Well Glory! I do not have more apt words to describe the incredible evening of August 22, 2009 at the Jim B Polston Memorial Singing hosted by Bethlehem Separate Baptist Church in Russell Springs, KY. Mercy Road is so thankful to have been a part of this great event. I have been around gospel music all 51 years of my life and have heard countless groups sing thousands of songs during that time. I can tell you that I have never been more blessed and thrilled about a singing than on this special occasion.

We were so excited when Uncle Garry Polston told us about his plans for this event and invited us to participate. We had been looking forward to it for several months and anticipated that some good things would happen. Well, we had no idea just how wonderful this night would be.

First, I want to commend Uncle Garry and the GPF singers, Witness, Jeff Minton, Rev. Darrell Coe, and all the members of Bethlehem Separate Baptist Church for the outstanding efforts made to promote and stage this event. Their labors were rewarded with a standing-room-only turnout. The new, beautiful sanctuary was packed beyond capacity by people who had come from near and far. Prior to the start of the program, the church members hosted a tasty and much-appreciated meal for the performers and their guests. This allowed us the opportunity to have a great time of fellowship.

The congregation got a special treat even before the scheduled start as the Mark Polston Family entertained them with a "pre-concert". The next generation of Polstons certainly has no letdown of talent with the likes of Jordan and Jonathan Polston. They sure can sing and Jordan has a smooth, beautiful guitar style that perfectly accompanies the group.

Garry wasted no time in the program getting to the "main attraction." The anticipation in the church was electric. Although the attendees wanted to hear everyone on the schedule, there was no question that the main attraction was the return to Russell Springs, Kentucky of Grandma Eva Polston. This was, after all, a singing to honor and commemorate the contributions made to gospel music by the Polston Family which was led by Grandpa Jim B and Grandma Eva for about 70 years.

Grandma Eva was joined by her three sons Jimmy, Garry, and Larry Polston as they honored the congregation with some of the most beloved and well-known songs in the Polston Family repertoire. When Grandma Eva sang her signature song, Well Glory, I thought the audience might just move right on up to Heaven. I nearly jumped out of my skin. The audience demanded an encore. Even at the age of 94, Grandma Eva showed us young'uns how to "do it right." After the Polston Family finished, we could have all gone home and said that it was a wonderful night. I'm glad we stuck around, though, because God was not finished with the evening.

Garry then asked all the Jim B Polston family members to assemble in the pulpit for some class singing. We sang the notes on a couple of the songs just to give the congregation an idea of what it sounds like. This part of the program gave the audience a window into how our family holidays are spent. We just cannot get together as a family without singing. It has brought such great joy to us in our good days and much comfort to us during our times of grief. I thank God daily for the gift of music he gave to this world.

Laura Polston then came forward to bless us with her incredible talent. She sings not only from her voice, but from her heart as well. She left the crowd on their feet with a soaring rendition of "How Great Thou Art." How she can hit those impossible high notes is beyond me.

Next was my all-time favorite group -- Witness (no offense to anyone else, including Mercy Road). I am so proud of each of them. They reflect exactly what southern gospel music is all about to me. They are each wonderful singers and instrumentalists. They have a powerful selection of songs and impeccable harmony and stage presence. Most importantly, they are Christians who do not forget the most important aspect of singing gospel music – to encourage and uplift the flock and to plant the seed for lost souls to find salvation. As usual, they did not disappoint. Witness is a crowd pleaser and is highly regarded in this area of the country. God has blessed them with great talent and they are using it in abundance for Him.

The Garry Polson Family took over after Witness. There was no letdown here. The great singing just kept on going and the crowd's enthusiasm never waned. Uncle Garry has been thrilling audiences in Kentucky with his singing and piano prowess for over 40 years. It is possible that no gospel performer in the state is more well-known and beloved than he. No matter who the current members of the GPF are, everyone knows they will be at the top of their field and their presentation will be second to none. This night was certainly no exception. GPF took the audience on a musical journey that was uplifting and glorious.

It was very humbling for Mercy Road to take the stage after what we had already experienced, but we were so excited by what we had already heard and witnessed that we were chomping at the bit to share in the moment. The congregation's enthusiasm had not diminished one bit. They were very supportive of all the groups and that is a major reason why this night was so special. We were energized by their attentiveness and eager faces. I can truly say that Mercy Road has never experienced a more enjoyable and fulfilling concert as this one.

The night was not quite over after Mercy Road. Jeff Minton introduced a group of young lads who showed the audience what Witness might have looked like in their teenage years. These boys were a riot. The crowd was beside itself laughing at their antics as they mimed a couple of Witness songs complete with appropriate gestures and emphases. They went on to show that they had the talent to do more than lip sync to someone else's music as they accompanied themselves on guitar and sang a couple of their own selections. It's great to see that the torch is being passed on to the next generation.

I will close by saying that this evening was a wonderful tribute to Grandpa and Grandma Polston. I have no doubt that Grandpa Jim was watching from his Heavenly home, smiling from ear to ear, and proudly proclaiming to the saints, "those are my children in whom I am well pleased."

