The Prophets Return to Knoxville

Back in 1958, two young men, Ed Hill and Jay Berry, were singing part-time in a group called, The Kings Men. That group performed during the National Quartet Convention that year and was a huge hit. Hill and Berry had a desire to sing full-time. In 1959 they decided to move to Knoxville and establish a new quartet called “The Prophets Quartet.”

The Prophets enjoyed great success for the next 14-years, until group founder/owner, Ed Hill, retired the group and the name. Hill went on to enjoy years of great singing alongside J.D. Sumner and the Stamps. Read more about the Prophets rich history here.

Nearly 50-years since the original quartet was formed in Knoxville, the Prophets returned to their birthplace for 3 days of great Southern Gospel music at the 21st Grand Ole Gospel Reunion. The group is now based out of Nashville, TN. The Prophet’s current lineup includes; founding member/group owner, Ed Hill singing baritone, Paul Jackson on lead, legendary Bill Baize soars on the tenor, rock solid Mike Allen rattles the bass, and the incomparable Eddie Crook tickles the ivories.

Even from my front row balcony seat in the Knoxville Civic Auditorium, I could sense the wonderful stage presence from this group of veteran singers. Ed Hill’s baritone sounds just as good today as it did back in the day. Bill Baize still hits the high notes without any effort at all and if you closed your eyes you would never know that the man is nearly 70-years old! The Prophet’s lead singer, Paul Jackson, does a spectacular job and I also discovered that he is a fellow blogger. Of course, being a bass singer myself, I can’t help but favor Mike Allen. He has such a smooth and natural bass sound. Folks will recognize Allen from his time with the Gaither Homecoming Series and also his tenure with Phil Cross & Poet Voices.

The Grand Ole Gospel Reunion is mostly made up of old timers and considering the ages of Hill and Baize, they fit right in. However, their sound was impeccable. While they may not be doing many quick dance steps, vocally, the Prophets can hang right in there with much younger groups like the Dove Brothers, Dixie Echoes, and Southern Sound.

I have yet to buy a new Prophets CD, but there is a pretty in-depth review of their first project over at the Southern Gospel Albums Review. I hope to hear more from this awesome quartet very soon!