PRB News
February 16, 2012
Happy Valentines Day
Hey listen, you folks should know by now I'm gonna be late with this thing. Hope everyone has had a good month so far. The Pine Ridge Boys are gearing up for what we believe is another successful year. We hit the road again the last weekend of the month and don't slow down for awhile. Looking forward to some warmer weather too. Just a quick note. Starting next month, each one of the guys will be sharing something that is on their mind. I want everyone to have a part in this website, so I thought I would just let the guys share something too. As far as I know, everyone is doing pretty good. I had a fall several weeks ago and messed my ankle up and broke a rib, but I'm doing just fine. Oh yea, special thanks goes out to Harold Jennings, (Jerry's brother) for helping me out the weekend I fell. Dad wasn't with us that weekend and so Harold stood right up there with me and done the bass. A great friend and a great man of God. Thanks Harold. I want all of you to keep Jerry in your prayers next week, February 21 Jerry will have some surgery done with his stomach. I think they call it a sleeve. Not real sure, just know that it's something to help him loose some weight. Please remember him and his family in your prayers as Jerry will have to miss some work and possibly some singing. OH HAROLD, can you sing baritone too? Ha Ha Ha. Yes Harold is gonna help brother out if need be. Special date coming up for you folks in the South Carolina area. Saturday February 25, 2012. Lakelands SCGMA Gospel Sing. Look below. Ya'll be sure and come see us when we close to you. Love ya'll.
January 9, 2012
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you all.
Ok, yea I know, I’m a little late on both of these. I do apologize. I want to tell you that I have been real busy over the past several months doing something that I never dreamed I would ever do. I helped take care of an elderly person. Person being my Brother-n-law. Back in September, my sister had asked me to come help her at her house and try and fix up a few things and kinda watch over her husband while she was at work. I thought to myself, well, this shouldn’t be too bad.
So I did. Sing on the weekends and help her thru the week. My wife would come and visit when she could and go with us to the singings also when she could. That way we could still be able to see each other. Little did I know that his health would decline very rapidly. There came a time when someone would have to stay with him 24/7. When I first started staying with him, he could pretty much get up and down by himself with a little help from his walker. All of that was in the past now. The cleaning, bathing, and fixing his food for him became a daily routine for me.
As time went on and he worsened, he had to be put back in the hospital. Didn’t stay there long until they decided that it was time to move him to a hospice house there in Spartanburg, SC. Little did we know that only 2 days after we moved him there that he would go on to be with our loved ones in Heaven. I know this, because he told me where he was going and he knew who his Savior was. Little did I know that he had only been saved for a few years. 2007 was when he became a Christian. WOW, and some people believe that when you get that old it’s too late. Believe me friends; it is never too late to ask God into your life.
I am so thankful for the time that I had to spend with Bear. (That was his nick name that he has had for years) It not only taught me a lot about life in general, but it taught me a lot about my daily Christian walk with God. I think sometimes we as Christians think that all we need to do is go to Church and give in the offering plate. We don’t always think about what we can do for others. You know sometimes just a visit or a phone call to someone can really make their day. We shouldn’t just leave it up to our Pastor’s to do this for us. I can not tell you how many times I have heard Church folks say, “well I don’t know what we gonna do about our preacher, he don’t ever go to the hospital to see my husband or my wife or son, daughter, whatever the case may be.” Let me tell you something folks, you didn’t hire that preacher to go visit hospitals for you. You hired him to teach you about God’s word and the plan of Salvation. To see souls saved and bring more people in from the community. I do agree that I would like to see more Pastors’ visit the hospitals and nursing homes, but that is not their main job as a Pastor for your Church.
I’m sure that I have probably stepped on a few toes here and may have even made a few people upset with me. I can’t tell you that I’m sorry for the way I feel. I just want you to know that I have an opinion too. I am so thankful for the man who led Bear to Christ that day. I know now that I will see him again someday. Ok, I’m thru preaching.
On to some Quartet news. All the guys are doing great. We are excited about this New Year in many ways. We kicked off the New Year in Statesville, NC singing and praying in the New Year. Then on Sunday morning we moved on down to Greenville, SCwith our new friends at West Gant Baptist Church. What a service we had there. Our friend Phil Cooper was there and came up and joined us on a song. Thanks Phil. We are starting to do some booking for the coming year. If your Church or organization needs a group to sing, please consider the Pine Ridge Boys. I promise I won’t start preaching. Just do a lot of singing.
UntilThen, may God Bless each and every one of you.