Several months ago Kenny Roberts, tenor singer for Witness out of Franklin Indiana, and I talked about having a Jim B. Polston Memorial concert that would honor my dad, his grandpa, and feature the groups that are singing now and a part of what Dad always referred to as the Polston Tribe. We got in touch with Jeff Minton who attends the Bethlehem Separate Baptist Church in Russell Springs Kentucky to see if he could and would be willing to help us with the promotion of the event since neither of us lived near Russell County where Mom & Dad lived most of their life. Jeff agreed to help and Pastor Darrell Coe was pleased to host the event. Next we got in touch with Mike Wiggington, who is a grandson of Mom & Dad's and sings with Mercy Road from Nashville Tennessee. We found a date that we could all work into our schedules and as they say, the rest is now history. August 22 was the big day and it turned out to be even bigger than any of us could have imagined.

Just a few weeks before the event I found out that The Mark Polston Family had recorded their first project so I called them and invited them also to appear on the program.

My daughter Laura who now sings solo was also invited to sing.

We got to the church shortly after noon and began to set up sound and product tables. My friend Rick Smith brought his video crew and set up for taping. The groups all got a sound check. The church family had prepared a wonderful meal for us and we went to the fellowship hall to enjoy some good food and fellowship together. People began coming in and filling the place. They came from Ohio, Tennessee, even Connecticut, and all around Kentucky. By the time I got off the bus from changing clothes, the place was almost full. It wasn't long until they began caring in chairs and people filled them up. Some even stood up during the entire three hour concert. It was exciting, electric, and we were so pumped we could hardly talk to each other.

I invited the Mark Polston Family up to sing. This is Mark, his wife Lisa, and their two sons Jordan and Jonathan. They are awesome. What beautiful blend! They sang a song that my brother Rev. Jimmy Polston had written, a song that Mark had written, and a song that Jonathan had written. We were off to a good start and this was before starting time.

Pastor Coe opened the service with a welcome and a prayer.

Then Allen Wiggington came forward to introduce The Polston Family. This group was made up of my Mother Eva Polston, age 94, her three sons Jimmy, and twin brothers Larry & Garry, and our sister Phyllis Wiggington played the piano for us. We sang some old Polston Family songs that Mom, Dad, Larry and I used to sing many years ago. Mom was a pro. Even at 94, her voice is still clear and she sang on pitch. When she sang her signature song, "Well Glory," Mom got happy and so did the audience. We had to sing it again. I tell you, the glory came down.

After a few of our songs, we picked up the music to a song and sang the shaped notes. Everyone got a kick out of that too. It is almost a lost art, but we are trying to keep the art alive. We even raised some money to send students to the Do, Re, Mi School of Music in Tennessee next year. Since Dad Died we have set up a Jim B Memorial Scholarship Fund in his memory. After the Polston Family we had the entire tribe to come to the platform to do some class singing. It was great fun and we also did some note singing.

During the offering, Laura Polston sang and even let her Dad sing one with her. I was very honored. Then she did How Great Thou Art and brought the entire crowd to their feet with her Sandi Patty rendition of that great song.

Then Mike Wiggington of Mercy Road introduced the group Witness. These guys brought the house down. They have an awesome sound and they had lots of fans there who really cheered them on. Mike said this was his all time favorite quartet, and Mike has heard them all.

After Witness serenaded the group for awhile Kenny Roberts introduced The Garry Polston Family. We had a good time and the crowd was nice to us in spite of the fact that I forgot the words to Hey Baalam.

I brought on Mercy Road and these guys were hitting on all cylinders. Their stage appearance was professional, their sound was big and full, their love for God and each other was easy to see and Mark Smith is an awesome Emcee. When their tenor Gene Miller sang Till the Storm Passes By, the place erupted not only out of respect for his great singing, but the spirit in which he sang it. He had to encore the song and once again nobody wanted them to leave the stage, but time was passing by swiftly.

Then to my surprise, Jeff wanted to say something. He brought up 4 young boys who had been practicing singing like Witness. They mimicked them singing a couple of their songs and it was a riot.

At the end of the concert there were hugs and tears and a promise to do this again next year.

We are in the process of getting DVD's made of the concert and will let you know via this web-site when they are available.

My thanks to everyone who helped make this such a success.

I especially want to thank Pastor Darrell Coe and the Bethlehem Separate Baptist Church for hosting the event. They have agreed to host it for us again in 2010 as well.

Until we meet again,
Garry Polston

Last year when we sang in Charlottesville, Indiana we met this precious gentleman. He was the most wonderful audience member I ever sang to. You could just tell he was being blessed and he didn't care at all to show it. After the concert I had my picture made with him. I had hoped to see him again this year, but I'll just have to wait till heaven to see him again.

Bev had been an entertainer during his lifetime, singing and dancing on Broadway and with many of the greats like Fred Astaire.

Mr. Dixon will be greatly missed by all those who knew him or ever met him even once.

Respectfully submitted by Rev. Garry Polston

The People Helping People Benefit Concert was great fun and a time of hearing some good gospel music and meeting new people. Every group came for only their expenses paid but contributed much to the program that is a huge part of the people living in and around Winchester Kentucky. This is an awesome place with a basement filled with furniture and clothes for needy people and an upstairs with a nice size auditorium and a lovely restaurant that has delicious food.

