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Without a doubt one of the biggest influences on my ministry beyond my father has been brother
Gerald Wolfe. The Chapels started out like many other groups singing songs by their favorite
gospel artists and we were no different. Gerald Wolfe & Greater Vision certainly was our favorite. |
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Near the end of 1995, I visited a Greater Vision concert and approached brother Gerald
inquiring about producing the group. Brother Gerald agreed and the group began preparing
new material to record the My Heart Is A Chapel album. |
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At the end of 1995 brother Joe Calderoni shared with the group that he felt the Lord’s
call to preach and would be following that call. So began the search for a new member
and the Lord sent the group brother Ron Newsome. |
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Bobby Crumpler (left),
Ron Newsome (center)
Robert Leatherwood (right).
Ron Newsome grew up singing southern gospel music
with his family in The Good News Quartet and a number
of other groups. Ron not only brought a great singing
voice to the group but a talent for writing great gospel
songs as well as playing piano and bass guitar.
In the spring of 1996 The Chapels went to
Southern Sound Studios in Knoxville, Tennessee
and recorded My Heart Is A Chapel (below).
I wrote three songs for this album and we also were
honored to do some new Rodney Griffin songs. |
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The Lord opened many doors for The Chapels with this album and with that traveling to many
new churches. While recording the album in Knoxville, TN I recall being in the studio musician
area speaking with Brian Sutton, the great guitarist, when brother Gerald came to me and
told me Bill Gaither was on the phone and wanted to speak to me. |
To be honest, I thought the man was joking and told him so. I had only met brother
Gaither once before. To my surprise when I picked up the phone it was Bill Gaither.
He had great words of encouragement for the group and spoke of his great admiration
for my dad. He also wanted me to send him a copy of the title cut My Heart Is A Chapel.
He told me it was his favorite song and Dad was his favorite tenor. |
