text: Alan Kendall joins Freedom | Southern Gospel Journal Alan Kendall joins Freedom | Southern Gospel Journal
  Home » Changes » Alan Kendall joins Freedom
  Alan Kendall joins Freedom
  Posted by Daniel J. Mount on April 19, 2011 in Changes
  Alan Kendall, who was a member of Gerald Williams' Melody Boys Quartet through last year, is Freedom's new baritone.
  Freedom is the new trio from John Rulapaugh (Dove Brothers, Palmetto State) and Josh Garner (Florida Boys); they launched last year. Josh and John stated: "We are happy to have Alan as a member of the team and we look forward to introducing him to you in person sometime soon!"
  Alan actually got his start in Southern Gospel as a webmaster and a blogger; he maintained the website for Charlie Waller's Southern Gospel Hall of Fame, for Waller's Grand Ole Gospel Reunion, and ran a blog which hit its peak of activity at about the same time SouthernGospelBlog.com was launched. So as a Southern Gospel blogger, it's a particular thrill to see one of our own step to the other side of the microphone, once again.
  J.C.	April 19, 2011 at 9:13 am
  That is awesome Daniel!! I keep waiting to hear that Steve French is stepping down and naming you as his replacement….;)
  Daniel J. Mount	April 19, 2011 at 9:21 am
  Umm, no. Not likely. 🙂 😆
  I don't dream of having my face on an album cover – my dream is to see it in the songwriter credits. 🙂
  (That actually has happened once, with Ed Hill's Prophets cutting one of my songs, but the group came and went quickly enough that nobody remembers the album or the song anymore!)
  J.C.	April 19, 2011 at 10:31 am
  LOL! I did not know that you had any published songs. That is pretty sweet!!!
  Daniel J. Mount	April 19, 2011 at 10:33 am
  That one was pretty cool – it featured Mike Allen, and there are few bass singers who can deliver a bass solo better than he can. 🙂
  I've been so swamped with this site, my book review site, and the general responsibilities of life on my own that I haven't put any time into songwriting demos for something approaching a year.
  (And I just realized that we've gotten fairly off-topic here! If we continue this discussion further, maybe email would be best. 🙂 )
  J.C.	April 19, 2011 at 12:27 pm
  Touche!!! I will email you and we can continue the discussion. Have a blessed day!
  Daniel J. Mount	April 19, 2011 at 12:50 pm
  quartet-man	April 19, 2011 at 2:05 pm
  Well, see that is a conversation I would like to see. I know some don't want to stray from tropic, but others like to read the topics as they evolve (or detour).
  quartet-man	April 19, 2011 at 9:53 am
  You have to watch that Adam Kendall. First he broke away from the Kendall's after they had some country hits in the seventies and then he got the big head further when Amazon named their book reader after him (even though the PR department changed the spelling to Kindle). I hope he has gotten straightened out. (Tongue in cheek J.D. Sumner type of humor :D).
  quartet-man	April 19, 2011 at 9:54 am
  *Kendalls.
  sourceofpower	April 19, 2011 at 10:39 am
  Never heard of him J.C. and him could be brothers they look very similar! he he he he 🙂
  Pat Barker	April 19, 2011 at 10:54 am
  Alan is an incredible singer. He also knows his history better than any younger person I've met. He will be a wonderful addition.
  Daniel J. Mount	April 19, 2011 at 10:55 am
  Yes – I'm fairly confident he has me beat hands-down in the Southern Gospel history department, and there aren't that many people 30 and under who do!
  J.C.	April 19, 2011 at 12:26 pm
  Pat, you are just one of the best bass singers in the industry!!! You are always encouraging to a young bass singer like myself and to all fans & singers of southern gospel!! Thanks for all you do!
  Stewart Varnado	April 19, 2011 at 1:05 pm
  Is this THE Pat Barker? Wow, what an honor 🙂
  Daniel J. Mount	April 19, 2011 at 1:07 pm
  Detailed forensic research indicates it's actually Bill Gaither pretending to be Pat Barker…
  (no, seriously, the answer is yes!)
  Melissa	April 19, 2011 at 1:31 pm
  I know this is straying awfully close to the off-topic boundary, but I have to say that one of the reasons I read this blog so faithfully is for those occasions when someone *I* consider to be a legend, such as Stewart Varnado, expresses awe at the fact that someone *he* considers a legend, such as Pat Barker, actually posts here too. If Stewart thinks he's in heady company, imagine how the rest of us feel!
  Daniel J. Mount	April 19, 2011 at 1:34 pm
  In this case, I'll permit it for at least a few comments!
  Back when Pat Barker was with the Diplomats, they were primarily known in their area – so the first major national group Pat was with was the Dixie Echoes. And by the time he joined, Stewart had been with them for a decade. 🙂
  So Stewart is certainly being nice and gracious, but has every bit as much a claim to being a legend! 🙂
  Stewart Varnado	April 20, 2011 at 8:45 pm
  That was just me joking with Pat. He's a good friend, I knew it was him.
  Back to the subject, Alan will do a great job. Glad to have other young guys who care so much about SG history too. I'll turn 31 in September, so not young anymore. Especially since I joined when I was 17.
  Freedom has a great sound. Go hear them. Josh and John are great guys and wonderful singers!
  Tony Watson	April 19, 2011 at 11:52 am
  Saw Alan Kendall March 11th in Terrell, TX with Freedom – he'd been out with them a couple of weeks at that time and he sounded great as usual!
  Paul the Concert Guy	April 19, 2011 at 1:00 pm
  We had Freedom at our Church back in March, and it was Alan's first night with them…he did a great job!
  Daniel J. Mount	April 19, 2011 at 1:02 pm
  My on-the-scene eyewitnesses agree. 🙂
  John Crenshaw	April 19, 2011 at 6:25 pm
  I'm happy for you, Alan. You'll do a great job with Freedom, I'm sure. Just don't let Josh and John ruin you!