Diane Diggles of the Diggles Family has for the past three years put together this benefit and invited us to sing and of course we said yes. We enjoy working with the Diggles Family and the girls are so sweet as well as talented.

His Own was there to perform even though one member had just had knee surgery and another had buried his Mom the day before. They did a good job and we were glad to meet this group that we hadn't heard before.

Trish Torline and band did some outstanding music and it was easy to tell that Trish was equally at home on the stage as in the classroom where she is also a teacher.

The Dixie Yahs were awesome entertainers. These men had been entertaining people all their adult lives and now in this stage of their lives just love the music. They could play anything and took requests. They played really feel good songs. If you ever see they are in your area, be sure and go see the Dixie Yahs. They will make you glad you did.

The people at the concert made the Garry Polston Family feel right at home and we had a great time. My twin brother Larry was there and I asked him to come and sing with us. Larry traveled with us last year and we were glad to see he and his wife Cheryl again. They also brought with them Byron Jessup and his wife Wanda. Byron’s father is Pastor of Revival Tabernacle in Lexington Kentucky where Larry and Cheryl attend church and Larry is a Sunday School Teacher.

Also on the program was Two Journey, the Kentucky Duo who did an outstanding job. I don't know why we have no pictures of them. I know it's not my fault that those pretty girls pictures aren't on here. Evidently the photographer went to powder her nose when they were singing. We always enjoy working with Two Journey.

People Helping People is a good organization and should be a pilot for other communities to model after. Our thanks to Diane Diggles for the invitation to share our ministry with the people of Winchester Kentucky and this terrific organization.

Garry Polston

December 3, 2008 Garry Polston checked into Baptist Hospital East in Louisville, Kentucky to undergo a total knee replacement for his left knee. It has been over a year since the right knee was done and had healed so well. The left knee was more painful and took longer for the rehabilitation, but it's finally doing well too. Because of the surgery and the winter weather GPF haven't been too busy during the winter.

We have been working on a new CD and hope to have it out in a few weeks. Tracy is putting the finishing touches on the mix-down and we are trying to memorize the words to the songs so we can actually sing them in concert when the project is completed. I tell you, the older I get the more difficult it is for me to remember the words. I tell everyone that it takes Lula and I both to get anything done. When we get in the car to go somewhere, I'll say, "You remember who we are and I'll try to remember where we're going." Heeheehee!

I'm excited about a song we got from our friends "Carry On" of Louisville. It's called Hey Balahm, the donkey wants to talk to you. It's a hoot. Thanks Don for letting us use your soundtrack. You folk are awesome.

I hope to get some new pictures up soon. We've scheduled pictures for the new project two times and the weather forced us to cancel both times. We'll get it done soon though. I hope the worst part of Winter is over.

We did have a wonderful concert at Hogard's Chapel in Taylor County in January. This is a church that Tracy's dad used to pastor and of course Tracy is so loved there. He could have burped off key and they would have stood up and applauded. Well, he did do well and especially on the guitar, when we did the instrumental time, Tracy showed that he is one of the very best when it comes to picking and grinning, only he forgot to grin.

Steve and Wanda were great host for the event. The Church fed us some great chili and we had a wonderful time. Our friends Charles and Maxine, known as Flames of Love were there and we also enjoyed them. They have become dear friends to the Polston's.

We are looking forward to being with our friends The Diggles Family February 28th. in Winchester, Kentucky. Hope you can be with us if you live in the area.

The concert begins at 5:00P.M. People Helping People is a fund raiser for people in need.
Location:
Family Development Center
19 Wainscott Avenue
Just off Lexington Rd. (Hwy 60) in Winchester, Kentucky

The concert features The Diggles Family, The Garry Polston Family, The Dixie YAHs, Trish Torline and Two Journey-The KY Duo. This promises to be a great evening of good gospel music.
For more information call Diane Diggles: (859)552-9989 or email The Diggles at dfmoffice@digglesfamily.com

We're also looking forward to our next Community Singing that will be held at the Science Hill Church of the Nazarene in Science Hill, Kentucky just off Hwy. 27 North of Somerset.

Our family has decided to take a vacation so following the concert we will head to Orlando Florida for a week. I need a break and so does everyone else. It's been a difficult winter here in Kentucky and we're looking for some warm weather and sunshine.

