Gospel Fest shines with Crabbs, English, Peck

Six luminaries of Southern gospel music and dozens of t heir regional counterparts will share their ministry in song during the annual Gospel Fest in Dalton, Ga., through the weekend.

Th e celebration opens today, June 16, with Michael English and Karen Peck & New River headlining an evening concert; continues Friday, June 17, with Adam Crabb, The Freemans and The Hinson Family performing; and concludes Saturday, June 18, with a solo show by Jason Crabb.

Tickets are required for the evening shows — $20 in advance for a three-day pass, $30 at the door — but admission is free for daytime concerts by regional acts over the three days.

“We have over 50 artists performing 10 [a.m.] to 5 [p.m.] each day,” says organizer Alisa Asbury, a Dalton- based gospel singer.

The Crimson Music Awards, set for 4 p. m. today, will name winners in multiple categories, including vocalists, entertainer and ministry of the year. A worship service will precede the music Saturday morning.

Longtime gospel artist Gerald Crabb (father of Jason and Adam) has previously lent his name to Gospel Fest, and previous festivals were produced by his and Asbury’s A&G Entertainment. However, triple bypass surgery a few months ago has slowed the elder Crabb’s schedule, Asbury says.

“Since this was my idea three years ago, I decided that I wanted to keep doing it,” she says.

Launched over Labor Day weekend in 2014, Gospel Fest is modeled after Crabb Fest, a gospel music celebration held by the Crabb family in Owensboro, Ky., in the mid-1990s.

Asbury says the Dalton Convention Center will be filled with vendor booths where artists will be selling CDs and other merchandise. Area churches and businesses also will have booths set up, and free makeovers and facials are among the perks in the vendor area.

“There’s a lot going on,” she says.

Proceeds will go to the Down Home Christmas food drive.

CONTRIBUTED PHOTOS Dove Award winner Michael English has returned to solo work after a stint with the Gaither Vocal Band.

‹‹ The Hinson Family (formerly Weston and Christy Hinson) is the family trio of Weston Hinson, wife Christy Hinson and their daughter, Jordan Honea.

‹‹ The Freemans, left, are an award-winning family group anchored by husband and wife Darrell and Chris Freeman, their children, Misty and Caylon and cousin Joe Freeman.

›› Grammy-nominated and Dove Award-winning group Karen Peck & New River features Ricky Braddy, Karen Peck Gooch and Susan Peck Jackson, from left.

›› Grammy Award winner Jason Crabb is the former lead male vocalist for The Crabb

›› Adam Crabb, the current lead singer for the Gaither Vocal Band, honed his musical talents early on as a member of the Crabb Family and its offshoot, Crabb Revival.