Smith, White and Fairchild - "These Three are One"
John 17:21-22 says "That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one." These ladies are a testament of that scripture. Known the world over as legendary country music stars, Connie Smith, Sharon White and Barbara Fairchild have graced stages throughout the world singing their songs and winning the hearts of fans. Though they each have enjoyed an abundance of success in the respective careers within Country Music, they all share a common bond; a bond woven in their unwavering faith in the Lord, Jesus Christ. It was that bond that brought them together as friends and would eventually bring them together to step out and record their labor of love entitled "Love Never Fails."
Here are three ladies, all separate individuals with separate lives, and yet through their faith in the One they serve, have forged a deep friendship of love and mutual respect, and they gladly work together as a unit victoriously proclaiming the Gospel through their lives. Through their life circumstances and their walk with the Lord, they have come together, and are one in mind and one in spirit. Yes, these three are one�
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James: You've obviously been friends for a long time. How did you meet and become such close friends?
Barbara: I met Connie and really got to know Connie at the altar because she prayed with me when I got saved. I was visiting Connie's church with a friend of mine and I ended up on my knees in a puddle of tears and I heard this sweet voice say "Thank you Jesus" and I looked up and saw Connie's face. I always thought she looked like an angel and it was the Holy Spirit and the presence of the Lord in her. She's always been a very special friend to me.
Sharon: We signed with a manager 19 years ago, and at the time he was managing Don Williams and Barbara Fairchild and he kept telling me "You've got to meet Barbara, you'd love her. You guys are just alike." Everytime I'd see him he'd ask if I met her yet. So, one day we were out doing Hee Haw at Opryland and as we were pulling in, she was pulling out and we stopped and rolled our windows down and I yelled, "I'm supposed to meet you!" We talked for a minute and that was it. That was in October or November and we met again at a Christmas party at our manager's house and as Ricky, my husband would say, 'we just got into each other to death.' A night or two later she called and said she wanted us to come to supper and we've been buddies ever since.
It was at the Christmas party that Barbara mentioned that we needed to get together and pray. We were talking about our life in the music business and discussing things and situations and every once in awhile during the conversation, Barbara would chime in 'we need to pray!' It was an interesting evening and it was literally a life changing night for me. God used it and all of us had prayer that night before we left and it was one of those mile markers in my life. Barbara called a few days later and said that we really need to get together and pray and she called around and found us a place to pray in Nashville and agreed to meet once a week to pray. And it was through that how we all got to sing together.
Connie: The prayer group was a group to pray for each other and the music industry because of things we saw that needed divine intervention. We'd start our prayer meetings with worship and singing to the Lord. Sometimes there'd be a lot of people and sometimes there'd be a few. It all depended on who was in town at the time. One morning the only people who showed up were the three of us. So, we thought we'd just start out as usual, worshipping the Lord and singing. As we sang, we just naturally fell into our harmony parts and we loved it. We started talking about it and started enjoying it and a few people heard us and once in awhile we'd go sing together someplace.
We love each other and respect each other so much as people, as artists and as Christians. Even as working on this project, I thought 'yes, they're my really dear friends but what's it going to be like working with them as well as Sharon's husband Ricky producing?' I've never worked with Ricky either and my respect and love for all three of them just grew. It's been a wonderful relationship and that's really what this record is about. It was a wonderful opportunity for us to get together and worship the Lord together and share each other's love and our faith and encourage one another and just fellowship. What we want to do is to share what God has given us to everybody else and to praise the Lord and encourage His people as He has encouraged us. The scriptures say 'Comfort with the comfort you've been comforted with.' We know how far the Lord has brought us and how faithful He is although we're unfaithful. It's just wonderful to share His Word with others.
Sharon: And that's the short answer! (All ladies laughing)
James: How easy was the process of putting this recording together?
Sharon: I've never been part of a recording where I was just so proud of every little thing. Usually when I get through with something, I usually think we could have done something a little different or a little better or not done something at all. This recording is not like that at all. I really feel like God directed this whole project from start to finish. When things got started things moved really quickly and we found all of the songs on this album in 2 days of sitting down and listening to probably 60-80 songs. It was phenomenal how it all came together. Picking songs is really tedious work. The first time we sat down with the people at Daywind and they played us 15-20 songs the first time and we found 8 in that first sitting. I thought at first it was just an emotional ride and all excited and everything and the songs won't hold up. But they did.
James: Are there any songs you recorded on this recording that holds a special place in your heart?
