Founded in 1956, gospel legends The Kingsmen have produced 91 albums and won numerous awards for their music. Not only were The Kingsmen inducted into both the Gospel Music Hall of Fame and the Christian Music Hall of Fame, but their band was voted the fan favorite a record 17 times.
The Kingsmen performed to a socially distanced full house on Sept. 24 at Central Baptist Church, Trussville.
The concert included many of the songs from their latest release, “Victory Shout,” which debuted at No. 1 on Billboard’s Southern Gospel chart. And since The Kingsmen’s mission is to bring the good news of Jesus to everyone, the concert concluded with an invitation.
Family business
The group’s sound engineer, road manager and drummer, Brandon Reese, of B. Reese, as he’s known, grew up around The Kingsmen, as Ray Dean Reese’s son. Calling himself a nerd, B. Reese loves studying astronomy and history.
Ray Dean Reese has been a part of The Kingsmen for 55 years. He sings bass and has been inducted into the Southern Gospel Music Hall of Fame.
Originally from Jackson, Mississippi, Chris Bryant sings lead and is “a football nut,” according to B. Reese.
Baritone singer Alan Kendall’s mother is from Trussville. When bandmates mentioned that he might “have kin here” in the audience, Kendall smiled and said, “Ones that admit it.” He’s a music history buff.
Chris Jenkins, from Greensboro, North Carolina, sings tenor and was voted one of the top ten tenors in the industry by fans. Before joining The Kingsmen, Jenkins was a bank branch manager.
One of the secrets to the longevity of this group is that members are free to leave if their life circumstances change.
“I wish everybody would stay forever, but sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t… In a perfect world you could have the same guys until it’s over,” said B. Reese. “I believe the ministry is bigger than just one person.”
When it’s time for a replacement of one of the members, B. Reese said that it’s a combination of who they know who could fill the position, auditions “and a lot of prayer.”
“Nobody’s perfect, but everybody gets along,” said B. Reese. “It’s a job, but it’s the kind of job you don’t do unless you like it.”
Long history of music
With over 950 songs in their catalog, concert set lists are chosen not always by the message but also by the music. B. Reese said that the words from the old songs are still relevant but the music often isn’t.
“You could take words from a song in 1970 and put today’s music to it… But people want to hear today’s music.”
When some criticize modern music, saying it’s not the same as the old stuff, B. Reese responds, “Neither is your car.”
Still, older music is part of The Kingsmen’s repertoire, and favorites like “Amazing Grace” and “The Old Rugged Cross” are almost always part of their show.
The Kingsmen plays all types of venues with a variety of entrance options — from free admission with a love offering to traditional admission tickets.
“We’re always on tour,” B. Reese said. “We usually do about 150 dates a year — about three to four days a week with a break in the summer.”
COVID-19 has affected the group tremendously. The Trussville concert was one of about 15 the group had done since March, B. Reese said.
“It’s hurt financially… [but] you’ve got to keep praying and go through it,” he added.
Sharing the good news
Different states have different health requirements, but The Kingsmen are performing shows. One was an outdoor concert with 1,100 people. The concert in Trussville was held inside, but the church blocked off every other pew and had groups sitting apart. But another state recently cancelled two concerts that weren’t scheduled until January 2021.
“It’s aggravating… Even if we wanted to go out and if people wanted to come, depending on the state it’s in, the governor can say, ‘Well, you can’t,’” said B. Reese.
The Kingsmen’s mission is to “bring the good news of Jesus to everyone,” B. Reese said. “It’s not easy all the time, and I’m not a perfect, shining example, but that’s what I feel that I’m called to do. I feel that that’s what we need to do.”
“The world needs to hear it. The country needs to hear it. Everybody needs to hear it.”
The Kingsmen have several concerts scheduled in Alabama:
- Ragland — Nov. 15
- Tuscaloosa — Nov. 20
- Florence — Nov. 27
- Hanceville — July 31, 2021.
For information about The Kingsmen and these upcoming concerts, go to kingsmenquartet.com.
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