THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, September 25, 1994 TAG: 9409230268
SECTION: CHESAPEAKE CLIPPER PAGE: 12 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Cover Story
SOURCE: BY ERIC FEBER, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Long : 193 lines
PROFESSIONALLY they are a diverse group.
Ken Channell, 66, of Deep Creek is a retired contractor; Barry Dail, 54, of Portsmouth is a phone and equipment installer for Western Electric; Ricky Lawrence, 39, of Bowers Hill demonstrates and sells pianos and keyboard instruments; Randy Radford, 38, of Suffolk is a truck driver; and Sonny Morgan of Indian River is a draftsman for a Suffolk architectural firm.
But when it comes to faith and music they are one.
They are the Chesapeake-based Galileans, one of the best known Southern gospel groups in Hampton Roads, now celebrating 40 years of continuous musical ministry.
In performances at area churches, festivals and special events their voices blend to produce the sweet close harmony sounds of traditional Southern gospel music anchored by Channell's rich baritone voice.
All five members hold the same strong Christian faith. They spend most Thursday evenings rehearsing their vocal harmonies and spend most weekends throughout the year lifting their voices as witness to the glory of God.
``We had no idea it would last this long,'' said founding member Ken Channell. ``We figured we'd sing at our church and on an occasional Sunday night. For about a year after we formed we sort of stumbled along, but then we finally realized this was what the Lord had in mind for us.''
The group formed in September 1954 at the urging of a minister and received its inspiration from another man of the cloth.
``This preacher at the Fairview Baptist Church in Portsmouth asked us to form a quartet to sing at his church,'' Channell said in his rich West Virginia accent. ``During our first year, Damon Wyatt, who was pastor of the West Norfolk Baptist Church, kept giving us encouragement to go on. He kept inviting back to his church to sing. After a while we all thought we'd keep this thing going.''
Initially they called themselves The Brotherhood Quartet. Soon they added another member and changed their name to the Kingsmen. But that name presented problems.
``We were on this program one night and we noticed there were three sets of Kingsmen on the bill,'' Channell said chuckling. ``Later my sister said she'd pick out a name for us. She leafed through the Bible and finally picked Galileans. We've been that ever since.''
The original Galileans featured Channell and Dail along with James Maynard, Richard Martin and George Eavey.
Maynard and Martin are now retired and live in Florida. Eavey, who was the group's piano player, moved to Chicago and plays organ for his Windy City church.
``About 15 other singers and musicians have been with the group,'' Channell said. ``Those personnel changes took place during the first five to 10 years of the group. The current lineup has been together for over 20 years.''
Channell and Lawrence cited several former Galileans who moved up in the world of professional gospel music, something that makes the entire group proud.
``It makes us feel good to know that we were the starting point for several top gospel singers in the country,'' said Lawrence, who has been with the group since he was 13 years old.
``We're as proud of them as if we raised each and every one of them,'' Channell said.
A few top former Galileans include:
Rodney Griffin, now with the Nashville-based professional gospel group Greater Vision. ``They're considered one of the best groups in the country,'' Lawrence said.
David Hill, who sings with the Nashville-based Gold City Quartet. ``He has been voted No. 1 in gospel music,'' Channell said.
Ray Rawls, who sings with the Goldsboro, N.C.-based group Movin' Up, who performed with the Galileans at their recent 40th anniversary concert. ``We trained him from scratch,'' Channell said. ``Before us he had never sung with anyone else before. He was just a punk,'' Lawrence said with a laugh.
As singers and musicians came and went, Channell and Dail kept the group singing until it arrived at its present and most stable lineup.
``I think we're the only group in Tidewater that's been around this long on a continuous basis,'' Channell said with a hint of pride. ``The Cavaliers are another area group that's been around for a while, but they dropped out for a number of years.''
Lawrence and Channell insist the Galileans will never drop out. They said they'll keep on singing as long as they can effectively blend their voices, hit the right notes and inspire people to follow the Lord.
``People expect us to be there,'' Channell said. ``If the Galileans weren't at a concert, the next day there'd be too many questions we couldn't answer. I've been singing all my life, I reckon. My wife once told me I'd be singing until I passed out on the stage.''
You'd think a bunch of singers who have performed with each other for more than 20 years would take it easy during practices.
Not on your life. They want their songs to sound as perfect as heaven, and they work at it each Thursday night, without fail, at the Community Baptist Church in Suffolk.
``We work on our harmony more than any other group,'' Channell said. ``The Lord blessed us all with a good ear to know if we made a musical boo-boo. We're all perfectionists. We want every note to be right. That's what we strive for.''
