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From humble beginnings in the late 1950's, Naomi Sego and the Segos have been traveling up and down the highways and byways of the world, proclaiming that there is joy in serving the Lord. Best known for such songs as “Is My Lord Satisfied with Me”, “Sorry I Never Knew You”, “Hallelujah Square”, “One Day at a Time”, “It'll Be Different the Next Time”, “Wake the Town”, “Leave it All to Jesus” and countless others, this group has seen many mountain-tops and have walked through many valleys, but yet through it all they continue to share with anyone who will listen, the joy that can be found in serving the Lord.

Marking 46 wonderful years of singing, Naomi & the Segos have released a brand new recording on Morningstar Records and produced by Eddie Crook aptly titled, “There is Joy.” . Consisting of Kasey Kemp, Caleb Cowan, Ken Johnson, and of course, Naomi, the group is extremely excited about this new recording, especially Naomi. With an underlying theme of joy, Naomi says, “ Every song on this new recording has a message of joy.  We wanted to remind people in song that there is JOY in serving our Lord.  After 46 years of ministry, and me being 74 years old, I want people to know I still have joy in my heart and I want to share that wonderful joy with everyone I meet.” Several of the songs on this recording are very special to Naomi. In glowing tones she remarks, “I love all these songs! I think if I were to pick a few of my favorites, they would be "He's Alive" because it reminds us of his resurrection power. Then there is the song "There'll be Joy” because it helps us keep our focus on his eternal promise. Our latest song to radio, " Almost Home", is a great song too .   Our good friends Colbert and Joyce Croft wrote this song. The message in "Almost Home" is yet another one of joy, reminding us as Christians, that each step we take is another one closer to our eternal reward.  When you get in touch with that thought, that the Lord is preparing an eternal resting place, it just has to fill your heart with joy!”

One of the songs that the group is really enjoying these days is a re-make of an old Sego's classic called, “The Joke.” Originally recorded over 35 years ago and written by the late W.R. Sego, the song has been a joy for the group to resurrect. As Naomi says, “Kasey does such a good job on the song and it goes over great in concert. It has a great message that people are identifying with and they love it!  It surprised us a few months ago when we started getting requests for it all of a sudden.  The boys finally dusted off an old record at the office and listened to the song.  At the request of many fans, and the boys insisting on it, we decided to re-record it and I'm sure glad that we did.”

This new recording is the first recording of newly recorded material put out by the group in nearly 3 years. When I asked Naomi what she hoped to accomplish through this new recording, she said, “From the industry and fan standpoint, I wanted to get something new and fresh out on the radio. I also wanted to showcase my boys Kasey and Caleb. They are such talented kids who need to be recognized and this was a great way to do it.  I'm not looking at retirement anytime soon and this new CD was a way to express my feelings of the great joy I have about what I'm doing.” As mentioned earlier, Eddie Crook produced the new recording and Eddie used to travel and play the piano for the Sego Brothers and Naomi in the mid to late 1960s until he joined the Happy Goodman Family in 1970. Naomi says of Eddie, “I just love Eddie and it was so great working with him again. Back when he used to travel with us, he headed up our band, now he heads our recordings. He is very talented, and did a great job on our new recording.  While we were in the studio working on the tracks, we would gather around the piano to work on a song and I could not help but think of the old days when Eddie was with us.  Eddie was an asset then, and his craftsmanship and friendship are truly a blessing to me still today!”

It seems that lately, there had been an influx in the popularity of Naomi and the Segos. Even Bill Gaither has realized the rich musical legacy found in the music of Naomi & the Segos. Last year, the group was invited to perform with the Homecoming crew in Greenville, South Carolina. Naomi recalls that night with great fondness, “That night was so much fun! The crowd responded so well to what we were doing, and we just had a great time doing it.” Gaither was so impressed with the group, that they have just been added to the bill for the Homecoming concert in Atlanta, Georgia at the Arena at Gwinnett Center on April 29 and Naomi hopes all their friends will come out and support this event.

After 74 recordings and over 45 years of singing the gospel, you'd think it would be time to rest on one's laurels and enjoy retirement. But not Naomi, as she already has said, retirement is just not an option, but rather, she continues to be amazed at how God continues to bless her and the group. “I never thought I would ever be in this at all,” Naomi says. “When I started singing, it was on a fill-in basis, nothing full-time.  When I made my debut on the Sego Brothers TV program in Macon, Georgia back in the late 1950's, little did I know how God would use that to shape my future.  Year after year, I have been amazed at where God was leading me.  Now, at 74 years old, I still stand in awe of the fact that God has blessed me with good health and the desire to go on. Every day is a new adventure…new problems, new victories, new memories. We look forward to each new place the Lord has opened up the door for us to visit this year, and all the new people we will meet.  But most of all, we look forward to sharing our JOY with folks all across the country in hopes that we will be a blessing, and help lead someone to Christ.”

After all these years, Naomi has found that there is still joy in serving Jesus. It's more than a song to Naomi; it's a testimony of faith. There is more to this life than just mere temporal happiness, but there is a greater joy that this world just cannot give, it's a joy that only serving the Lord can bring and it will sustain us for life!

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