989 The Judgement (released on cd as "The Kingsmen")
1990 Live in Dayton
1991 Wish You Were Here
1992 Singin' in the Sun Live
1992 Walking with Jesus
1992 Singing News Hits
1992 Living by Faith
1993 27 Great Gospel Songs
1993 New Life
1993 Kingsmen Band
1994 Ridin' High
1994 Live from the Alabama Theatre
1994 A Kingsmen Christmas
1994 30 Great Gospel Songs
1995 Georgia Live
1996 40th Anniversary Reunion: Perfecting the Crown
1996 Beyond the Clouds
1997 You're Not Alone
1997 Southern Classics Volume 1
1997 Kingsmen Standards Volume 1
1998 The Old Time Way
1998 Kingsmen Standards Volume 2
1999 Southern Classics Volume 2
1999 Shelter
1999 Not Quite as Big, But Just as Live
2000 Proven Time and Again
2001 I Will
2001 Honoring the Heritage 1 (as Carolina Boys)
2002 Good News! (as Carolina Boys)
2003 Ready (as Carolina Boys)
2004 Born Again
2005 My Past Is Past
2006 Good, Good God
2007 I'll Not Turn Back-Live
2007 Honoring the Heritage 2 - Live
2008 When God Ran
2009 Missing People
2010 Honoring the Heritage 3
2010 Live Performances from the National Quartet Convention
2011 Grace Says
2012 Once Again
2013 Front Row Live
2014 Battle Cry
2016 Classic Live Performances
2017 They Don't Know
2019 Victory Shout
2020 40th Anniversary Reunion: Live, Extended, Remixed, Remastered
2021 More to the Story
2022 ‘Tis the Reason
2023 Decades, Volumes 1 & 2
2024 Unstoppable God
2025 Decades, Volumes 3 & 4

Awards

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)^[4]
Christian Music Hall of Fame (inducted in 2007)^[5]
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
- Ernie Phillips, inducted in 2019
- Arthur Rice, inducted in 2022
- Nick Bruno, inducted in 2025
- Martin Cook (with the Kingsmen briefly in 1957), inducted in 2003

References

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

External links and references

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[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.

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