A friend of mine once told me several years ago, that you just can't argue with success. We were talking about some of the successful groups in Southern Gospel Music and one name surprisingly came up in our conversation, and that was the Primitive Quartet. Being humble businessmen, they've done exceedingly well for themselves and continue to put out consistently great music that their fans enjoy. They've set themselves a gentle pace that many groups envy and strive for. Success is measured in many different ways. There are the successes of #1 songs, billings at all the major concert venues, major recording contracts, etc. But then there is the more subtle, but yet equally gratifying measure of success that groups like the Primitive Quartet enjoy. There aren't too many artists who can boast the success of this group, and they are so humble about their success, I had to get bits of info for this article from a variety of people who know them best.
From humble beginnings back in 1973, the Primitive Quartet started with 2 sets of brothers, Larry & Reagan Riddle and Norman & Furman Wilson out on a fishing trip singing around the campfire with a guitar and mandolin. Coming back home and singing together in church that next Sunday, the group ultimately started singing around their hometown and eventually gained popularity in western North Carolina and eastern Tennessee. By 1978, the Primitive Quartet was picked up by the Inspirations and was asked to tour with them on all their dates for the next 18 months, where they learned the ropes of a traveling gospel band and became acquainted with all the Inspirations promoters and pastors. Manager and bass singer, Larry Riddle speaks highly of that time in their lives, "God's hand was on that situation because at that time the Inspirations were one of the hottest groups out there and they took a little local group like us and God used them to help us. We owe great debt to the Inspirations for helping us those many years ago and we continue to be great friends with them. On top of that, we owe an even greater debt to the Lord for using us in the mighty way that He has." From that point on, the Primitive Quartet's popularity and success was solidified forever.
Consisting today of three original members, Larry and Reagan Riddle and Norman Wilson, a third Riddle brother, Mike, joined in 1978 when Furman answered the call to preach. Randy Fox joined about 18 years ago and Jeff Tolbert came on board almost 10 years ago. Not many groups can boast the low turnover in group members like the Primitive Quartet can. Though never obtaining a #1 song and being a group that doesn't come with a lot of fan fare, the Primitive Quartet boasts many true successes. In speaking of their success, Larry says, "Obedience is better than sacrifice and if you'll be obedient to God's call on your life, He will bless you abundantly. This is the 32nd year that we've been singing, and we've made a lot of precious friends down through the years. We've got a faithful following that loves us and supports us, and we appreciate them. I'm sure there would have been a little more fan fare if we had a major label that pushed what we do, but God has blessed us in that we don't have to go that route and it's something that has worked very well for us." In what makes a group successful, Larry says there are two important ingredients, "Originality. You have to have original material and you have to be a little bit different than anybody else. You also have to have the sweet holy touch of God on you. I believe that if you're a blessing to people, then they'll want to take you home with them be it on video, CD or whatever. If you're not a blessing, then that one time is enough!"
As mentioned earlier, there are all types of measuring sticks for success and there are all types of opinions as to what makes an artist successful. When asked what is the Primitive Quartet's measuring stick, Larry says, "Consistently standing on stage and God honoring what you do is our measure of true success. It's a tremendous honor to have your fans and friends come and hear you, but to have an Almighty God come and consistently show up and put His touch on what you do, it just doesn't get any more successful than that. If God's in what you are doing, He will take care of you. And He has done that, over and above for us, and we're eternally thankful and grateful for what He has done." As to specifics, Larry continues by adding "God has blessed us to be able to make a good living for our families, blessed us with a tremendously easy schedule because 80% of what we do is within a 300 mile radius of our home. We don't do too many new dates. Most of our bookings are repeat bookings every year. After 32 years of traveling and singing, you find the ones that are successful and you stick with them. We fill roughly 130 dates a year and after 32 years of singing, we've found 130 good places to sing and they keep having us back, and it just goes back to what I said earlier, obedience is greater than sacrifice and we try to be obedient to what God has called the Primitive Quartet to do. It's not an easy life, but God has made it easy for us." With literally hundreds of churches on a waiting list to book the Primitive Quartet, they never have to go hunting down a booking like many groups do. On top of that, there aren't many places they go sing that there isn't a nice hot home cooked meal provided in one of their many friends' homes.
For many years the group has owned and operated a 40 plus acre Music Park called Hominy Valley where they host several gospel sings a year, including the week of July 4th which brings in literally thousands of attendees every year as well as several well known Southern Gospel and Bluegrass artists.