Blessings, peace & grace,
Garry Polston

The Garry Polston Family end of the year Extravaganza Concert was fantastic to say the least. The crowd wasn't as large as last year's, but the excitement was just as great. The pastor Reverend Jim Cavander welcomed everyone and opened with prayer. We really do appreciate Jim and the congregation for hosting this event. They have just been wonderful and their youth take up the tickets at the door and also have the concession stand open for those who want hot dogs and cold drinks. The popcorn smelled so good that it kept us wanting more all evening.
We began the concert with all the participating singers on stage to sing I'll Fly Away and Just A Little Talk with Jesus. The sound was great and the crowd was enthusiastic. I introduced my daughter Laura K. and she brought the house down with her singing and especially when she sang O Holy Night. Laura even let her Daddy sing a song with her and I was so proud to stand by her and sing That's Enough.
Then I had the pleasure of introducing my friends The Patriot Quartet. They are so professional in their performance. Their stage appearance as well as their vocal presentation is always top notch. They were in great form for this event and everyone enjoyed them very much.
The Garry Polston Family came to the stage and sang some of their most requested songs that they have recorded. Then they sang a couple songs that they are working on in the studio for their next project. Everyone loved the old songs we are putting on our new release called "Vintage Gospel."
Then our friends The Glory Crown Quartet came to the stage. They had more fans there than any of the other groups and they sure supported their group with applause and with their excitement. Their set was well received and we were certainly glad to have them be a part of our Extravaganza this year. After a short break for fans to visit the groups at their record tables and get a coke and hot dog, everyone sang again.
There was one addition however. I just had to put together a male quartet to sing with. My nephew Kenny Roberts was there and he is one of the greatest tenors I ever heard. I asked Kenny to come up and sing tenor. I brought up Joe White of the Patriot Quartet to sing baritone. Joe and I had sung together with the Brotherhood Quartet several years ago. Kenny also sang with me in the Brotherhood Quartet when he was about 17 years old. I kept my bass singer, David Martin on bass because I just think he is the best around, and of course I sang the lead. I brought up Wayne Edward Sr. to play the piano. Wayne played for the Patriot Quartet when they were first organized. And I ask my baritone singer, Tracy Bertram to play the bass guitar for us. We began singing What a Day That Will Be and then sang I'll Have a New Body. The crowd really got behind us and we had to encore that song again. I was on cloud nine because I heard the sound of the Brotherhood Quartet again that I sang professionally with several years ago. My, it was fun!

We had a wonderful evening and look forward to getting together again soon to sing this wonderful music called Southern Gospel.

Third Annual Community Singing was a big hit at Henry Christian Church in New Castle Kentucky.
For the third year in a row Bill Twyman brought the Community Sing to Henry County. The church was just about packed for this huge event. There was well over 400 in the crowd and 80 in the choir.
It was fun, exciting, entertaining, and inspiring as these singers lifted their voices in praise to the Lord. We sang all old songs that everyone was familiar with and you could often see the crowd singing along with us. Kelly Cruze directed the choir and did an awesome job as usual. Some of the crowd favorites were The Steve Barbour Family and the Milby Family. These folk sure can sing and the people just loved them. The McCubbins Family did a great job on an old Speer Family Song, "Miracles Will Happen On That Day." Garry Polston presented them a plague for their 50th. Anniversary of singing gospel music. The Humphrey's, Denise Watts-Wilson, Deloris Butler and Jordan Cruze all were received very well. Garry was about to burst his buttons on his shirt with pride when the group Witness from Franklin Indiana came up to sing. They are Garry's nephews and they brought the house down with their rendition of J.D. Sumner's song, "I can Feel the Touch of His Hand." We also enjoyed Compassion from Ohio. This was the first time we had heard them sing.
Carry On, The Glory Crown Quartet, and The White Stone Quartet also presented their versions of some of the old songs. It was good to hear the Melotones again. They did a good job singing, but the sound system messed up and we couldn't hear them very well. David said we had a Reverb unit to go out. I guess that will cost us. The Eminence Singers couldn't all be there but Robert Eades asked Garry, Tracy, and David of The Garry Polston Family to back him up on The Glory Road and the people encored the song. We really enjoyed singing with Robert Eades. Howard Atchley, Garland Milby, and and Jody Wheeler all did great jobs on their solos.
Laura K Polston came out to help The Polstons sing "O My Lord, What a Time." Then later she also did and old song with the choir backing her up. If you missed this community singing, you need to make sure to be at one next year. We have these throughout the year in Somerset, Louisville, Hodgenville, Elizabethtown and New Castle. These are Gaither Homecoming style events and draw large crowds in all five cities. For more information about these concerts contact Bill Twyman at: bjtwyman@kvnet.org

On Sunday Evening we traveled to Lebanon to sing at Central Baptist Church. The folks had prepared a wonderful meal for us with pinto beans and cornbread and a lot of other good things to go with the fried chicken. Then there were all kinds of delicious deserts and they even made coffee for me. Wanda, you are the greatest.
The church was packed for the concert and everyone was excited. We had the time of our life. Our good friend Buddy Lowe of the Joy Makers came to be with us and it thrilled us so. It is so good to see other singers who will give of themselves and their time to encourage another group. Buddy has been my friend for almost 40 years. I just can't describe the respect I have for Buddy. And I speak for all the Garry Polston Family. I asked Buddy to sing Hide Thou Me for us and he did a marvelous job. You certainly wouldn't believe he will soon be 80 years young. What a voice! Then we got him up to help us on our closing song, "O my Lord, What a Time!" And what a time we had at Central Baptist Church. We look forward to going back soon.