Larry
November 17, 2011
Hello Everyone,
Hope all of you are doing well this month. Yes, I know, I'm a little late getting this out. Better late than never I guess. We have been real busy this month. We had a great time in Ohio and West Virginia the past several weeks. I mean we had us some real good services. The kind that's hard to explain unless you were there. Lot's of people at the alter and lots of tears of rejoicing. Wow, it just don't get much better than that. I want to say a special thanks this month to some wonderful friends in the Ohio area. Harold and Cindy Pickens and Cindy's sister Mary. Some really great people. They have opened their home to us on more than one occasion and fed us well. Thank you Harold, Cindy and Mary. Also, I want to mention "The Pie Lady." Ha Ha Ha. Her name is Candy Sanders and her husband Leonard. No I'm just kidding, it's not Leonard, it's Jonathan. He is a good sport. I don't want to leave anybody out because you all are very special to us in many different ways. Things are going pretty well for the Quartet. We have just been busy. I think we are all ready for some time off. Looking forward to Thanksgiving and CHRISTMAS. That's right, I said it. CHRISTMAS. I love that first part, CHRIST. Yep, I'm keeping it in there. CHRISTMAS. I think it has a pretty good ring to it myself. Each day I see where people are trying to take Christ out of Christmas and are trying to take away the Indians from Thanksgiving. What is this world coming too? Sometimes I think people just say and do things just so they can see how much trouble they can stir up. My Momma always told me if you can't say something nice about somebody or something, then keep your mouth shut. You might just learn something. AMEN MOMMA. As we get closer to the holidays, I find myself looking back on my own life and the things that I have gone thru personally. All I can say is GOD has really looked after me and blessed me more than I ever deserve. All of the guys are doing pretty good. Just keep us in your prayers on a daily basis. We really need it. Until next month, ya'll take care now, you here.
LoveYa'll.
October 23, 2011
Hi Folks,
Just wanted to take a quick moment and introduce our new baritone to you. His name is Jerry Jennings. Jerry has been singing Gospel music most of life. He said, "If I wasn't singing it, I was around it." Jerry comes to us from Powdersville, SC. He and his wife Debbie is happy to see him singing once again.
Jerry has filled in for the Pine Ridge Boys on several occasions and says he is excited about being here full time. The next time we are in your area, be sure and come by and welcome him to the family.
Welcome aboard Jerry. We are excited to have you.
October 8, 2011
Well here it is October 8, 2011. One day before my 50 birthday. I’m sitting outside thinking back over the years about some of the things that I have learned. You know when we’re children we’re taught to be obedient to our parents things like yes ma’m, yes sir, no ma’m, no sir, thank you, and please. I’ve often wondered why is it that we can be obedient to our parents but as Christian we have trouble being obedient to God our Father in Heaven. So many times have I been guilty of this, doing things my way instead of God’s way, putting myself before God and others around me. As I struggle with some of the things that I am given thru my personal life as well as the Quartet, I have learned once again that things happen on God’s time and not mine. Being obedient and patient to God’s will I think is something that we all struggle with.
My sister reminded me of something last night that I hadn’t thought of in a while. Our Mom used to say, don’t pray for patience, God will grant you the patience when you need it. I found this scripture in the bible:
Philippians 2:8 – And being found in fashion as a
man, he humbled himself, and became obedient
unto death, even the death of the cross.
As we go thru our daily lives, we must humble ourselves before God and be obedient to his will. Please pray that the Pine Ridge Boys will always be obedient according to his word and humble ourselves and always keep the cross in front of us and not behind us. I hope that all of this made sense to you. Sometimes I find myself rambling and nobody understands what I am trying to say. I just had these thoughts on my mind when I woke up this morning and wanted to share them with you.
Now onto PRB news……There have been some changes going on in the group that I must tell you about. Jerome Bush, our baritone singer, has resigned from the group. Jerome has decided that he wants to stay at home more with his wife and family. Jerome says he’s not getting any younger and the way we are traveling is a little much for him right now. We want to thank Jerome for all that he has done for us and wish him much success in his future endeavors. We love you Jerome and you will be missed my many. We want to thank Jack Kimbro from Gastonia for filling in for us as we seek for someone to fill the position.
It was great to be with our friends in Claremont, NC again this year. They always do a professional job in putting on Claremont Days with Gospel music being upfront. It was great being with our friends The Anchormen and Joyful Hearts; I highly recommend both of these groups, they are great men of God.
