The Pandemic and Southern Gospel
BY: James Burke, Founder, and Host of Southern Gospel Point of View
Email: james@southerngospelpov.com
I’ve held off on writing about the effects of the pandemic on Southern Gospel for a while now. I suppose I was hoping against hope that things would level off and our favorite groups and friends could get back out there.
In recent days and weeks, I have heard and read about the effects of COVID-19 on the Southern Gospel industry. To a small minority, the effects have been seen in small attendance to their concerts, possibly because of fear, but generally because of restrictions of crowd sizes. Some have had weekly cancellations and unfortunately, some of those have been for dates far in the distance.
For many of the gospel artists that we see on Daystar, TBN, NQC, and in the Singing News Magazine, their income is made on the road, promoting themselves or their groups, selling albums, booking events, and moving product from their tables. They don’t work a secular job, so there is no steady paycheck. There have been special events held during this quarantine that have served to help these folks, but they are so few and far between that these artists cannot support themselves.
Some groups are considered part-time in that they work throughout the week and travel and sing on the weekend. Those groups are hanging in and they’ve begun working full time until their events can be scheduled again. But those that are full time, have had to find work, do odd jobs, show off their skills in other ways, some are doing voice or piano lessons, some are teaching others to read shape notes, some are working as voice over actors.
Then we come to a tragedy for others, when things are so dire that they have to leave a group in search of financial stability. Just this week, two vocal giants left a top billed group. While there are other more public reasons for leaving, there is no doubt that, their families could no longer survive on the hope that churches and venues would soon open again.
How can you help? Buy…their…product! Each week I get digital and physical albums from studios for airplay. But I find myself guarding them closely and purchasing more music than I receive. On more than one occasion I have heard of a new song and the buzz that it is creating, so I purchase the album online, just to go to the mailbox in a day or so and find that same album there. Do I give it away? No! I suppose I could, but the group deserves that I implore others to purchase the music.
I have no idea what the math is on the sale of an on-line album, but I know this, everything counts. We love these folks, we love their songs and sound, so in the midst of this pandemic, let us support them with everything we’ve got, but that’s just my Southern Gospel Point of View.
For more Southern Gospel news, visit www.southerngospelpov.com.