The Garry Polston Family had a wonderful weekend as we traveled to Cave City for the Kentucky State Gospel Singing Convention held at the Cave City Convention Center on Friday and Saturday nights. We were there on Friday and saw lots of old friends and made new ones.
The center was packed with approximately 1200 people and many turned away because there were no more seats. The Diggles Family kicked off the evening with beautiful harmony and everyone loved them, especially Katie and Kristina. Those little girls can sing and Doug isn't bad either. Diane came out and signed a song with them and it was beautiful. We love the Diggles Family.
The concert continued with excellent singing all evening long. We featured David Martin on our opening song with "Walk that Lonesome Road." He hit the low notes and vibrated the floor as well as our rib cages. I don't know why people love bass singers so much. Heeheehee!
It was great to hear the McCubbins Family again. They sang songs from their new recording including the title cut, "Through the Years." This just blessed me so much. I've never heard them sing better. These are some of my favorite people in the business. They are now in their 50th year of singing gospel music.
It was good to see Jack Hurt and The Spirituals again. They did an outstanding job. Their harmony was good. Their stage appearance was professional, and when his daughter sang "Scars in the hands of Jesus," it brought the crowd to their feet. The Spirituals did an awesome job.
I wasn't in the auditorium all the time because I had to be at our table, but these are some of the people I really enjoyed and will remember for a long time to come.
I also met some wonderful people who just moved to Glasgow, Kentucky from Tennessee. Charles and Maxine have a group called Flames of Love. They were very kind and we enjoyed their visit at our table and my visit at theirs. They have a wonderful testimony with their music and I'm sure you will hear more from them very soon.

The Garry Polston Family Homecoming at Eminence U.M. Church on Sunday August 24th. was a huge success. After we got the P.A. and product tables set up we went to the kitchen to eat some of Mama Lula's good home cooking. No wonder we all need to be on a diet. That woman can cook if she is my wife. Then we went to the sanctiuary and began the concert with some music played by David, Josh, Tracy Joe and Garry. We had a full house which adds to the excitement of a concert. After the congregation sang When we all get to Heaven led by Doug Diggles, Pastor Garry asked Reverend Colin Curtis to lead in prayer. Then to begin the program was Laura K. making her solo debut. She did a great job and as always received a great ovation. Garry introduced their new baritone singer, Tracy Joe Bertram from Finchville Kentucky and the program began. We sang, we laughed, we played music and the crowd was fantastic to sing to. Im not sure which was my favorite, Lula singing God walks the dark hills, Tracy singing I must tell Jesus or David singing Im just a sinner saved by grace. All were well done and the crowd loved it. Then Josh Martin was brought up to sing baritone and Tracy Joe switched to tenor and we had a male quartet for a couple songs which always thrills Garry who cut his teeth singing with male quartets. The excitement was in the air as we brought to the stage the wonderful Diggles Family from Lexington, Kentucky. This group has such good harmony,their stage appearance is professional, they sing with such grace and their witness is noticably genuine. They sang beautifully, the girls, Katie and Christina both played the violin and piano as well as quoted chapters from the Bible. Doug showed us that he can play the piano too as well as sing lead, harmony, and bass. What a talent! Diane ran their trax for them but also signed a couple songs and just made them even more beautiful. But the best part of the evening was when Doug sang a couple songs that led up to an invitation. People came forward for prayer and rededication. Life situations were healed and souls were blessed. What a wonderful evening we had. As the Garry Polston Family sang for their final number, O my Lord, What a Time!

Yesterday we learned that our friend, Jim (Big Mac) McDaniel, from Mechanicsville, Virginia has passed away. His widow Maxine, and surviving children Tommy and Lynn, have our deepest sympathies. None of us have lost a spouse, but Garry, Larry, Lula, and David have all lost fathers and understand what Tommy and Lynn are going through.

Big Mac was a great supporter and promoter of Southern Gospel Music. He will be missed by all who knew him.

This is a link to Big Mac's obituary: James T "Mac" McDaniel published in The Richmond Times-Dispatch.

Jessamine County Fair Gospel Jubilee

Promoter and Emcee: Danny Smith

The Garry Polston Family was invited out to eat before this concert by Al and Patsy Isaac and Judy Barnes and Tammy Haubner. They paid for the meal for the whole group including tag alongs, Larry and Cheryl Polston, their daughter Melinda, and Patsy and Charlie Sevier from New Castle UMC who rode the bus with the Garry Polston Family. We chose to eat at Ramsey's Diner at 4391 Harrodsburg Road in Lexington. The food and fellowship was fantastic.

The Garry Polston Family set up sound for the concert in a pavilion on the Jessamine County Fairgrounds. Before the concert started, Lula tripped over a "glob" of blacktop just after getting off the bus where she had gone to get dressed for the concert. Most of the other singers were already in the "green room" praying before the concert was to begin. She fell on her face and bit her lip. She skinned both knees and her elbow. Her lip never stopped bleeding for the duration of the concert, which was about four hours long. The Garry Polston Family sang last and Lula was a trooper, singing every song except for one where Garry invited Larry to join him, Tracy, and David in singing "What A Day" as a male quartet.

