Feature Articles

The Mike Bowling Group

You seem to have been having a very successful solo career. Why start a group? How did you decide who would sing in your group? How long did it take to come up with such a peculiar name for the group?

I have sung with several groups over the past 20 years or so. I guess that's where I felt most comfortable, part of a ministry team. Tho' I feel my years as a soloist took me out of my comfort zone, I was in a place where I really learned to trust and depend on God, .and to bring forth the testimony He had placed within my heart. I wanted people in the group that shared the same music and ministry goals as I had. I never dreamed I''d be singing with family I had sang with years earlier in a group called "Family Tradition."

After several hours, days, and weeks of coming up with names like, Mike Bowling and the chosen ones, King James Revelators, Mike Bowling and old rain, etc? You get the point, I came up with a great idea, we'll start off with the Mike Bowling Group, then after a year or so will change it to the Karen Parker Group, then the Jeff Bowling Group, and so on until everybody gets their name in.

You have group experience, when I first heard of Mike Bowling you were singing with the Perrys. What's the difference in singing with someone else's group and singing with your own group?

More responsibility and STRESS!

Tell us a little about each individual in the group. What vocal styles do they bring to the group?

Jeff, my brother, brings his solid, smooth voice to our group. I think he is the gel that blends our harmonies. He's shy on stage, but never stops talking on the bus or at home.
Kim, my sister-in-law, is married to Jeff. She is quite the compulsive cleaner on the bus. Kim has a beautiful voice. She is accomplished on all styles of Gospel from southern to worship.

Karen Parker is a cousin to Jeff and I. We were all raised singing together in our local church in KY. Karen posesses a very anointed and powerful voice (no need for sound system). She is a mixture of Chris Freeman and Vestal Goodman.

Are you going to be doing any song writing for the new group? Are there any other writers in the group?

I have written or co-written three or four songs on our new Graceland CD. Karen has written a few songs in the past, but I haven't heard anything lately. Send all song hooks to http://www.mikebowlinggroup.com .

It must be tricky with you singing in the Mike Bowling Group and your wife Kelly, singing with the renowned Crabb Family. How do you balance such a delicate situation? How often do you get booked together?

I really feel we spend more quality time together than we ever did. Its not easy being apart and we make sure Beckie Simmons books us together as much as she can. Who knows?!? Maybe we?ll be singing together in the near future.

With a new group, comes a new recording, so brag on your new CD a little.

Well, it's great! Album of the Year! Contains Song of the Year! Every song is awesome! Singing is GREAT! Enough? Just kidding! I really am proud of the CD. We spent a lot of time finding the right songs and endless hours in the studio recording. What makes an album successful is not the awards or the chart positions of the songs. Real success of our project is measured to us by reports and testimonies of people deciding to come to know Christ through our music or encouraging saints to hold onto faith no matter what they may be facing in life. Maybe someone realizing just how amazing God's grace really is, or even a song that might lift their hearts to worship our risen savior.

Do you see a day when your children will be a part of the Mike Bowling Group?

Yes! I say this because Kelly and I see us in our children. They sing morning 'til night. We have built them a little stage in their playroom with the microphones, soundtracks, the works. It's not unusual to wake up hearing them wailing the harmony parts to a Southern Gospel song at ages 3 and 6. We already sense God working in them. Although we wouldn't pressure them to choose this profession, it would thrill us both to see God use them.

In your new repertoire with the new group, what one song best identifies the Mike Bowling Group? Describe to us the sound that this young group is striving for.

It's hard to say. We have a wide variety of songs on this recording. We intentially didn't record of a lot of "my style", Country Gospel, songs on this project because I had just released the Kenny Hinson tribute album and all my solo radio singles were country as well and we perform those in concert nightly. So, there was no need to record more of that style at this point. However, the next album we'll go back to more that style. To answer your question. I think "It Ain't Over When It's Over," "Power In The Name Of Jesus," "His Grace Is Sufficient." Southern Gospel is our music!

Is there anything special that the Mike Bowling Group would like to say to our readers?

Thank you for your prayers and support. It's been an amazing few months since we have started. We are looking forward to walking through doors God opens for us, but without God's anointing and favor on our music, we are just a group of singers.

Visit the Mike Bowling Group at http://www.mikebowling.com