We want to welcome Phil Barker aboard this weekend singing tenor for us as Robert is having a battle with kidney stones. Daddy (Jim) is doing great and traveling to most all the singing dates and singing very well. I keep telling him to slow down a little cause I’m afraid I’m gonna lose my job. (Ha Ha) Duane is doing great also. Please keep all the guys in your prayers as we continue to do God’s work as ministers thrusong.
Until next time, Yall take care and we loveya’ll.
Larry, Jim, Duane and Robert
September 26, 2011
Original Baritone Singer, Charles Burke passes away
Hello Folks. Sad news was delivered to me on Friday September 23, 2011. Charles Burke who was the original baritone singer for the Pine Ridge Boys and owner of the Singing Americans had passed away. The obituary is as follows.
Charles Ray Burke, 75, of Maiden, passed away unexpectedly Friday, Sept. 23, 2011, at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center in Winston-Salem. Born Sept. 18, 1936, in Catawba County, he was the son of the late Elmer Preston Burke and the late Pinkie Turbyfill Burke. Charles was a member of Cornerstone Church in Maiden. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his brother-in-law, Austin L. Josey, and a special nephew, Timothy D. Burke. Charles was born and raised with a heart and love for gospel music. From the time he was a child, he sang in church and was singing in a real Southern Gospel Quartet by the age of 18. Through the years, he devoted countless hours and support to the industry, being most distinguished by his ownership of the Singing Americans and service as a board member of the Southern Gospel Music Association and National Quartet Convention. His many business ventures blessed him with countless friends who will cherish his vibrant personality and gift for story-telling. His generosity and love of people is best expressed through the ministry of Burke Mortuary where he served as president. He is survived by his wife of 55 years, Carolyn Lowman Burke, of the home; his daughter, Donna B. Goodson, and her husband, Franky, of Maiden; two sons, Michael Burke and his wife, Tina, of Maiden; Dwayne Burke and his wife, Donna, of Maiden; six grandchildren, April G. Rummage and her husband, Rev. Matt Rummage; Greg Goodson and his wife, Rachel; Kristen B. Dellinger and her husband, Wesley; Bradley Burke, Hannah Burke, and Logan Burke; five great-grandchildren, Alli Rummage, Macy Rummage, Luke Rummage, Grant Rummage, Ella Burke; two brothers, Udean Burke and his wife, Nancy, of Maiden; Rondel Burke and his wife, Becky, of Lincolnton; his sister, Rebekah B. Josey, of Maiden; as well as numerous nieces and nephews. The funeral service will be held on Tuesday, Sept. 27, at 2 p.m. at Cornerstone Church in Maiden with the Revs. Matt Rummage and Jonathan Foster officiating. Burial will follow in Center View Baptist Church Cemetery in Maiden. Public viewing will begin on Monday, Sept. 26, at 9 a.m. at Burke Mortuary in Newton. The family will be there on Monday to receive friends from 4 to 8 p.m. or at the residence at other times. Memorials may be made to: Southern Gospel Music Association (SGMA), P.O. Box 6729, Sevierville, TN 37864. Visit www.burkemortuary.com to register your condolences online. Burke Mortuary is serving the Burke family.
We will miss you Charlie.
September 2, 2011
Hello Everyone. First of all let me say I apologize for not keeping you updated with the news of the PRB. A lot has been going on in the month of August. I will share with you. We have had a lot of health related issues in our family and some are still very critical. My brother Everette has been in the hospital for 18 days now. He went in to have a simple gall bladder surgery and everything went hay wire. His surgery was on Friday and then on Saturday morning for some reason, his lungs collapsed. He wound up infection in his body and they think he might have even had a light heart attack. So, with all that going on and trying to keep Robert, Daddy and myself healthy, it has been a busy couple of months. Please remember not only the guys in the group in your prayers, but our family's as well. Please say a special prayer for my brother Everette and his wife Margaret as they go thru these troubled times. We will be very busy from now till the end of November so check our schedule and see if we are gonna be close and come out to see us. I'll have more for you later. Love Ya'll
Larry
July 8, 2011
Happy 4th of July
Ok, so I'm a few days late. I do apologize for the delay. Let me just say that we have had an awesome month of June and July is already looking great. We made some new friends in Ohio, West Virginia and Pennsylvania. We want to say thank you to all of you who have come out to our concerts and supported us along the way. We could not do this if it were not for our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and you, our friends. Thank you so much.