There were more singers than listeners for this concert. The singers were all very good and some were outstanding. The concert started with soloists Rebecca Henson, Ashley Parsons, Kelly Casey (a contestant in the Miss Kentucky Pageant), Craig Starbuck and Denna Hessel each singing two songs. Then the following groups sang, The Montgomery's, Calvary Messengers, and The Diggles Family. Brian Sparks sang "I Can Only Imagine" before his parents, Beverly and Ronnie Sparks of Trinity Heirs sang their set. Two Journey The Kentucky Duo and The Garry Polston Family closed out the concert.

Bennett Memorial United Methodist Church, Henderson, KY

Pastor: Rev. Jeff Lambert

We left Shelbyville about 2:00 P.M. EDT and headed for Henderson, KY. We decided to stop in Owensboro and eat at Moonlite Bar-B-Q. Larry had never been there and was looking forward to it because Garry had talked about it many times. We arrived in the parking lot about 3:20 P.M. CDT and discovered they close on Sundays at 3:00 P. M. We went on to Henderson and ate at Golden Corral, which is never a bad choice.

We got to the church with just enough time to unload and set up. The custodian, Gerald Ashby, was very helpful with getting the equipment in and set up. We appreciate his support. This was the church where Garry was the pastor before he moved to New Castle. Garry and Lula got to see several of their friends again. Rev. Jim Johnson came from Fares Avenue Baptist Church in Evansville, Indiana and brought some of his congregation. Rev. Jeff Lambert the pastor, had never heard the Garry Polston Family sing, but had heard about Garry's piano playing and singing ever since he had been the pastor and invited us to sing without ever having heard us. We hope he was not disappointed. There was a good spirit of worship in the service as well as lighthearted fun. At one time David knocked his mic out of the stand and kept it from hitting the floor by catching the cord. He said, "I caught a big one." Shortly thereafter, he was trying to untangle the cord and flipped it and it went around Larry like a lasso. Everybody cracked up except Garry, who didn't have a clue what was going on at the other side of the stage.

This was Larry's last concert with the Garry Polston Family. Tracy Bertram, who lives in Finchville in Shelby County, has agreed to join the group. Tracy has a lot of experience in Southern Gospel Music as well as expertise. He most recently sang with Redeemed Quartet in Campbellsville, KY. He has traditionally sung tenor with male quartets, but will be singing baritone and second tenor with the Garry Polston Family. He will probably sing the high harmony on songs that feature Lula and Garry will get to sing baritone which will be a relief for him. Tracy can also play bass guitar, lead guitar, and piano which will be a great asset during the pickin' and grinnin' segment of the program. We don't know yet if he can play the comb and wax paper as well as Larry did. Tracy also has a CDL (Commercial Drivers License) which will relieve David in driving the bus. Since Tracy lives closer than Larry did, the group will get to rehearse more often and should soon have a polished sound.

Egypt Christian Church, in Adair County, KY

Pastor: Rev. Hugh Withers

Garry had been to the old church with The Servants Quartet several years ago but the Garry Polston Family had never been there. It was a beautiful new church. Hammer and June Smith, who are friends of Garry and Lula and members of New Castle Christian Church rode the bus with the group. Larry and Cheryl drove separately in order to get home an hour earlier than if they had met the bus in Shelbyville. This was when the cicadas were at their worst and several had committed suicide by flying into the windshield of the bus. Janice Popplewell (Rev Roger Poppowell's widow), their daughter, Robin Riddle, Jean Brown (Rev Raymond Brown's widow) Elizabeth Miller and Marie Helm all came from Russell County. Garry sang the song "Taking In The Gospel", which he had written many years ago about Rev Otha Lee Popplewell who was the pastor at Christian Home Church in Jabez when he was a small boy (a long time ago) and mentioned that his granddaughter was in the audience that night. We got to visit with them after the concert and reminisce about when Brother Roger was the pastor at Christian Home church in Jabez and other times we were with them in church services and revivals. We also saw Lewis and Gayle Garrison and his mother in the audience but they didn't get to stay and visit after the service because they had to get his mother back home. After the concert, the church had prepared a big meal in the fellowship hall. We enjoyed that part of the service very much. The peach cobbler was outstanding!

Mount Eagle Baptist Church

Pastor: Rev Sidney Craig

This was a long anticipated concert. Garry and Larry had sung at Mount Eagle with the Servants Quartet in the seventies. In fact, we had sung in the "new" church building before it was finished. We got to meet Teresa's husband, Denney who had been to a patriotic event that day and was still dressed in his military fatigues. Denney and Teresa opened the service leading the congregation in singing Praise and Worship music. Then the Garry Polston Family sang traditional Southern Gospel music. Some churches will have only traditional music or Praise and Worship music. Mount Eagle is successful having both genres of music in the same service. The attendance was off a little from what we expected, maybe because of the holiday, but the people that were there were very receptive to our style of music. There was a good spirit of worship. After the concert we got to fellowship with some of the people we had met more than 30 years ago. We got to visit with Elenor Kidd who, with her late husband and sons, was very gracious to the Servants Quartet when we had visited the area previously. The Kidds were dairy farmers and had hosted us for dinner at their house and loaned us an automobile for our personal use. Mrs. Kidd showed us some photos including one of Rev. Johnnie Leek at whose house we had parked the bus and stayed with the whole week on our first trip to Virginia. After the concert we loaded up and headed for Kentucky. David drove the bus. The rest of us slept, like Jesus disciple's when He was in the Garden of Gethsemane. We made it to a rest area near Dudley Gap in West Virginia where David stopped and slept the rest of the night. We got up early the next morning and headed for home. We decided we wanted to eat at Cracker Barrel after we passed the first one at Barboursville, West Virginia. We expected to find one in Huntington or Ashland, KY. We finally found a Cracker Barrel in Mount Sterling and ate breakfast about mid-morning. It was worth the wait.

