Chattanooga Times Free Press - ChattanoogaNow
Smokehouse shows continue with bluegrass gospel singer
Tammy Jones Robinette, a longtime Southern gospel singer making forays into bluegrass gospel, will be the featured act at the Smokehouse Gospel Music Dinner Theater show tonight, Sept. 15, in Monteagle, Tenn.
“When I started looking at it, I realized there were many bluegrass artists that perform gospel music, but relatively few gospel artists have done the reverse, so I decided to trust my instincts and go for it,” she explains in an online biography. “I’m so glad I did.”
Performing for revivals, church services and radio programs since age 8, Robinette originally toured with her three siblings as The Jones Family.
In addition to her alto vocals, she gained attention for her songwriting. “There Has Never Been” became a Top 10 hit for The Perrys and “I’ll Live Again” went to No. 1 for The Bishops.
When the family group disbanded, Robinette pursued a solo career. She has recorded 13 albums, charted more than two dozen songs and hosts a radio show, “The Southern Celebration,” that is syndicated in 52 markets, according to the bio.
In 2014, Robinette had back- to- back No. 1 songs with “Beautiful Day” and “You Don’t Love Him Like I Do” and was named Favorite Female Vocalist at the 2015 Gospel Music Fan Awards presented by Christian Voice magazine.
Her last two releases have been bluegrass projects: “Let It Shine” in 2014 and the self-titled “Tammy Jones Robinette & The Drive” with her band in January of this year. The former’s title track came in at No. 2 on the Singing News bluegrass chart.
Opening tonight’s show will be Noah Hinshaw, a teenager f rom Winchester, Tenn., whose song “The Duck Dynasty Way” reached No. 1 on MusicToRadio charts. His latest project is “Make Me New.”