Add this entry to Your Favorites | [0] Favorites [12] Comments

Please wait...

Give us a brief synopsis of what has been going on with The Ruppes lately (i.e. the last year or two).

The last year or two has been about the same. We have been trying to stay busy, continuing to put out Christ honoring music, and being faithful to our calling. We have met some great people this year. The Lord is so good.

Your last recording, Sweet Forever, was critically acclaimed. What's next for The Ruppes in terms of recording?

Well, as far as I know right now, we won’t be recording a new project with Spring Hill Music Group. We have been with them since 1998, and it’s been a great journey. We will probably be independent unless the Lord directs us otherwise. We want to start a new project this fall, but the Lord will have to provide the finances. This life we live is a faith walk. We will just prepare as if we are recording this fall and depend on the Lord to do the rest.

Heather, you recently started doing some producing for the group, how does this differ from being the artist in the recording process? What kind of responsibilities are entailed when taking on such a feat?

Well, we have always made most of the decisions for our recordings, but this time most of it was left up to me. From choosing the songs, to hiring musicians, studio time etc, plus, I probably made 30 or so trips to Charlotte, North Carolina where we record. (Gat3) My good friend (I call him brother), Glenn Tabor, was a huge help to us. If there was a problem he would fix it. He also worked it out for us to have the project mastered at Abbey Road in London. (How cool is that – this is also where the Beatles recorded a good many of their recordings!) We spent a lot of time just sitting and listening and tweaking during the mix. It’s a lot of hard, time consuming work, but worth it in the end. Our vocal guru, Eddie Howard, also knows how to push us vocally. So through all the technical stuff that I don’t understand, it pays to have good people to work with.

Your current single, "The Healer", has is very personal message to you as a group right now. Explain how the song has been working in your own lives.

Well, we recorded the song in the honor of Mom and Dad’s Pastor, Dr. Dennis Carter. He was diagnosed with cancer and given three weeks to live three years ago. God is good. Little did we know then that we would be facing the same thing in our own family. In May, my dad, Leo Ruppe, was diagnosed with cancer. The doctors don’t give much hope, but we are trusting Jesus, the Great Physician, to do the miraculous in Dad’s body. Thank you Lord for the miracle. Ps. 30:2: “I cried unto the Lord and He has healed me.”

With your father currently fighting the battle with cancer, let others know what they can do to help the ministry of The Ruppes.

Besides praying with us for Dad’s healing, also pray for us individually and pray for our ministry. We have many needs. We need to fill dates, we need a better bus, we need better sound equipment, we need to make a new recording, and I could go on and on. Ultimately, God knows what we need, and he will supply the need. You can help by asking God what you can do.

The Ruppes have always been extremely ministry minded. How do you, as such a ministry focused group, approach the ministry vs. entertainment aspect of Southern Gospel?

We don’t approach it. We have never been entertainers. Mom and Dad asked the Lord 32 years ago to anoint us and to let us make a difference, and He has been faithful. Sure, we always want to improve upon what we do, but because we don’t focus on entertainment, it has hurt us in the industry. We are not a “promoters” kind of group. We don’t use a lot of hoopla to get a crowd to respond to us to see how many CDs we can sell. Our music touches hearts, and that’s better than any thing we could ever do to entertain.

How has being a female group been both a struggle and a blessing in such a male-oriented genre?

It’s a blessing just to do what we do, but it is a struggle in this male dominated industry and church world. It shouldn’t matter if we are female as long as we put out good music. This is our 32nd year in the ministry. We have been faithful to our calling. So, let me encourage anyone who has wanted to have us come, to make that call. If everyone who says they love our music would put forth the effort to have us in there church or community, we would not have to be concerned about our calendar, it would be full. And I might as well say that radio has always loved our music, so let me encourage you DJs to play and chart our music based on its quality and because it’s a great song, not on how many promoters have called. I’m just saying what’s on my heart.

Share what God has been teaching you lately.

Heather - God has been teaching me that I can’t go in my own strength. Not to try and work things out on my own. Our own strength runs out fast. With what we are facing, I’m learning to trust Him more. He is my refuge and strength. Isaiah 12:2, “Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for the LORD JEHOVAH is my strength and my song; He also is become my salvation.”

Valerie - The Lord has been teaching me to trust Him and to have confidence in Him and His Word. Deut. 31:8, “It is the Lord who goes before you; He will march with you; He will not fail you of let you go or forsake you; let there be no cowardice or flinching, but fear not, neither become broken in spirit, depressed, dismayed, and unnerved with alarm.”

Brenda - God is teaching me to have child like faith. Just like a child has faith that his earthly father will take care of him, we have to have that kind of faith in our heavenly Father. Phil 4:19, “But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.”

Visit the Ruppes at http://www.theruppes.com and visit them at the 7th Annual Gospel Music Fan Festival Friday, July 28 at River of Life Assembly of God in Smyrna, TN.

Reader Comments

Add Comments

If you are seeing this form you are not a Member or have not logged in. Why not consider becoming a Member? All comments must be made with a valid email address. Comments with invalid email addresses are subject to removal.

Membership allows you to have a prepared signature of your choice applied to every comment you make, as well as the ability to choose an avatar to display next to your name to help identify your posts. Members are also given opportunity to vote weekly in our Weekly Chart as well as special Members Only contests, polls and giveaways during the year. If you are already a member, login here, otherwise please register here.

**Note: Forums membership is a seperate membership.

By posting you agree to our Comments Policy

Name:
Email:
Location:
URL:
Comment:
	Remember my personal information
	Notify me of follow-up comments?
Please enter the word you see in the image below: