The Kinsmen Quartet Blog

Well folks, I am happy to announce that we have found a replacement for Doug.  Our new tenor singer is Mr. Bill Hankins from PIne Bluff.  Bill is a member of Watson Chapel Baptist church. Just last night, Mark and I got together with Bill for the first time and sung.  Bill did a great job, and over the coming weeks will be learning the words to all our songs and will be getting in the studio to lay down the tenor tracks on our new project.   We welcome Bill and look forward to singing with him.  We hope that you will come out soon to hear The Kinsmen and to welcome Bill.

Well folks, if you stay in this business long enough, people will come and go whether you like it or not.  Having said that, I am saddened to announce that our tenor singer, Doug Boydston is leaving the group in order to spend more time with his family.  Doug has been a faithful servant with us serving as our tenor singer for the past 10 years.  He has three RV businesses that are needing more of his attention, as well as two young boys and a wife who needs more of his time at home.  While we are saddened with his departure, we understand and will pray for him.   As mentioned in my previous post, we had just finished our latest recording project entitled “Pure Southern Gospel.”   We have made some pre-release copies that we have had at our last two singings, however, that project is on hold for a time until we can replace Doug.   At that time, we will go back and take Doug’s voice off the recording and add our new tenor singers voice to it.   We do have one candidate for the position that we will be trying out very soon.  Stay tuned to this blog for an announcement as soon as we are able to do so.   Meanwhile, we simply ask for your prayers for Doug and his family, and for The Kinsmen as we take a little time over the holidays to re-group.   Our desire is that God’s will be done.   Doug’s last night with us was on November 27th at Summit Baptist Church in Pine Bluff.   We had a wonderful singing there.  Mark was recovering from a cold and wasn’t able to sing all the songs, but our dear friend and former Kinsmen Danny Holcomb filled in and did a wonderful job.  We were also blessed to hear Danny and his two children, Danniel and Kathleen sing “It is Well with my Soul.”   What an incredible blessing this was!     Check back often for an update on our replacement for Doug and keep us in your prayers.     We are taking bookings for 2012 if your church would like to have us.  Please contact me (Gary) at 870-367-2131.

Well folks…since my last post, The Kinsmen have been pretty busy. We sung on October 30th at Dermott First Baptist Church and had a wonderful time and fellowship of fish and the trimmings afterward with Brother Jerry Starnes and the fine folks at First Baptist. On November 5th, we were back at one of our favorite places in Crossett at Rolfe Chapel Baptist Church. Thanks to brother Dale Doss and the folks there for making it a great evening. We’ve also been busy in the studio finishing up on our latest project. We are in the final stages of mixing it now, so it should be ready soon. I will keep you posted on that progress as soon as it is released. Songs on this project are as follows: How Long Has it Been/ Jesus is Coming Soon/ His Grace is Sufficient/ The hills of Glory/ The Eastern Gate/ I feel like traveling on/ Oh Come, Angel Band/ I believe He’s coming back/ Hide Thou Me/ This Ole Sinner Testifies/ and It’s Almost Over. 11 great Southern Gospel Songs! I believe you’re gonna like this one!
We’ll be finishing up our year of singing this month on November 13th at Oak Grove Missionary Baptist church in Woodlawn and on November 27th at Summit Baptist in Pine Bluff. Check our web site for updates and changes. Until next time….keep a smile on your face, and a song in your heart!

Folks…I forgot to mention in my last post that we have finally gotten back into the studio and have started on a new recording project. We currently have three songs laid down and will be going back tonight to lay down two or three more. Hopefully, we will be able to finish up the project sometime in September and get it produced and released. We think you’re going to like this project. It is filled with good old songs that almost everyone knows. Here are just a few songs that we know are going to be on it: I Feel Like Traveling On/ Oh Come, Angel Band/ I Believe He’s Coming Back/ The Eastern Gate/ It’s Almost Over/ His Grace is Sufficient .
Keep a watch on this site to learn more as we get finished with this project!