Through the years the Primitive Quartet has had numerous songs that have become standards for the group such as "Gloryland", "The Flowers We Love", "My Hope is in the Blood", "Fallen Leaves", "Walking on the Highway", "Because He Loved Me", "Flight Without an Airplane" and most recently, "No Longer an Orphan", which was written by Reagan Riddle. Reagan shares the story behind the song, "My daughter and her husband adopted a little orphan girl from Russia about two years ago named Christina and she was 11 years old. Christina was with a group of orphans that came to America in hopes that they could get adopted. They came to Asheville and my son in law pastors one of the larger churches in Asheville. The group approached him about housing those 11 children for about 3 weeks. While they were here, 9 of those children accepted Christ. Christina was one of those children. My son in law and daughter had no plans to adopt any of the children at all, but after they went back to Russia, they became burdened for that little girl and they started making plans to adopt her. The interpreter told the children that since they knew Jesus, they could pray that the Lord would send them someone to adopt them. My daughter and her husband built a big addition onto their house for Christina, and I thought about it this way…The Lord said when He went away to prepare us a place and that He would come back and receive us unto Himself. Christina heard that Jimmy (my son in law) was coming after her but she didn't know when. Now, we know the Lord is coming for us, but we don't know when. Jimmy told us that when she appeared in court, she could have rejected their offer for adoption, just like we can with the offer that Christ made to us. Jimmy worked a year to prepare that house for little Christina, and I never will forget when they brought her home and she said, "I'm no longer an orphan." And that's like it is with Christ. He made us an offer, He's gone to prepare us a place and we can accept that offer or reject it…but I'm thankful I can say that I'm no longer an orphan, because I am adopted by the King of Kings." The group's latest single, "You've Helped Me Through my Valley", also written by Reagan,comes from their brand new recording entitled, "Who Rolled the Stone Away?" and all indications point to another big song for the group.
As Larry will attest to the fact, if you stay true to what God has called you to do, He will bless it abundantly. "Always do your best to exalt Christ and everything else will fall into place", Larry says. "For Christ said that if I be lifted up, I will draw all men unto you. So, lift Him up, and He'll lift you up." You may not call the Primitive Quartet successful in the ways that many people think of…but by every sense of the word, these gentlemen are successful. In a day when you have artists that are scrambling for the best dates, working feverishly trying to keep their calendars full, pushing for multiple #1 songs and trying their hardest to do everything they possibly can "make it" in this industry, here you find godly, Christian businessmen who by all accounts, are one of the most successful gospel groups in the country and they have gotten to this point by quietly doing their own thing, making smart business decisions, never forgetting where they came from and where they're going and keeping Christ as the head of their organization. They've proven it time and time again, that you just can't argue with success.
To learn more about the Primitive Quartet, their Hominy Valley sings as well as their Pigeon Forge Christmas Celebration December 8-10, 2005, check out their website at www.primitivequartet.com.
Author: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
Written: 12/01/2005
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Category: Feature Articles
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Thanks men for your Faithfullness to our Heavenly Father, His Word, and your calling to share in word and song , the Gospel of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! We see you on Sky Angel once in a while, but we are a little too far north to see you in concert in our area. I think one of you wrote 'The Fluffly' song, and we hear that quite often in this area. May the Lord continue to Bless all of you! 'Til the Trump Sounds!!! Douglas Zwyghuizen
I can honestly say that the hand of the Lord is upon these fine Brothers. We have been blessed by having them at Ranger Baptist(http://www.rangerbaptistchurch.org) for the last 2 years in a row. As was said above, these fellows go about their ministry as quiet and unassuming as they can and still touch lives and hearts in a mighty way. Their success lies in their faithfulness to the Lord. "Trust in him and all things shall be given unto you"! May God bless the Primitive Quartet one by one.
one of my favorite groups. I feel these are men who live what they sing. feel the spirit all over them
I'VE LISTENED TO THE PRIMITIVES FOR YEARS NOW, AND I STILL FEEL THE HOLY SPIRIT IN THEIR SONGS GOD BLESS EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU MY BROTHERS IN CHRIST STAY TRUE TO THE LORD JESUS CHRIST AND HE WILL SEE YOU THROUGH ALL THE VALLEYS AND THE MOUNTAINS. LOVE SISTER IN CHRIST SANDRA OWENS
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