Let me tell you about our 48th Anniversary sing. It was awesome. For those of you who didn't make it, you missed out on a good time. Those old men sang like they have been together for 48 years. They didn't miss a lick. We want to say a BIG thank you to Wayne Shuford, Miles Cooper, Charles Burke, Charles Abee and Big Jim for making this day a huge success. (Don't tell Dad, but I'm already making plans for next year) Speaking of Jim, he is doing great. He traveled to Georgia the first weekend in July and sang several songs each service. I kind of thought he was showing out myself. We had a big sing July 2 in Ga. with our new friend Raymond Church. What a great promoter. We were with our friends the Homeland Boys. Great bunch of guys. If they are ever in your neck of the woods, be sure and go see them.
We are getting great response on our new CD entitled Mercy River. If you haven't gotten yours yet, be sure and order one today. We are real proud of it.
The month of July we will be traveling to Ohio, Pennsylvania, North Carolina and Georgia. If you are close to the areas, please come out and see us. We would love to see you there.
Be on the lookout for a new article coming out on our website. Not real sure what to call it just yet, but it will be good. Until next time, may God have his hand upon your heart and all your troubles and bless you like you have never been blessed before. We Love Ya'll.
Say Bye.
June 2, 2011
Just a quick note to let you know that Jim is doing fine. He had his Spleen removed on May 27, 2011. He has been having some stomach problems ever since he received his chemo. Some say the chemo caused it to enlarge. Anyway, he is doing well. He will be returning home tomorrow (Friday) to try and gain some strength. He has to get ready for this 48th Anniversary Sing we gonna have. Don't forget, June 11, 2011 at Community Baptist Church, Mooresville, NC from 2:00pm till 5:00pm. We would love for you to come and be a part of this with us. We are gonna have a great time. Continue to pray for all of us as we travel from week to week to uplift the name of Jesus Christ. Our main goal is to see lost souls saved. Be sure and check our schedule to see if we are gonna be close to you. Until next time, We Love Ya'll. Say Bye.
May 18, 2011
Well, we did it. We have just finished a brand new recording. We listened to a lot of songs and hope we have picked out some that you will enjoy. We are real excited about this new CD. We are hoping to have it on our table by the first week of June. I am mostly excited for the reason of being able to record with my Dad. What an honor it was for me to stand next to him in the studio and record songs together. As many of you know, he has been through a lot over the past several years. He is still not doing as well as he had hoped to be doing after the surgery. He is still having problems with his Spleen. please keep him in your prayers that he will at least feel better soon. We will be leaving out tomorrow, May 19, 2011 heading to Maryland and Delaware to see our friends there and meet some new ones. Please pray that we have a safe trip there and back. May and June will be a busy time for us so please come out and see us when you can. We Love Ya'll.
Larry
May 5, 2011
First of all, let me say thank you to the many folks who have visited our website. Every day I come and look and see where someone has dropped by. We just hope that somewhere along the way, you read or listen to the music and receive a blessing. I'll try to give you an update on all the guys. Since we spoke last, Robert did have one of his toes removed and is doing very well. You folks just have to help me and stay on him and make him get out and walk more. He is trying, but with a bum knee it's not always easy. Dad, (Jim) is doing pretty good. He is having some trouble with his Spleen. It is swollen and gives him lots of discomfort at time. He goes Friday for a CT Scan to see if it is getting any larger. Doctor's do not want to do surgery if they don't have too. Trust me, he and Eloise both have been thru a lot. I think it's time they get a little break. Duane is doing well after his surgery. He has gone to Buffalo, NY to visit with family and friends. Always nice to do that when you can. Jerome and me, (Larry)
well, we still here. Just trudging along. I do have some exciting news to pass along to you this month. We are now in the process of working on a new CD. We will be in the studio in mid May recording and hope to have our new CD out in time for our Reunion sing on June 11. Please continue to keep us all in your prayers as we continue to do God's work. It's not always easy out here and many of you know that. Thanks for all your many offerings that you give to us in order for us to keep going on. Until next time, may God truly bless you in everything that you do for him. Love Ya'll.