``Absolutely,'' Lawrence added. ``It's got to be right. In past rehearsals we've spent weeks on one song. If it doesn't sound right, we toss it. We don't fuss or argue with each other, we talk things out. And we criticize each other constantly. I know if I'm hitting a bad note. I want to hear about it.''
Currently, the group has about 40 songs in its repertoire and changes its program about every eight to 10 months. New songs are picked from the top gospel hits of the day mixed with many classic songs and older obscure tunes.
``We learn one; we drop one,'' Lawrence said.
``The new stuff keeps us on our toes,'' Channell said. ``And learning all those new lyrics keeps our minds sharp.''
The rehearsals not only help keep the group sharp musically but help keep the members together as friends, Lawrence said.
``These guys are my best friends,'' he said. ``After practice we always talk and have fellowship. Ken and I can't even talk on the phone unless it's for at least an hour.''
Channell, who handles the group's bookings and finances, said their calendar for the year is usually filled up by February, and bookings for the following year usually start coming in by July.
``We never call anybody,'' he said. ``They always call us.''
The group performs every weekend except for December, when they take time off to be with family and friends for the holidays. Members usually take family vacations at the same time of the year in order to avoid scheduling problems.
The only money they'll accept is for expenses and the upkeep on instruments, equipment and public address system. No member receives any money for profit from the group. Even money from sales of its two recent cassette tapes goes back into the group's general operating fund.
``They never know how much we make,'' Channell said with a wink.
``We all really don't care,'' Lawrence added.
Channell said he keeps strict and accurate records of the group's financial affairs, pays taxes on the cassette sales and makes sure the group is comfortable on the road.
``We've all been very fortunate,'' Lawrence said. ``Kenny buys us Happy Meals and pays the bills.''
After building up a 40-year reputation, perfecting a unique vocal harmony sound and making 10 professional recordings, has the group ever contemplated turning professional?
``It's something we chose not to do because of our families,'' Lawrence said. ``We always look forward to being back in our beds on Sunday night.''
``When I was 52 I had the opportunity to tour with a professional group from Harrisonburg, called The Crestmen,'' Channell said. ``But if I did that I probably would have had to sign a divorce decree. But seriously, we've sung enough on weekends to know that life on the road is hard and full of temptations. We like it this way.''
The group works hard at weekly rehearsals and spends most weekends on the road performing for no financial reward. So why do it?
``We're not looking for earthly rewards,'' Lawrence said. ``It costs us all money, time away from our families and sometimes our jobs. The satisfaction comes from using our talent for the Lord. We look at it in the sense of long-term eternal rewards.''
``This has been a life thing for all of us,'' Channell said. ``We're doing work for the Lord. The payoff is when you see someone walk down that aisle to accept God. In the end, when I stand before him in his Kingdom, I want the Lord to say, `Hey, well done!' '' MEMO: ON THE ROAD
Here is a look at the Galileans upcoming schedule:
Sept. 24-25 - Macedonia Freewill Baptist Church, New Bern, N.C.
Oct. 2 - State Fair, Richmond, 3 p.m., Virginia Green Stage
Oct. 9 - Fair Oaks Campground, Williamsburg, 10 a.m.
Oct. 30 - South Norfolk Congregational Christian Church, 7 p.m.
Nov. 5 - Wycomoco Church, Northern Neck, 7:30 p.m.
Nov. 12 - First Pentecostal Church of Chesapeake, 7:30 p.m.
Nov. 19, Avalon Hills Baptist Church, Virginia Beach, 7 p.m.
Nov. 20 - Calvary Baptist Church, Gloucester, 6 p.m.
For more information about the Galileans, for bookings, or to obtain a
cassette of their music, call 487-2160 or 488-3987.
THE GALILEANS 40TH ANNIVERSARY CONCERT\ The Galileans celebrated
their 40th anniversary at a concert Sept. 17 at the Bethany Baptist
Church, Portsmouth. Joining them on the bill were professional gospel
performers Greater Vision, Movin' Up and Ivan Parker.
According to member Ken Channell, more than 1,400 people attended the
concert. An added surprise were certificates and proclamations from
Chesapeake Mayor William E. Ward and Virginia Gov. George F. Allen,
which were presented to the members while on stage.
The concert ended with all featured performers joining the Galileans
on stage for a rendition of ``Amazing Grace.''
``It was very dramatic,'' Channell said. ``We were thrilled all
night.'' ILLUSTRATION: Color photo on cover
The Galileans
Staff photo by MICHAEL KESTNER
Left to right: Barry Dail, Ken Channell, Randy Radford, Ricky
Lawrence and Sonny Morgan gather around a piano at Community Baptist
Church during practice.
Ricky Lawrence gestures about some changes he wants to make while
Sonny Morgan plays bass guitar.
Galilean founder Ken Channell, right, listens intently to Barry Dail
during a practice session.
by CNB