If there is one word that describes The McKameys, it would be sincere. Each member of this Southern Gospel singing group is sincere in their love for the Lord, sincere in their love for the music they sing, and sincere in their need to spread the Word to others through their music.
Organized as a trio of sisters -- Dora, Peg and Carol McKamey -- in 1954, the group is nearing its fifth decade of spreading love and blessings through the music they sing. Even though there have been several changes in the group's makeup, the wonderful harmonies, great songs and sheer joy of singing has never gone away. Whether they are performing "Roll The Burden On Me," "Even The Valley," "Right On Time," "Arise," or earlier hits like "Who Put The Tears" or "God On The Mountain," there is a light that shines through onstage and an energy that carries them through the night when they perform.
Dora actually started the group, which is based in Clinton, Tennessee. Since their father was a minister, all the girls had grown up singing in church. One day Dora announced to her astonished sisters that they were going to sing with her in church the next Sunday as a trio!
"She gathered us up in her kitchen, started singing and we each found our parts," Peg explained. "We just thought we were gonna sing that one time, in her home church, but different people heard us and invited us to sing at their church or at revivals. Then out of town evangelists heard us at the revivals and invited us to come to their church and we started traveling to Florida and Indiana and Ohio, and that's how it all started."
In 1957 Ruben Bean started playing guitar for the trio, and he and Peg married two years later. As their girls, Connie and Sheryl, were growing up they traveled with their mom, dad and aunts. Dora and Carol retired from the trio in 1971 so it was a natural move for Connie and Sheryl to fill their aunt's shoes.
"The girls had been singing special duets at our concerts so one day after Dora and Carol told me they were retiring, I heard the girls singing and I went in and added my part and I thought 'Wow.' So when Ruben came home we sang for him, started working on the music, and by the end of the year we were taking bookings. The group never stopped. We sold records from the old group at first and we made our first record, with the new members, in 1972."
In the mid 1980s there was another change, when Sheryl retired to fulfill her obligations as a minister's wife. Peg’s sister, Carol, returned to the group, now made up of Peg, Connie, Ruben and Carol. Roger Fortner plays the guitars for the group. The group also uses digital tracks to enhance the value of their performance.
The McKameys play about 150 dates a year, traveling all over North America from Southern California on up to British Columbia and over to the East Coast, north to New Brunswick and south to Florida. They have had 16 number one singles and in 1999 were honored by their record label, Horizon, for having the most number one hits in the history of Southern Gospel Music. Peg has been named Favorite Female Vocalist by the Singing News at its annual fan awards. From 1981 through 1999 they released an album a year filled with music with a message that their fans are eager to hear. Some of the music is written by daughter Sheryl and the remainder comes from songs sent to them in the mail or handed to them on tapes at concerts.
"I try to listen to everything and see if the song has good sound doctrine and a good tune, and if it has those elements, then I let the rest of the group listen to it," Peg says. "We always try to find new songs for our albums -- if it's a good song and we like it, and it works in our ministry, then we will sing it. I think one of the reasons our fans have stayed with us is that we do find good songs."
Another reason the fans tell her they have stayed with them over the years, Peg says, is that they believe the singers really are sincere about the message they present. "It's the joy of the Lord and the strong message in the songs they hear," she says. "We try to have fresh songs and new encounters with the Lord so we can pass them along to those in need of it."
Peg says each of them sees their music as a ministry. "Each of us tries to minister to the people in our office when we are home and at the concerts when we are on the road. We started a prayer wall and it filled up real quickly because there was only room for 13,000 names on it. So now we have a basket that we put the requests in and we pray for people every day. We relate to helping others. And we are all active in our home church."
Peg is one of the first to admit that Southern Gospel Music has grown. "It's bigger now than it ever has been. There are more people attending the concerts and the concerts are in auditoriums where they were at first only in churches. There are also stronger songs, and the music that enhances those songs has gotten better. There has been a lot of quality added to Gospel Music."
Since 1954 the quality of the McKameys has always been there. The harmonies, the songs and the love of the message and for the people it reaches has never wavered. Fans can feel it emanate from the stage as the group breaks into song, because nothing can take the place of sincerity when it comes to delivering the Gospel to the people.
THE MCKAMEYS DISCOGRAPHY
Album (Label) / Radio Airplay
1981 He Didn’t Let Us Down (Morning Star)
1982 By Faith (Morning Star) “Burning The Midnight Oil”
1983 Keepsake (Morning Star) * “Who Put The Tears” (1984) and
“Someone Prayed For Me”
1984 Tennessee Live (Morning Star) “Tarry Here”
1985 Fruitful (Morning Star) “ Bring Me Out Of The Desert”
1986 Unique (Morning Star) “The Bride Coming In” and “I’m Going Thru”
1987 More Than Music (Morning Star) * “Getting Used To The Dark” (1987) and
“Vision Of Heaven”
1988 Covered By Love (Morning Star) “No More Sea”
1988 Gone To Meetin’ (Morning Star) ** “God On The Mountain (1989) and
"Ground Breaking”
1989 Sing Praises (Morning Star) * “God Will Make This Trial A Blessing" (1991)
and "Under His Feet"
1990 Purpose (Morning Star) “Somehow He Will” and “Handfuls of Purpose”
1991 Just Thinking (Morning Star) “The Rising Of The Son”
1992 With Feeling (Horizon) * “A Borrowed Tomb” (1993) and
* “Do You Know How It Feels” (1993)
1993 With His Power (Horizon) ** “Arise” (1994) and “Prayer Changes Me”
1994 It’s Real (Horizon) “I’m Going Through Jesus” and “A Voice Within”
1995 Sheltered (Horizon) “How Deep Is The Sea” and “The Old Love Letter”
1996 Still Have A Song (Horizon) * “Right On Time” (1997) and
“This Valley Is For Me"
1997 Remembrance (Horizon)
1998 Always (Horizon) “A Wall Of Prayer,” * “Roll That Burden On Me” (1999) and
“It Satisfies Me”
1999 Waiting (Horizon) “The Blood” and “Even The Valley”
2001 I’ve Won (Horizon) * "I've Won" (2001) *"He Calms Me"(2002) and
*"The Other Side" (2002)
2002 Trophy of Grace (Horizon) *"Surely Goodness and Mercies of the Lord
(2003) and "A Trophy of Grace"
2003 An Acoustic Journey (Horizon) "Anytime"
"God Is So Good To Me"
2004 Fresh Manna (Horizon) *"The Good News" (2005) and *"I Am Home" (2005)
2005 The Old Path (Horizon) *"I Will Trust You Lord" (2006) and
"Altogether Lovely"
2007 Telling The Story (Horizon) "You're Still God"
* Number One Song
** Song of the Year
VIDEOS
1988 Gone To Meetin’
1989 Sing Praises
1991 McKameys On Tour
1992 With Feeling
1994 With His Power
1996 Encourage
1999 Genuine
2000 Who We Are
2001 McKameys Hometown Live (Video of the year 2003 at SN Fan Awards)
2003 Renfro Valley Live
DVDS
2003 Renfro Valley Live
2005 The Old Path
2006 Christmas
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CONTACT THE McKAMEYS
Phone:865-457-3678, Office Hours:Monday thru Thursday,8:30 am til 4:30pm, Closed Friday,Saturday and Sunday
Mailing address:
The McKameys
PO Box 128
Clinton,Tn 37717
McKameys Booking Agent
Harper Agency
www.harperagency.com
(615) 851-4500
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