Quartet and Traditional Singers gathered in Birmingham, Alabama on January 21-22 for the 25th Annual American Gospel Quartet Convention. The two-day conference was held al the Christ Temple Deliverance Church (2512 Avenue D Ensley, Birmingham, AL 35218) and included music seminars, concerts, awards ceremonies, networking and Bible ministry.
The AGQC was founded by George W. Stewart as a medium to refocus the Gospel quartets back to their spiritual foundation and to preserve the genre’s rich history. Stewart reflects,”God spoke to me and said, ‘If I can get the quartets saved I will save the world through them.’ And for all these years we have been on a mission with a team of great people to let the world know that this great music is the foundation of most modern music.”
Several groups and individuals were honored during the 2016 ACQC as attendees gathered under the theme ” Press Sure Towards the Prize of the High Mark” (Philippians 3:14). The Hall of Fame inductees were The Bolton Brothers, The Christianaires and Lemonia Boyd, The AGQC also paid tribute to the Twenty-Five Most Influential Singers, the Twenty-Five Most Influential Musicians and the Twenty-Five Most Influential Contributors to the Quartet Music Genre. Two other prestigious awards included The Dorothy Love Coates Living Legend Award (Doc McKenzie) and the Joe Ligon Lifetime Achievement Award (Bishop Darrell McFadden).
Representatives of the Jefferson County Sound were saluted for their commitment to continue to carry the sound. The honored groups included the Delta Aires, The Four Eagles, The Pillars and The Friendly Four (Selma, AL).
The morning sessions began at 9 a.m. and the nightly concerts began at 6:30 p.m. All events were free to the public.
For more information on the AGQ Convention go the www.agqconvention.ning.com or contact George W. Stewart, (205) 798-4093.