April 8, 2011
Wow, what a way to start off the month. We were in Ohio the first weekend of the month with some great people in some great church's. We had the opportunity to see a soul saved in our Saturday concert and it just kept getting better all the way thru Sunday night. Spiritually and financially it was an awesome weekend. I want you all to know that just because we are singers, we are not perfect. We go thru some really rough times our self. Robert is having to go thru some rough times right now. He went to the doctor after we got back from this awesome trip and found out he will have to have one of his toes cut off or maybe part of his foot. His diabetes is really giving him a fit. Please keep Robert and his family in your daily prayers. So many times, we as Christians start to question God and ask, "why me Lord"? I can't speak for the other guys, but I know in my own life I have had to stand back and take a closer look at my life. Sometimes, we as Christians have a tendency to put ourselves first instead of putting Christ first. Let me tell you from experience, we need to always stand behind the Cross and not in front of it. If you just let God have His will and His way in your life, it will all work out. Jim is doing pretty good. He is gonna try and get on the bus and go with us this weekend. Traveling to West Virginia this weekend. Duane is involved in a new radio program that you can listen to online. You can go to his facebook page and learn more about this. Jerome and me, well, we still just glad to be here. Love ya'll.
March 14, 2011
Do I have some good news to bring to you today. Jim (Daddy) went to the doctor this morning to get the results of his PET test that was done on Friday, and guess what? The doctor said he is CANCER FREE. Thank you Jesus. I want to, on behalf of the rest of my family, thank all of you who have said countless prayers day in and day out. God Is Still On The Throne. Another praise report, Duane got his arm brace off last week and is doing real well. Robert is still having trouble with his feet but he is hanging in there. Jerome and me, well, we still here just doing our thing. Once again, thanks for all your support and most of all, your prayers. We love you and look forward to seeing you at one of our singing events.
March 5, 2011
Wow, another month has come and gone. February was not a very busy month for the group, but that's ok. I think every now and then we need a little off time. We have been able to go to our home Church's and spend time with our family's. That is always a plus. We have all been on the phone's booking dates and talking to radio stations. If you're not hearing the Pine Ridge Boys on your favorite Gospel station, give them a call and ask them to play one of our songs. If they don't have any, let us know. We will be more than happy to send them some music. This month we will be traveling to Georgia and SC. Looking forward to singing and meeting some new friends in some new Church's. Jim is doing pretty good. He has come out and sung with us on a few occasions. It is always a good time when he is around. Duane is doing well with his shoulder repair, and old Robert is coming along pretty good too. Well, Jerome and I, we just glad to be here. Don't forget to call us if you are in need of some good ole gospel music in your church or event of any kind. Please remember the Pine Ridge Boys in your prayers as we travel and minister in song. Be sure you sign our guest book. We like to know who is visiting us.
February 14, 2011
HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY
Happy Valentine's Day to our wives and to all those who support us along the way. Thanks to all of you who have called and asked about Dad and how he is doing. Just so you know, he is still continuing to improve everyday. All I can say is, God is still on the throne answering prayers. We have only worked a couple of dates this month. I must tell you about the Homecoming date we worked with our friends from the Lakeland's SCGMA. Wow, what an experience it was. Lot's of groups singing together as a choir and as individual groups. The spirit was so moving that night. We have a couple of pictures up in our photo gallery. Can't wait till we do another one. Remember, if you are looking or know of someone who is looking for a group to come sing at your church or organization, please give us a call. We would love to do it. Please remember the Pine Ridge Boys and their families in your daily prayers.
February 1, 2011
WOW
That's what I have to say about January. We had such an awesome month considering we were not planning on doing a lot. Met some great new friends. Dad has been in and out of the hospital, finished his chemo and is doing pretty well. He still has some sickness from the chemo, but that is to be expected. Robert's toe (or where one was at I should say) is healing exceptionally well. Doctor's say he is gonna be just fine. Duane has just had some surgery on his shoulder and is doing great. I guess we gonna have to call him the "One Armed Bandit" for awhile. Jerome and I are just here hanging out trying to do our part. Please keep Jim (Dad), Robert, and Duane in your prayers as we continue to keep moving forward in our ministry.
Larry
PS: I just want to say a BIG THANK YOU to Duane for taking care of our website over the past 3 years. You always do your best Duane and we thank you.
January 1, 2011
HAPPY NEW YEAR
I hope that this new year will many bring blessings to all. Just a short note about how Jim is doing. He has gone thru 3 Chemo therapy sessions. So far he has done real well with these. Ha has had some nausea and some pain but over all is doing well. Please keep Jim and Eloise in your prayers as well as the Pine Ridge Boys. Our prayer is that Jim will come thru with a clean bill of health and this BIG C stuff will be gone from his body. Thanks so much for your support thru all of this. Don't forget to sign our guest book. Keep checking back for all the latest news. You never know, Robert's big toe may come back to life.
Larry
