Family gospel group to perform
Cove Run Free Methodist Church, located at 345 Yauger Hollow Road, Lemont Furnace, welcomes The Isaacs in concert on Sunday, June 9, at 6 p.m. The Isaacs are a family group based out of LaFollette, Tennessee, which has won numerous Southern gospel and bluegrass awards.
They include Lily Fishman Isaacs, vocalist and mother, whose parents are Jewish survivors of the Holocaust. She had a folk album released on Columbia Records in 1968 and was involved in Off-Broadway theater.
Ben Isaacs is the oldest of three children and sings and plays bass. He produced the last three projects, one of which won a Dove Award for Bluegrass gospel album of the year.
Sonya Isaacs Surrett is a singer, songwriter and musician, who plays the mandolin and has been nominated and won several awards. In 1993, she was voted Horizon individual at the Singing News Fan Awards.
Rebecca Isaacs Bowman is vocalist and guitarist. She also writes and plays several instruments, including the piano, dobro and banjo. She has been nominated for several Singing News and Gospel Voice awards.
John Bowman, who married Rebecca in 1994, is an accomplished musician and singer who previously traveled with Doyle Lawson and Quicksilver and Alison Krauss and Union Station. When the Isaacs are off, Bowman holds revivals. The Bowmans have one son, Levi.
Tim Surrett was lead vocalist and bass player of the Kingsmen Quartet of Ashville, N.C., for seven years. In July 1995, he married Sonya and joined The Isaacs soon after.
Adam Steffy, now a permanent member, joined the group when Sonya took a leave of absence with Vince Gill during his summer 1998 tour. Previously, he played mandolin with Alison Krauss and Union Station for seven year.
The Isaacs have appeared on several Bill Gaither tapings and concert series. They were special guests on CBS television’s “Opryland County Christmas.’ They have made numerous appearances on the Grand Ole’ Opry. They have a Grammy award nomination for “Gospel Gathering.’ They were named 1999 SBGMA Bluegrass Gospel Group of the Year.
They received a 1999 Dove Award nomination for “Increase My Faith’ (Bluegrass Gospel Album of the Year); 1998 Dove Award for “Bridges’ (Bluegrass Gospel Album of the Year), 1998 Dove Award nomination for “Man on the Mule’ (Bluegrass Song of the Year, ICGMA Gospel Bluegrass Group of the Year 1994; 1993 Song of the Year for “Depths of My Heart’ (Gospel Voice Awards) written by Sonya and Ben. Their hometown high school dedicated its gymnasium to Ben, Sonya and Becky, Little Miami High School in Morrow, Ohio.
The Rev. Roger Yeager is pastor. For more information, phone 724-437-1050.