Tell us a little about the history of Greater Vision. When did you first get the idea for a unique trio? Who were your first members? Just fill us in on your history.
We did our first concert on December 30, 1990 in Grassy Springs, Kentucky. The original group members were Mark Trammell, Chris Allman, and me (Gerald).
The idea to put together a group actually came from Norman Holland (Daywind Records), who was with the Benson Company at the time. I had met him during my tenure with the Cathedrals, and he and I had become friends. He was the A&R Director with the Riversong label, and really pushed for me to start a group. At the time, I was doing about 120 solo concerts every year, and didn't like the idea of having the responsibility of managing a group. I'll also admit, that I never enjoyed singing by myself. I was never "cut out" to be a soloist, although I did record two solo projects with Benson.
I told Norman that the only way I'd consider putting a group together was if the right people were involved, and if it was obvious to me that that was what I was supposed to do. It wasn't too long after that conversation that Mark Trammell called me to let me know he was going to leave his position with the Cathedral Quartet, after being there for ten years, and wanted to know if I would be interested in putting a group together. That was an obvious confirmation to me, and the rest is history.
The original idea was to form a trio, and then add a bass singer later, as the finances became available. After recording a couple of CDs, and establishing a "sound", we decided to leave it like it was and remain a trio. God has certainly blessed our trio for the last eighteen years.
What is the inspiration behind the style of music that you guys do? Have you ever thought about branching out into a more progressive or country sound?
The inspiration behind our musical style is pretty simple... we do the kind of music that we love to listen to, and thankfully, God has always blessed us with an audience that seems to like it too. We've never "branched out" into different styles, although we have tried to be innovative by bringing doing some different things like recording the first-ever Gospel album with the Hungarian Radio and Television Symphony back in the 90s, and then recording a live album with the Atlanta Celebration Orchestra. Things like that help to keep our music "fresh", even though the basic style remains the same. We've learned by watching others, both successful and unsuccessful, that you're better off in the long run if you'll just be who you are.
What's it like having such a talented songwriter as Rodney Griffin in the group? Do either of you other two put your hand to songwriting? What would you say is your biggest inspiration for the songs you write? Is there a song that any of you wish you had written? Is there a particular song that any of you have written that seems to touch the audience night after night?
Being blessed with a resident songwriter is certainly a great blessing, and Rodney has a great gift to be able to communicate great truths through music and lyrics that are easy to understand.
Jacob and I don't write songs, although I do like to do some arranging. I have written two songs in my lifetime... neither of which you will ever hear. LOL
If I could have ever written a particular song, it would probably have been "Jesus Paid It All". "Jesus paid it all, all to Him I owe, sin had left a crimson stain, He washed it white as snow." That's the GOOD NEWS!
I guess the song that continues to touch people every time we sing it is "Faces". There are always people in our audiences who do their very best to live consistent, godly lives, but they think because they're not on a platform, they're not accomplishing very much in the "big picture". The truth is, if you are successful at influencing the lives of the people around you... those you already know... they will, in turn, touch other lives, and the snowball effect will result in you actually having an impact on people you will never meet! Only in eternity will people know the real impact their lives have made. Our greatest concern, then, is not to be "famous", but to be "faithful".
What's it like on the bus while driving between performances?
Since there are only four of us on the bus, we each have individual responsibilities that are very important to the day to day operations of the group. Rodney takes care of managing our Publishing Company, and is constantly fulfilling requests for song demos or licenses from other Artists or record companies. Jacob has recently started taking care of "advancing" the dates... that means he calls ahead to make sure everything is "lined up" ahead of time, and to make sure we have the correct directions, load-in times, etc. . He's also been busy lately doing radio interviews. I spend a lot of my time answering emails... sometimes that can be a bit overwhelming. I also stay in touch with Fay Shedd, who handles our scheduling, and I try to take care of as much of the business responsibilities as I can on the road so I won't be so busy when I'm at home. Chad, our product manager, is usually working on ordering product, or managing his inventory reports... or watching a NASCAR race on television.
Gerald, you are known for being one of the best EmCees in our business. Does this just come naturally? Do you have someone that you have held as a pattern for your style? This is probably one of the weakest areas of our genre, do you have any suggestions for up and coming artists when it comes to EmCeeing?
Thanks for the compliment! I do think being able to speak effectively to a large group of people has to come naturally. I've seen people do it who have great training, but there's still an "uneasiness" or "stiffness" about them that's easy to pick up on. I do think an Emcee can always learn from watching others that are good at it, as long as they don't try to imitate them. In my opinion, George Younce was the greatest Emcee to ever walk on a platform. The secret to his success was that he was just himself on the stage. When he spoke, it was as if he was speaking directly to each individual in the audience, and when you left the concert, you always felt as if you knew him personally. The best advice he ever gave me was..."Always be yourself and win as many people as you can. You won't win everybody, and not everybody will like you, but somebody will."