Scottsville Independent Baptist Church

Pastor: Rev. Barry Higgins

This was a relatively new church. They were celebrating their four year anniversary that day. We got set up and dressed in time for most of Sunday School. Our teacher was Hermon Johnson. He has a way of getting us to look at ourselves and seeing how the scripture applies to us today, not just read the lesson as ancient history. We sang for the morning service and then Garry delivered the morning sermon. This was an easy place to sing and the people appeared to enjoy it, although we learned afterward that we had the volume a little too loud for some. We apologize. We didnt know. Afterward, we had Sunday Dinner On The Grounds. Actually, it was in the fellowship hall where we had been for the Sunday School Class a little earlier. This was a scrumptious meal! We want to go back here sometime! We left Scottsville Baptist Church and followed Teresa and Doris back to Mount Eagle where we parked the bus and set up the equipment for the evening concert. The pastor, Rev. Sidney Craig (Teresa's father) and Stuart Durrer (Doris' husband) met us at the church and we left the bus and went to Rev Craig's house for the afternoon meal. Stuart had smoked some pork and it was very good. The rest of the food prepared by Teresa's mother, Carole, and Doris' mother Alice, was very good also.

Lyles Church

Pastor: Jack Thomas

We went to Lyles Baptist Church in the Wilmington Community of Palmyra, Virginia where Lillie Childress met us and let us in to set up the equipment. Mrs. Childress told us she had an album of The Servants Quartet with Garry's and Larry's autographs that she had bought when we were there before. She brought it that night to prove that we had been to that church in 1973 or 1974.

According to the church web site, "Lyles church was planted by the united labors of Elijah Craig and David Thompson. ... The birth of Lyles Church coincides with the birth of our nation. The exact date of the birth of Lyles is between 1770 and 1774 with 1774 being the year listed for her official constitution." This is a beautiful antique church building that was furnished with antiques. Even the piano was a restored upright piano. The balcony appeared much like it would have been before the Civil War, with the exception of modern conveniences such as electricity, central heat, and air conditioning.

This concert was booked by Jim (Big Mac) McDaniel who we have known and has been a great friend since The Servants Quartet were first in the Charlottesville, Virginia area in 1973. We enjoyed the concert with a few people we had seen before but several who did not know us and whom we did not know. After the concert, we followed Teresa Wilson and Doris Durrer to Mount Eagle Baptist Church in Charlottesville, where we parked the bus and spent the night.

Little Wolf Creek Baptist Church, Hinton, West Virginia

Pastor: Rev. Eddie Harris

This was the first concert on our West Virginia – Virginia tour. The church had a bountiful meal prepared for us and of course we all overate, but it was good. There was a very good crowd for the concert even though (or maybe because) we had never been there and they had never even heard of us.

We had brought a stool for Garry to sit on because he had hurt his back earlier in the week and could not stand up for the whole concert. David had hurt his back also and it was looking like Larry was going to have to do most of the lifting and carrying for this weekend. At one point in the trip it was looking like Lula, Rita and Cheryl may have to do all of the lifting. Let me explain. David had bent over to kiss Rita earlier in the week (at least that is the way David told the story) and pulled his back out. David had broken his back a few years ago in a fall. He no longer climbs light poles but still works for Shelby Energy Corporation. He is very conscience of Safety but was unaware that kissing his wife was hazardous to his health. He was hurting and was walking with a noticeable stiff gait. Garry was in his queen size bed all by himself one night and fell out of bed and threw his hip out of place. He didn't always tell the whole story that he was dreaming about being at a wrestling match and he had gotten up to go to concessions or somewhere and when he came back, someone was in his seat. So PreacherP became righteously indignant and proceeded to try to regain his seat. As it turned out, he was thrown out… of the bed. I know, it's hard to explain.

