April 2017 

April 2017

Wow the old saying "time flies when you're having fun" seems to have more truth to it every day. I cannot believe it has already been 3 months since joining what I consider one of the greatest quartets on the road today. It all still feels like a dream to me. 

We have had a great year so far! Yes, we may have started slow, but God knows the needs of his children and he will supply accordingly, if we are faithful to Him. I have gotten to sing in places I had never dreamed of singing in before, met people I would have never known and learning valuable lessons that I will carry with me throughout my life. 

A few weeks ago, I went out on my "first weekend trip". We sang in Pennsylvania and Ohio, we had a great trip and great services. In Pennsylvania, we sang with The McKameys, and before getting off the bus that evening to sing, Larry asked if I was nervous, my reply, "shoot no"! We were also blessed to be part of Southern Gospel Weekend in Oxford, Alabama and two great services on Sunday in Cullman and Munford Alabama. 

When we got home from Pennsylvania and Ohio, we went to the studio and finished the new CD. It was a great experience, honor and a privilege to be able to record with these guys. The new CD is appropriately titled “A New Song” since it includes our current radio single “I’ve Got a New Song to Sing”.  You can order or download a copy from our website (www.pineridgeboys.com) or purchase a copy at any of our concerts. 

Our Homecoming singing is quickly approaching. This year it will take place on Saturday, June 24th at Inman First Baptist Church in Inman SC. The singing will start at 5:35 and will include crowd favorites such as: Jordan's Bridge, Troy Burns Family, Hearts Afire, Crowns of Light and of course the Pine Ridge Boys! We have limited VIP seating and group reservations. To reserve your VIP/Group seating contact Larry at (864) 473-8849 or larry@pineridgeboys.com, or check our website for more details. For folks traveling and needing a place to stay for the night, our host hotel will be the Red Roof Inn in Spartanburg, SC. Call (864) 587-0129 and ask for the Pine Ridge Boys Homecoming special rate. We hope that you will join us for this very special evening. 

We want to thank SGN Scoops for covering all the news of the Pine Ridge Boys and for all their hard work that they do for Gospel Music. Our current radio single "I've Got a New Song to Sing" is currently at #24 on the SGN Scoops charts and at #55 on the Singing News charts, and we give GOD all the praises! 

Along with SGN Scoops comes the Diamond Awards. This is an online voting process and can be found at www.sgnscoops.com. You can nominate individuals as well as the groups for these awards and we would love your support in these categories: 

            Legend Award - Wayne Shuford 

          Horizon Artist - Steven Craps 

          Favorite Quartet - Pine Ridge Boys 

I personally want to thank all of the "new" friends I have met for making me feel welcomed as part of the family. I cannot wait to meet the rest of you and looking forward to what God has in store for the Pine Ridge Boys. Keep up with us through our website www.pineridgeboys.com and our Facebook page "Pine Ridge Boys." 

In "HIS" Love, 

Steven and Larry, Wayne, Ivory, Mark

February 2017 

February 2017 

Well here we are already in a brand new year and things are not going quite like we had planned. As most of you know, Jonathan our lead singer, left us in December. So then came the task of finding someone to take his place. Low and behold, right around us was one heck of a lead singer that we hadn't even thought about. I received a text message from this little guy wanting to try out. Little did I know how great he was going to sound with us. The blend is just awesome. We want you to welcome our new lead singer Steven Craps from Lexington, SC. Steven is no stranger to Gospel Music. He has been singing solo and promoting singings for a few years. We are very proud to have Steven on board with us. We will be going back into the studio to finish our new CD with Steven on it. 

We have not done a lot of singing this month for a few reasons. One I just told you about and the other for health reasons. I have had some back issues for about 2 months. Everyday things just got worse and worse. I finally went to see a Doctor who then referred me to an Orthopedic Doctor and then to a Surgeon. Long story short, I will be having back surgery in February. As of right now, I am not able to walk without the help of a walker. So it's been a little tough getting around and getting things done. The Doctors seem to think that everything will be fine and I will back to normal in no time. I ask that you say a little prayer for me, my family and the quartet as we go thru this little set back. 

Be sure you call your local gospel radio stations and request our new radio single, "I've Got a New Song to Sing." It's doing very well and will be coming on the Singing News chart at #72. Help us move it on up to the top 40! 

We had a great time singing with The Lefevre Quartet and Carolina Quartet this month. It was great to also see Pat Barker filling in with the Lefevre's. We are starting to book a lot of dates so please be sure you come out to see us and welcome Steven. I'm sure you will be blessed by this young man. If you would like to have the Pine Ridge Boys come to your church or event please contact us so we can get you on the calendar. We have a lot of special events coming up this year that we want you to know about. In March we will be in Alabama for Southern Gospel Weekend. April 16th we will have our Annual Easter Sing at Chesnee First Baptist Church. June 24th we will have our annual Homecoming Sing at Inman First Baptist Church. It won't be long until we will be doing our annual New Jersey trip. Then later in the fall we head back to Pigeon Forge for Creekside Gospel Music Convention. There are just a lot of good dates coming up so please check our schedule. 

