Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
That Old-Time Religion
Southern gospel a traditional at Silver Dollar City
Take three kids — with less than four years between them in age — and put them in a tiny house somewhere south of Hamburg, Ark., with no electricity and no running water. Singing, says Judy Martin Hess, was “part of our entertainment — one of the things our mom did to pass the time.”
“We didn’t have a piano,” Hess goes on, “so we’d go to church a little early or stay a little late on Sunday or Wednesday, and she would teach us new songs on the piano, then we’d practice a capella at home during the week.”
By the time they were teenagers, the family trio called The Martins was traveling full time, using those vocal harmonies and their church background to become a national and international success. Judy, Joyce and Jonathan performed with Bill Gaither’s “Homecoming” concert series in places like the White House and Carnegie Hall; won eight Dove Awards; and earned a Grammy nomination.
Then something unexpected happened. The trio broke up in 2003.
“It was mainly personal issues that we were having individually that ended up affecting us collectively,” Hess says. She and her family moved to Georgia; Joyce and her family moved to Nashville, Tenn.; and Jonathan and his family moved to Iowa — and they didn’t speak for about two and a half years.
“We were apart for about three and half years,” she says, “and the last year was a long, grueling process of us picking up the pieces and repairing our relationships with each other and with God.”
There were bright spots in the separation, she adds. She got to go home and spend more time with her children. They all did solo projects and traveled on their own. And they learned where they fit together — their individual skills and how they complemented each other.
“As hard as it was at the time, it was such a vital part of us being able to come back together on more level ground,” Hess says.
The result was a trio absolutely delighted to be singing gospel music together.
“We love seeing each other,” Hess says. “We act like kids when we’re together — we’re giddy. We love it!”
They’ve also enjoyed a long relationship with Silver Dollar City, where they’ll be part of this year’s Southern Gospel Picnic — more than 100 performances across 12 days by 70 of the best and most popular musicians in the genre. The idea was born in 2006, says D.A. Callaway, the festival coordinator, and has become one of his favorite events.
“I love the performers, I love the fans — it’s all about Southern hospitality,” he says.
But that doesn’t mean that gospel music hasn’t changed over the years. Callaway invests a lot of time in keeping up to date in that world, and this year, he saw an opportunity to add something completely different to the Southern Gospel Picnic.
On Aug. 27, Silver Dollar City will present America’s Largest Hymn Sing, featuring Gerald Wolfe and Greater Vision, the Mark Trammel Quartet, the Whisnants and the Mylon Hayes Family — but the performers aren’t the reason it’s unique. Created by Wolfe, the sing-along started in 2014 as a way to bring back the simpler days when everyone sang in church.
“With changing times, cultures, and styles, the next generation isn’t exposed to these great lyrics and melodies in most churches on a weekly basis anymore,” Wolfe says on his website, “and those who know and love them don’t often have the opportunity to sing them in a congregational setting.”
“The Hymn Sing is really something that Southern Gospel fans will not want to miss,” Callaway says. “To have all of these wonderful, talented groups on the same stage, accompanied by a full band and the voices of over 4,000 fans from across the country, is indescribable.”