The Kingdom Heirs
Gospel double treat at Weldon, Feb. 3
Gospel music fans are in for a double-header on Friday, Feb. 3 as Weldon Auditorium welcomes two top flight acts to their stage with the Kingdom Heirs and Dennis Swanberg, America’s “Minister of Encouragement.”
From the mountains of East Tennessee, southern gospel music fills the air and is the home of The Kingdom Heirs, one of southern gospel music’s top male quartets. The group sang in local churches and concert halls in 1981, and as their music and message spread to a wider audience, so did their popularity and demand. In 1981, they began singing at the Silver Dollar City theme park, which is now Dollywood. In 1986 when the theme park took on their new name, The Kingdom Heirs were asked to become the resident gospel group and now this year, both The Kingdom Heirs and Dollywood will be celebrating 27 years together.
The Kingdom Heirs have been nominated many times for industry awards such as The SGMA Awards, Dove Awards and The Singing News Fan Awards. Winning Newcomer Group of the Year in 1989, the group has been a constant favorite. The latest award was 2006 Band of the Year, which the band also won in 2002, 2004 and 2005. They have also had many top ten songs, and currently have had 28 top-five songs in a row and five # 1 songs including their latest number #1 song, “He Locked The Gates” and current hit “Tell Me Why.”
The group features Steve French (baritone) and Steve’s brother Kreis (bass guitar). Both brothers have been in the group for 32 years.
Also in the group are Dennis Murphy (drummer), Arthur Rice (lead vocals), Jeff Chapman (bass), Andy Stringfield (piano) and Jerry Martin (tenor).
What a special treat for Clarendon County to have such a prestigious group grace our stage. Come see what God is doing through these men.
If laughter is truly the best medicine, then Dennis Swanberg, America’s “Minister of Encouragement” is just what the doctor ordered. With his down-home charm and heaping helping of hospitality, this Austin, Texas born pastor-turned-comedian has won the hearts of audiences across the country.
Raised in what he calls a “mostly blue-collar, but sometimes ring-around-the collar” f during the fifties, that old black and white television in the corner of the living room became an important part of making Swanberg the success he is today. “Most moms yell at kids to go outside and play, he remembers with a laugh, “My mom would say, ‘you sit there and watch that television – your daddy worked so hard for it!’. “Her ‘encouragement’s’ have paid off!”
Today Swanberg takes Barney Fife and over twenty other lovable impersonations, together with his side-splitting stories of growing up, families, and the funny side of church, to over 250,000 people every year. His audiences range from churches looking for fresh and new inspiration, to marriage enrichment seminars, city-wide concerts, business related events and corporate gatherings. Dennis Swanberg doesn’t care who he’s talking to, as long as he can leave knowing he made someone’s day a little brighter.
“Mixing and mingling in a lobby before the show or grabbing a coffee afterwards is just as important to me as the hour I spend up on stage,” Swanberg said. It’s just that kind of genuineness that has made several of this pastor-with-a punch line’s audience members remark that “If I lived in your town, I’d come to your church!”
Dennis Swanberg knows just what it takes to make life a more pleasant road to journey down – with a laugh or two along the way. His routines regularly include hilarious send-ups of his own family life, both as a child growing up in Texas and as a husband and parent today to his wife Lauree and two young adult sons, Dusty and Chad.
“I try to bring people laughter, but my advice to them is always that joy is a choice. Happiness is dependent upon what happens in your life, but joy is a choice you can make every single day. I want to motivate my audiences to have courage, to be strong, to look for the moments in life that make them realize they are an important part of this world. I want people to realize that this is a great life to enjoy.
“And the one way you can enjoy life is by helping other people enjoy it too.”
Tickets for the Kingdom Heirs/Dennis Swanberg concert are $11 and a canned good for the United Ministries food pantry. They are on sale now at Weldon Auditorium. For more information, call Weldon at 433-SHOW (7469).