Well folks….I guess I am going to have to accept the fact that I am not going to update this blog as often as I have intentions to do so. Having said that, I would like to catch you up since my last post. This Summer, we have not been singing as much as usual. The weather has been so very hot and we kind of needed a bit of a break so didn’t pursue anything that wasn’t already booked some time ago. We did sing at Sherrill United Methodist church for the 5th year in a row and always enjoy seeing our good friends there each year. On June 12th, we sung at Victory baptist church in Hampton which was the church that Mark got saved in as a young boy, and that was special. On July 31st, we were at Fellowship Baptist in the small community of Snyder. Brother Elvin McDill always welcomes us and we had a really special service there along with some good eating afterwards! On August 7th, we were at Dougs church in Little Rock. Trinity Assembly of God where we also had a good service. It was there that we got to visit with our good friend, Garry Beavers and his wife Liz. Garry is the tenor singer for The Apostles Quartet. We even talked him into coming up and singing “The Glory Road” with us. Coming up in September, we’ll be at Bethany Baptist Church in Pine Bluff on September 10th. On the 17th, we’ll be at Harrell United Methodist Church in Harrell, Arkansas just down the road from where I grew up. On the 18th, we’ll travel North to London, Arkansas just North of Russellville to sing at Mt. Carmel Cumberland Presbyterian Church. Keep a close check on our web site to see new dates being added for the Fall. Until next time…..Keep a song in your heart and a smile on your face!

Well folks! Being a working man and trying to sing on the weekends doesn’t always lend itself to keeping the web site as up to date as I would like to. For that, I’m sorry. So, to catch you up a little since my last post:
On March 27th, we sung at Northside Baptist Church in Monticello and enjoyed a great lunch there with a lot of really nice people. Don’t know who made the coconut pie, but it was just like my moma used to make!
We did not have any bookings during the month of April and used some of that time to get back in the studio to “start” on a new recording project. Due to my hectic work schedule, we haven’t had time to get back in several weeks, but hopefully in the next week or two will be able to do so.
On May 7th, we sung a benefit concert at Little Creek Baptist church in Sheridan along with the Voyagers Quartet and had a nice crowd there and lots of fun with the guys in the Voyagers.
Just last night we sung for our first time at North Malvern Assembly of God church in Malvern. What a nice bunch of people there and what a great service of worship we had. Thanks to Brother Paul Grigsby and all the fine folks there for the great meal afterwards!
We look forward on June 4th to going back to Sherrill United Methodist church with the wonderful friends we’ve made there over the past few years. We always enjoy a great service and fellowship with all the fine folks in Sherrill.
On June 12th, we will be at Victory Baptist church in Hampton. This is the church that Mark was saved in when he was only 16 years old.
Keep a check on our web site as we add more dates throughout the year!

Wow! Another great service this weekend at the Monticello Baptist Temple. Once again, the Holy Spirit was ever present and we had a great service! Thanks to Brother Gary Jordan and your entire church family for your hospitality! We’ll be back in Monticello on Sunday morning, March 27th at the 11am service at Northside Baptist. Hope to see you there!

Wow! What an awesome service at Harmony Baptist church near Perryville, Arkansas last night. The Holy Spirit showed up and we had a great sevice. I’ve often heard it said that if the Holy Spirit begins to move the people and they begin to respond to the songs we sing, it’s like sicking a dog on a coon! Well..that’s what happend last night and everyone left feeling revived! Thank you brother Jim and sister Cheryl Bynum for having us back to your church and thank you people of HBC for blessing us with your presence! May God continue to Bless your church in all of it’s endeavors!

Once again folks, I’ve been slow on putting anything on the blog for which I once again apologize. The Kinsmen have sung twice in the month of January and things with the “new” line up are beginning to gel. Mark is doing a great job singing the lead and has brought us a whole new line up of different songs. So many in fact, that we’re ready to get back in the studio again to record a new project. We are tennatively scheduled to begin work on the new project on February 19th. I will keep you posted on how that’s going and when to expect it’s release. In the meantime, continue to pray for us as we spread the word, and if you or someone you know would like to book us, please give me a call.

Well folks, it’s official.  Mark Little has been named the new lead singer for The Kinsmen.  Most of you remember that Mark was an “original” Kinsmen back in 1985 when my brother and I formed the group.  He sung the tenor line for us then.  Later on, he moved to the bass position when we named a new tenor singer.  And now, he’s singing the part he was meant to sing….the lead.   Doug and I welcome Mark and look forward to seeing all of you in the months to come.  Keep a watch on our website as we begin to book new dates and come out and hear us when you can.  Welcome back Mark!!