We stopped to fuel up before we got to West Virginia. Garry woke up and decided he could drive a while and give David some relief. David had brought some barbeque beef brisket and decided this would be a great time to eat a sandwich. He made himself a sandwich, warmed it up in the microwave oven and went back up front to eat. When he had finished his sandwich, Garry decided he had driven enough and would rather eat than drive. While Garry was looking for a place to stop to switch drivers, Larry made a sandwich for Garry and one for himself and warmed them up in the microwave just like David had done. Garry pulled the bus off at an exit and rolled up to the stop light and while waiting for the light to change, Garry and David switched places. Then Garry realized he needed to take a shot of insulin before eating, so he went to the back of the bus. Larry was already at the front of the bus with his sandwich in his right hand and Garry's sandwich on a paper plate in his left hand. When Garry went to the back, Larry started to follow him to leave his sandwich on the table so Garry could eat it when he came back, when suddenly without Larry's knowledge or prior approval the light changed. David has a habit of stopping at red lights and going when they change to green, so he started driving the bus in the opposite direction to what Larry was headed. This caused Larry to reach the table earlier than he expected so he turned to leave Garry's sandwich on the table as he passed by. Unfortunately, Larry had forgotten about Newton's First Law of Motion. The sandwich kept going in the same direction that it had been and so did Larry except now he was facing the front of the bus. God's law of gravity soon overcame Newton's law of motion for the sandwich and it landed on the floor in the aisle. The same law of gravity also caused Larry to land on the floor in precisely the same location that Garry's sandwich had landed. Garry asked, "Are you hurt?" to which Larry replied, "No, just my back!" Fortunately, Larry wasn't hurt and Garry's barbeque beef brisket was tenderized. It complied with the "5 second rule" so Garry ate it. David recovered enough with the help of Ibuprofen to handle the equipment as normal but Garry didn't improve until after the last speaker had been loaded on the bus on Sunday night.

After the concert Friday night at Little Wolf Creek Baptist, we followed Jim (Big Mac) and Maxine McDaniel to Covington, Virginia where Big Mac had rooms reserved for us for the night in a hotel just like where normal people stay when they travel. On Saturday morning, after breakfast we went to Mallow Mall which was nearby and shopped at Big K-Mart for a while. Cheryl and Rita saw a Brinks truck in the parking lot that they found interesting. Fortunately, they were not arrested. We soon left there and got back on the interstate and headed for Charlottesville.

New Heart Baptist Church near Somerset, KY

Pastor: Rick Lawson

Associate Pastor: Paul Ard

This was the first time we had been to this church. The church was a little difficult to find, especially if you were using Mapquest. When we were coming through Science Hill, Paul Ard called and gave us specific directions of how to find the church and we went right to it. Missy Ramirez from Revival Tabernacle in Lexington was coming and bringing her mother, Edna Moore. She called and we passed on the same directions and she found it ok. Vickie Richards came from Adair County and she was using Mapquest and didn't find the church. She called us and we gave her the same directions that Paul Ard had given us and she came right to it. The moral of the story is, don't trust a computer generated map! Call the contact person to get specific directions to the venue.

Byron Lee Jessup and Wanda came with us and he played guitar with us again. We had a great concert. The crowd was very receptive. There was a good spirit there. A young lady had gotten saved in the morning service and was there to give her testimony. She spoke about her conversion so convincingly that we can rest assured that God's not dead. He still saves those who call upon him with their whole heart.

We got to see Maudena and Johnnie Beaty from Nancy. Bob Sears was there and we got to reminisce with him. Charles Randall was there and we got to visit him for a few minutes. Our niece, Lisa Polston and her oldest son Jordan were there and brought one of Jordan's friends, Tyler Bird.

After we had finished singing all we intended to sing and Lula had gone back to the record table, Maudena requested that we sing “Beulah Land”. We asked Lisa to come up and sing alto. She knew the song at least as well as we did. Byron Lee played the guitar for us. That worked out well. Lisa is a good singer as well as piano player. Her husband, Rev. Mark Polston and their youngest son, John were not with her and I just assumed that Mark was preaching somewhere else. Thats what preachers do, you know.

Indian Forks Baptist Church on Route 12 out of Bagdad, KY

Pastor: Ray Cummins

When we got to the church no one was there to let us in. Garry and Lula came on the bus. David drove his truck and Larry and Cheryl came in their car and brought Byron Lee Jessup and his wife Wanda with them. We waited a while and one of the deacons of the church came and opened the door and let us in before it started to rain. Actually it didn't rain until after church was over and we had loaded the equipment back up and left the church, but it looked like rain all night.

The Garry Polston Family had sung there before with Laura. This was the first time there for Larry and Cheryl and the first time Byron Lee and Wanda had gone with us. We had asked Byron to bring his guitar and play along with us. Patsy Isaac came from Lexington and brought two of her grand nieces and her sister, Gladys Dinkeloo who was visiting from Connecticut. Gladys was baby sitting for her granddaughter, Taylor Mullins. Patsy's youngest sister Judy Barnes's granddaughter, Morgan Barnes came with them also. It was good to see them but we missed you Al. We had a good singing, but Garry and Lula had voice problems. They were both standing where the air conditioner was blowing on them and it destroyed their voices. Garry had been suffering from allergies all week and Lula had started getting sick the day before. On the second song, Lula lost her voice and started coughing on “I'm Too Near Home” which featured her. David's wife, Rita Martin, was sitting on the third row so Garry pointed at her and she came up and finished the song for Lula. After that song, Garry went to the piano and played and Rita sang “Who Am I?” which is a great old Rusty Goodman song. She did a fantastic job. By the end of that song, Lula had quit coughing and was able to sing again. We were not able to sing several songs that we intended to do because Garry's voice was so raspy and hoarse. We enjoyed the concert anyway.