NQC Awards Ballot: First Round

Since several others have posted their ballots in the first round of the NQC awards voting, I will do the same.

• Bass: Tim Riley
• Baritone: Mark Trammell
• Lead: Bill Shivers
• Tenor: Gus Gaches
• Soprano: Karen Peck Gooch
• Alto: Courtney Collingsworth Metz
• Soloist: Steve Ladd
• Male Group: Gold City
• Mixed Group: Collingsworth Family
• Musician: Jeff Stice
• Album: Let It Be Known – Booth Brothers
• Song: “On The Banks Of The Promised Land” – Karen Peck and New River

YouTube Clip #40 – Steve Ladd filling in with Gold City

I had the privilege of seeing Gold City last Saturday and had the treat of hearing Steve Ladd filling in with them.  He didn’t miss a beat and you would think he had never left the group.  Here is their closing song of the evening, “Preach the Word.”

More On Steve Ladd & Gold City

I went ahead and posted the news last night as soon as I heard it (do you realize how hard it is to type a blog post on a Blackberry?), but I wanted to give some more thoughts on Steve Ladd and where Gold City goes from here. I’ll admit I was not a fan of the choice of Ladd at the time he was hired, and I was very skeptical about how he would fit with Gold City. After hearing “About The Cross” on First Class, I was reassured that he would do alright. Then came “Preach The Word.” I’ve said here before that I wasn’t a fan of the Revival CD as a whole, but this song is a stark contrast to my feelings on the album as a whole. This song, and Steve’s performance, cemented me as a Steve Ladd fan. If you listen to his early Anchormen recordings and then to “Preach The Word” or any of his features on Moment Of Truth, the difference and maturity in Steve’s voice is like night and day. Lots of respect to someone who obviously worked very hard to hone his skill. Steve, I can admit that I was wrong in doubting you at first, and you will be sorely missed.

So now where does GC go from here? Daniel Mount has an interesting take that they may go for someone with a more contemporary edge to his voice, and Kyle Boreing is I think going along those same lines with his thoughts about Wes Hampton. I’ll agree with that reasoning and suggest a name as well. Gold City (Danny R.) take a good look at Jeremie Hudson. I don’t think Jeremie is singing with anyone since leaving the Imperials, he has that progressive/contemporary edge to his voice, he definitely has the range, and he is versatile enough to handle the more traditional sounds. Read my review of the Imps’ Back To The Roots and you’ll find that out. An added bonus is that he sang with Bruce Taliaferro previously, so there is some history there already.

Steve Ladd Departs Gold City

According to Averyfineline, Gold City has announced via myspace that Steve Ladd is leaving the group to take a position as minister of music at a church in the Gadsden area. Ladd had been with the group for 5 years, and really helped to define the group’s new sound. Watch for more info to come.

UPDATE: More info can be found here.