My advice for today's Emcees would be the same as George's advice to me, watch some of the Emcees you enjoy and learn from them, but ultimately, be yourself. It's just as important, if not more so, to know what NOT to say as it is to know what TO say. If you don't have "something" to say, you're better off to say "nothing", and just let your songs do the talking.
You didn't ask, but I do think there are some great Emcees out there today that others could learn from. Bill Gaither would be a great example of a very "laid back" Emcee who makes everybody want to "tune in" to what he's saying. Michael Booth would be on the opposite end of that spectrum. He's very high-energy, and "off the cuff", which works very well for him, because it's the "real" Michael. Jeff Easter is another great Emcee, because he's just himself and people really like him. Scott Fowler has really developed into a good Emcee, which is not something he had planned to do, but necessity brought out the best in him. Again, he's just who he is, and people like him. There are several others I could mention, but those names just popped into my mind.
I think that we can agree that Southern Gospel Music is the greatest music in the world. We may not be the biggest, but we are the best 
. What do you think is our greatest asset? In reverse, what is our greatest need?
Without hesitation I can tell you that our greatest asset is our message. We have the most important message in the world... Jesus loves us, He gave His life for us, He wants to have a personal relationship with us, He wants us to have an abundant life here on earth, and He wants us to spend eternity with Him. Can any other genre top that?
The greatest need in our genre today is the need for consistency. With the world around us constantly changing, people need something they can always look to as being the same. If you look at the most successful businesses in the secular world, you'll notice something unique about the one's that have been around the longest... they are consistent. McDonalds wouldn't last very long if they changed the special sauce on the Big Mac to French dressing. Coca Cola would lose most of their customers if they started putting Mountain Dew in the Coke cans. If you ask Coca Cola what the worst decision they ever made was, they'll quickly tell you it was when they had the idea back in the 1980's to "improve" Coke by changing it's flavor. It was a disaster. Why should we, then, "change our flavor" when what we have already works. Shouldn't we rather try to build on the foundation we already have, rather than to throw our audience away just to try to go after someone else's? It just doesn't make sense to me. Our potential audience is growing, not shrinking. Thanks to the internet, we seeing more and more people around the world fall in love with Gospel music. This year, at the NQC, I met people who had traveled from Norway, England, Ireland, Brazil, Australia, and New Zealand! Quartets and Trios are being formed in those countries and they're singing our songs! Gospel music touches people and changes lives. We just need to keep on singing!
Our nation is going through some perilous times. What can Southern Gospel Music do to us through these hard times?
Our nation is going through a difficult time because we've turned our back on God, as a nation. We've told Him through our lifestyles that we don't need Him, and now we act surprised when He gives us what we've asked for... a nation that has no respect for the things of God. What we as Gospel singers can do to affect that is to keep on doing what God has called us to do. Be consistent in our message, and let as many people as possible know that God has a plan for each of our lives, and that He really does care about what we're doing and how we're living. He wants the very best for us!
What can a Pastor or Promoter expect to see when Greater Vision comes to their church or concert? If a Pastor or Promoter wants to book Greater Vision, how would they do that?
Churches that schedule Greater Vision for a concert can expect to hear lots of traditional Gospel music, hopefully a few laughs, and a clear presentation of the Gospel message. We have the greatest story ever told and we thankful for the opportunity to tell it again and again.
Scheduling us is pretty easy. It takes a simple phone call to Fay Shedd at (770) 537-9387, or an email to .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address). We're currently scheduling the remainder of our 2009 calendar, and are already taking dates in 2010. You can get all the information about us you'd ever want to have by checking out our website at http://www.greatervisionmusic.com .
Author: AGM
| Author's Website: http://absolutelygospel.com/
Written: 11/01/2008
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Category: Feature Articles
Comments: 5
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Thanks for a great interview with Gerald Wolfe. What a wonderful consistently great group he has.
God is good all the time & all the time God is good.
Elaine Harcourt
Wonderful article! Thank you Greater Vision for being such a testimony and witness of God's amazing love and most precious gift the world can ever receive!
Many blessings to you all!
Amazed in His presence and humbled by His great love!
“God makes everything happen at the right time.” (In His Time) Eccl. 3:11
That was such a wonderful interview! Thanks so much.
Diana Brantley
http://sgconcerts.com (latest posts: New Ground - 2/9/12; Dove Brothers - 2/7/12)
http://www.youtube.com/dinanaSN
I thoroughly enjoyed this interview. My opinion is that Gerald really IS the BEST Emcee in Southern Gospel today. And I enjoyed the information about the individual responsibilities for the guys. Sometimes we fans don't realize how much goes into preparation BEFORE the concerts and how much "business" activities must be worked into their schedules!
It is my prayer that Greater Vision will be witnessing and sharing the Good News of Jesus in words and songs for many, many years to come.
Granddaddy Gene and Lucas. Lucas is trying to share his teething ring!
Great Interview.....THANKS for doint it.
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