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For years we’ve had a very large bush out on “the back 40” of the Bruno Ranch. It’s really “the back 2 acres”, but saying “the back 40” sounds really impressive. Anyhow, this bush was huge. You really couldn’t describe it because it was a mish-mash of brambles, thickets and sticky things about 40 feet around and maybe 20 feet tall.

For years I just mowed around the bush, until the day I was challenged by my neighbor, Hubert. We were sitting side by side on our mowers, not too far from the bush, solving many of the world’s problems when Hubert blurted out, “Ever wonder what’s inside that bush?” “Nah” I replied, “I just mow around it”. “You’re Chicken” he challenged, “Am not!”…. “Are too!”…. “Am not!”…. “Are too!” WELL!!!!! That did it!

The very next Saturday, bright and early, two mighty warriors in full battle gear (Cece and I), approached the bush. Armed with cutters and trimmers of every size, we attacked the bush. We hacked and cut all day. We pulled out weeds and vines and every assortment of sticky things known to mankind. Finally we got through, just as the sun was beginning to set. We stood there, two battle weary warriors, and gazed at the fruits of our labor….a beautiful little bush with 8 or 10 shiny trunks and gorgeous pink flowers.

I have no idea what it’s called, but I love that little bush.

To me, Southern Gospel Music is just like that little bush, a beautiful creation that, over the years, has gotten covered up by so many other styles of music that today, when you look at it; you really can’t tell what it is.

I recently attended a meeting where the moderator was bragging about the fact that SGM is a “smorgasbord” of different styles. This is not something to be proud of, this is something to be ashamed of.

SGM is simple traditional gospel music with a strong emphasis on the lyrics. When I think of SGM I think of songs like; What A Beautiful Day For The Lord To Come Again… The Blind Man Saw It All… ‘Til The Storm Passes By… Get Away Jordan… One More River To Cross… He Touched Me…Beulah Land…Tears Are A Language God Understands… Thanks To Calvary… Still Feelin’ Fine…I Will Trust You Lord…I Can’t Even Walk Without You Holding My Hand…God On The Mountain. These are just a few that come to mind. I could never list all the great Gospel songs, past and present, in one article so please don’t send me emails about the songs I’ve omitted. I listed these songs to illustrate what Southern Gospel Music is, according to me.

It is not Country, Christian Country, Contemporary, Inspo, Hip-Hop, Rock and Roll, Jazz or Alternative anything. Southern Gospel Music is simple traditional music.

Every artist performs a style of music that identifies them, and speaks to the world and says, “This is what I am”. It’s their foundation, their musical identification, like a fingerprint.

I refer to it as their “Core Musical Style”. You can call it anything you like, the point is, it’s where their musical expression begins and ends. They may occasionally try some different things, but they still maintain that “Core Style” that identifies who they are musically.

Here are some examples; Reba McEntire, Madonna, George Jones, Tony Bennett, Michael Jackson, Sandi Patty, Amy Grant, Avalon, The McKameys, The Booth Brothers, The Perrys, The Isaacs, Ernie Haase and Signature Sound.

My guess is that when you read each of the names above, a Musical “Core Style” immediately came to your mind.

Let me make one thing clear. I have no problem with a SGM artist stretching the music or stepping outside the box on occasion, as long as at their “Core” they are Southern Gospel. The Booth Brothers and Signature Sound are prime examples. Neither group is afraid to stretch their “musical wings’. In fact, as the Booth Brother’s producer, I encourage them to stretch….BUT…at their “CORE”, both of these groups are Southern Gospel and perform Southern Gospel as the basis of their music.

This article is not about that, it is about artists who, at their “Core” are something other than Southern Gospel who have infiltrated our industry.
To me, these artists are just like the brambles and thorns and thickets covering up a beautiful bush.

To illustrate my point, let’s say you have a Christ- centered home. You are training your children according to your “Core” beliefs and, so far, everything is going fine.
Then one day a stranger visits your home. As Christians, you welcome him into your home and soon discover that his “Core” beliefs are exactly opposite of what you are teaching your children. You do your best to be Christ-like and share the gospel in hopes of winning him to Christ, all to no avail.

Now, after several visits, you notice that your children are beginning to espouse his ideology and life style….What do you do?

Do you say, “Oh me, oh my, we certainly don’t want to offend this person, even though he’s leading our children down a path of destruction…what would the neighbors think?”

My guess is you’d say, “GET OUT OF THIS HOUSE RIGHT NOW…I REBUKE YOU IN JESUS’ NAME…AND IF I EVER SEE YOUR FACE AGAIN, YOU’LL FEEL THE BOTTOM OF ONE OF MOMMA’S FRYING PANS!!!

Am I right?

This is exactly what we are facing in SGM. We have artists in our industry whose “Core” style is not Southern Gospel, artists whose musical “Core” ranges from Bonnie Raitt to The Backstreet Boys and everything in between, and are now influencing the new generation of Southern Gospel artists and Industry Leaders to perform, accept, and promote music that is anything but Southern Gospel. There is nothing wrong with any of these styles of music, but they are not Southern Gospel.

Rather than gushing all over these artists, as some in our industry are want to do, we should be saying, “Look, you are welcome to visit from time to time, maybe even sing a song for us, and, while we respect you and appreciate your talent, if you want to sing AC, Inspo, Country, Christian Country, Contemporary, Hip-Hop, Praise and Worship, Rock and Roll, Blues, or anything else, that’s okay with us but…..sing it at your house…..in our house we sing SOUTHERN GOSPEL!”

My friends, Southern Gospel Music does not have to be compromised to be accepted. People love our music. The one person who seems to understand this is Bill Gaither. His programs offer a wide range of musical experience and entertainment, and sometimes stretches quite far, but always…at the “CORE” it is mostly simple Southern Gospel Music. No one seems to like it but the 20 or 30 thousand people who attend his concerts every weekend.

Our industry has lots of problems, and I’m not sure if they’ll all ever be corrected, but the one thing that is still beautiful is our music. People love our music….they’re just tired of having to dig through the brambles and thorns and thickets to find it.

As always, I welcome your comments.

God Bless You,

Nick Bruno
http://www.nickbruno.com

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