Barbara: Whichever one is playing at the time! (laughing) Obviously, we love the whole project because the Lord is in the midst of it. But there are certain songs that mean a lot to us personally. "Fight On" was something that Connie really loved. We didn't necessarily feel the same way about a particular song, but we loved them all. One of the songs that really touched me the first time I heard it was "Reach for the Scars." It just went to my heart. It wasn't a particular favorite of anyone else though. We had so many great songs and we had more than we could record. I asked the girls if they were going to cut out a song, which would it be. And they both said, "Reach for the Scars." It was like a pain in my heart when they said that. I went to the Lord about it and it's one thing if you're doing a solo thing and another thing if it's a group and we wanted unity and agreement on everything. I told the Lord it was up to Him because He knew what was supposed to be on the recording. After a lot of prayer on my part, Sharon called me and said she thought we should do "Reach for the Scars." She felt it was a better song after living with for a while and it's been such a blessing. I really think the Lord got what He wanted on this recording.
Sharon: "Where Angels Fear to Tread", I just cried and cried when they played us that song. It was like I could see the whole picture that this song was painting. I thought it was a new song and come to find out it had been written 10 years ago and a lot of people had passed on it and I feel God just saved it for us. When you think about the idea of us being able to go into the presence of God is awesome. It says in the Bible that angels don't even look on Him; they hide their face because of His holiness. The song says, "We enter in where Angels fear to tread, we boldly draw near through the blood He shed, we're the ones He's asked to come, as redeemed we've nothing to dread, so we enter in where Angels fear to tread." That is awesome! I am so thankful God saved that for us. (All three ladies are somewhat teary eyed over the song) Boy�we needed to hear that didn't we?
Barbara: Thank you Jesus!
James: It's very obvious this recording was a massive labor of love for everyone involved. I am sure it holds a special place in your hearts and the songs you chose really ministered to you�
Connie: By God's grace we have lived every one of these songs!
Barbara: We're not spring chickens and we've walked with the Lord a long time and grown to know Him as a reality in our lives. We've experienced His love, grace and mercy so many times. When God allows us to go through hard things in life, it stirs up compassion in our hearts for other people who are walking through that. My husband and I have a little grandchild that died when he was 7 months old, and I know he's in Heaven with Jesus. That brought us to a whole new place of compassion for those who lose loved ones like that. I think that's why it's important to know why God allows us to go through these things.
My mom has Alzheimer's and Parkinson's Disease and I have felt for people who have that, but now I have a whole different depth of compassion, because I have seen what that really does to people and families. God is not the author of these things, but He allows us to go through these things for our benefit and for the benefit of others whose lives we can touch. Otherwise, we would just skip right through life in our own little world, doing our own little thing and not be concerned about others like we should. He enlarges the bowels of our compassion.
James: What do you hope to accomplish through this recording?
Connie: I think mainly to encourage God's people. We love it that we three get to fellowship together, but it's our part to let His love, His glory, His compassion, His mercy, His grace and His longsuffering and all of the things that make up the fruits of the Holy Spirit to flow through us. Our job here is to exalt Him and it exalts Him when we can show these things to others. As Barbara said, when we've lived it, we can sing it out, and they can sense it. Then the victories that we walk out in our own lives uplift them.
The main thing God wants is for us to be unified. As Sharon and I were praying this morning about today and us being here at the National Quartet Convention, the main thing was that we be in unity with each other. With me kind of being an outsider to Southern Gospel Music, although I've known the Lord for many years, I am not from a Southern Gospel background, but God says, "That they may be one, as we are one." That is the whole purpose of this project to bring that unity and that Oneness to please our Lord.
Sharon: Amen�amen�
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Written: 10/31/2003
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Category: Feature Articles
Comments: 7
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Thank you for this wonderful interview. I've been anxiously awaiting it since NQC.
I played many tunes released by these ladies.. on country radio years ago. .. but now hearing them together and singing gospel music is the best!! ...and what a sweet spirit.. I can even feel a christian kinship with them just reading the words in this interview.
James, this is a wonderful interview. You did a great job! I love "Fight On!" Very encouraging
Thank you guys, I appreciate it. This is one of those interviews I will cherish the rest of my life. These ladies are all the perfect picture of class and carry themselves very well.
I thoroughly enjoyed talking with these ladies.
Enjoy the C>D>
I really do like the song FIGHT ON,the others all or good, but I pick Fight On as Number one/
Great article! I really enjoyed it.
I love the "Love Never Fails" project. Is there any way to purchase an accompaniment track for the song, "Where Angels Fear to Tread?"
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