The Crabb Family launch 20-City Crabb Jam 05 tour, cruise
GRAMMY-nominated and DOVE Award-winning artists The Crabb Family, along with special guests CrossWay and The McRaes, have launched a 20-city Crabb Jam ’05 tour, taking place nationwide over the course of 2005.
The Crabb Family, CrossWay and The McRaes are scheduled to perform in select cities in 15 states. The debut concert, which garnered a sellout audience at the Renaissance Center in Dickson, Tenn, was followed by a performance in Charlotte, NC. Other cities will include Huntington, W Va.; Winchester, Va.; Owensboro, Ky; and Mobile, Ala., among others. Crabb Jam ’05 launches in the midst of what is becoming a landmark year for this veteran group and extends the support of their current acclaimed album Driven.
“Our roots are in the southern Gospel musical style, and we look forward to exposing more young people to that,” stated Kelly Bowling, of The Crabb Family, “but we’ll also bring a variety of music to the audience. There are hints of soul, country influences and traditional southern Gospel with a progressive edge. You never know what you’ll hear, but the message will be the same.”
Sponsored by WorldVision in association with Spring Hill Music Group and Daywind Records, Crabb Jam ‘05 features all of the artists performing on stage individually as well as together, backed by The Crabb Family Band. Numbers will include unique vocal collaborations, allowing the performers of each group to sing alongside each other in various combinations. The event includes a time of audience interaction that features a “stump the band” selection of songs requested by the audience.
“The idea for this event began when Kathy Crabb and I discussed our desire to see some of today’s brightest new talents exposed to greater audiences,” stated Brian Hudson, of Showcase Management. “CrossWay and The McRaes are making an impact; and with greater exposure, we believe their potential is tremendous and the future of a genre is secure.”
“This is one of the most unique and exciting southern Gospel events I have been to,” stated Spring Hill Manager of Communications and Strategic Marketing Celeste Winstead. “Nearly all of the artists are under the age of 30, which is not your everyday scenario in a genre steeped rich in history. The musical productions of these artists’ albums reflect that uplifting heritage while incorporating their own unique styles as well. There is creative energy and synergy between these groups on stage that is both musically entertaining and inspiring.”
The Crabb Family, CrossWay and The McRaes were featured prominently in Billboard Magazine in an article highlighting the growth of younger acts in the southern Gospel music field.
Templeton Tours is extending the Crabb Jam experience by hosting a Crabb Jam cruise in November 2005. Passengers can travel to the Bahamas on an all-inclusive cruise with four nights and five days packed with music and devotion from the Crabb Family, CrossWay, the McRaes and the Crabb Family Band.
For further information regarding Crabb Jam ’05, contact Brian Hudson, of Showcase Management, at 704-293-4447 or Bhudson@showcasemanagement.com. The recorded products of The Crabb Family, CrossWay and The McRaes are distributed by Word Entertainment/WEA and New Day Christian Distributors. For further information regarding these artists, visit www.thecrabbfamily.com; www.crosswayqt.com; www.annieandkellymcrae.com.
The Crabb Family
From a small, storefront church in rural Kentucky, to stages, auditoriums and amphitheaters across America, The Crabb Family has become one of Gospel music’s greatest success stories and one of the freshest and hottest acts to hit the music industry in recent memory. Siblings Jason, Kelly, Aaron, Terah and Adam Crabb, ranging in age from 22 to 28, have been honored with numerous awards, including eight Dove Awards and two GRAMMY nominations, as well as unprecedented radio success with 15 number one songs.
CrossWay
Made up of Paul Smith, Marty Hurt, Chris Weaver and Matt McFarland, CrossWay hails from Mississippi. In the past two years, the quartet has had two national Top 5 hits with their current single headed to the top of the radio charts. CrossWay’s recording, This I Know (Spring Hill Music), was nominated for Southern Gospel Album of the Year for the 2005 DOVE Awards, and their hit “It Looks Like Love to Me” was nominated for Southern Gospel Recorded Song of the Year. In addition, the group has recently garnered their first Top 40 inspirational hit and appeared on the Gaither Homecoming tour.
The McRaes
Annie and Kelly McRae have been singing professionally for five years, and were jump- started by an opening slot of the successful 2000 Mark Lowry tour. They were heavily featured on his gold-selling On Broadway video. These sisters are seeing tremendous success on radio with their single, “If It Had Not Been The Lord,” reaching the #1 position on the Singing News radio chart, and their current single, “There Is A Remedy” jumping to the #4 position in the June charts.
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