I don't want to preach to you or anything like that, but I just have a few thoughts on my mind. As I was telling you earlier about my back, I have had lots of time to sit (or lay) around thinking. I began thinking and asking God why did this mess have to happen to me? It was then that I remember someone telling me that sometimes things happen to us to test our faith. I think a lot of times when things like this happen we automatically blame God because now I can't do anything. Listen, I know for a fact that God will never give us more than we can handle and He will always be with us no matter what we are going thru. Am I nervous? Sure I'm nervous. Who wouldn't be? I am trying to stay as positive as I can thru all of this and not let it get me down. As an old friend use to say "As long as I got Dr. Jesus everything's going to be alright." That my friend were the words from the late Miles Cooper. If men like Miles and my Dad can go thru the things that they have battled, I'm pretty sure that Dr. Jesus is not going to let me down! 

Matthew 6:34 (NIV) Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. 
Until next time, our prayer is that God will bless you and keep you. 

Ok boys say bye. By ya'll! 

Larry, Wayne, Steven, Ivory and Mark

December 2016 

December 2016 Newsletter 

Hello everyone!  By now we have spent time with family and friends enjoying a great Thanksgiving meal and fellowship.  There is much to be thankful for…life, health, family, and so much more.  But the greatest blessings has to be our freedom to worship and the gift of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.  As most of you know, I am not one to preach or quote a lot of scripture.  But in preparing for this newsletter I came across scripture I want to share. So many times we dwell on the “things” we are thankful for and do not consider where our blessings come from.  1st Chronicles, Chapter 16, David says, “Give thanks unto the Lord, call upon his name, make known his deeds among the people.  Sing unto him, sing psalms unto him, talk ye of all his wondrous works.  Glory ye in his holy name:  let the heart of them rejoice that seek the Lord.  Seek the Lord and his strength, seek his face continually.  Remember his marvelous works that he hath done, his wonders, and the judgements of his mouth”.   Are we truly thankful or do we pay homage with our lips and not fully give thanks in our actions and deeds?  In this season of Thanksgiving and the upcoming Christmas season, let’s all dedicate ourselves to fulfilling the scripture above.  Let’s be thankful, call on his name, sing praises unto him, let the world know of his goodness and power.  The part about seeking his strength and his face continually struck home with me.  For more great reading, let me suggest the Book of Psalms.  Some of my favorites are Psalm 96, 100, 116. 

Creekside Gospel Music Convention Update: 
In case you missed it somehow, the Pine Ridge Boys were honored with an award this year in Pigeon Forge.   Although we did not win in the Top Traditional Quartet category, that award went to a very deserving Gold City Quartet, we did receive the 2016 SGN Scoops Publisher’s Choice Award!  We were totally surprised and very honored to receive this prestigious award.  God is really working for us. 
We followed up a great week in Pigeon Forge with a Robert York Production concert in Kennesaw, GA.  Sharing the stage and later the dinner table with The Chuck Wagon Gang, and Jerry and Jan Goff was really a blessing and thrill.  We will again team up with The Chuck Wagon Gang, January 28th in Boiling Springs, SC…make plans now to attend. 

Our travels have taken us to North Carolina and Ohio of late.  We even experienced a snowy weekend in Ohio!  This week we journey to Georgia and then back to South Carolina.  We even get to share a few songs at our home church, Inman First Baptist, this Sunday morning (11/27).  It is always a great pleasure to worship with the fine folks at Inman First Baptist Church! 

Our new radio single “I’ve Got a New Song to Sing” is receiving a lot of air-play and climbing in the charts and we thank God for that.  Please continue to call the radio stations and request this song. 

In December, we will only sing once as we take the month to celebrate Jesus birth and spend time with our families.  As promised, we will complete our new CD and have it ready for you before we start again in 2017.  Six songs are already completed and I think it is the best work the Pine Ridge Boys have ever done.  You will want one of these CDs.  Why not go to our website (www.pineridgeboys.com) and pre-order yours today! 

For those of you who wish to have us at your church or event, please contact us NOW.  Our calendar is quickly filling up.  There are many in the works, so act now to make sure you get your preferred time. 

Until next time…Have a safe and wonderful Christmas and the Pine Ridge Boys will see you soon!!!!! 
Ivory, Jonathan, Wayne, Larry and Mark

October 2016 

October 2016 Newsletter 

Greetings everyone!  What a summer 2016 has been.  So much going on to talk about it…let’s get going!! 
June got off to a roaring start with our annual trip to New York followed by Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Ohio.  But the highlight of the month…maybe the year was our 53rd Annual Homecoming in Inman, SC…our hometown!  It could not have gone better.  First let me thank our Home Church, First Baptist of Inman, for their graciousness in allowing the event to occur there; great facilities, wonderful staff and members, and the church family supported us with their attendance too!  Love Inman FBC!  Everyone on the program did a fantastic job.  Hearts Afire led things off followed by The Burtons.   Then The Sheltons did their usual fine performance of close, family harmony.  After a short break, the Pine Ridge Boys sang.  We even had Buddy Burton sing a song with us.  He did a fine job too.  Then the long awaited reunion of The Singing Americans 90’s Edition was next…what a blessing these guys were.  I have to admit they had me crying and praising the Lord.  I really think these guys are better than they were “back in day”.  Put them on a bus and book them, and they would be a Top 5 group today!  Thank you Larry Stewart, David Sutton, Buddy Burton, Dale Forbes, Joe Lane, Taylor Barnes and Colonel Shuford for making this wonderful event possible. 

July ushered in a new era for The Pine Ridge Boys.  As has been published before, we have a new member.  Jonathan Thompson is now singing lead for us and doing an outstanding job.  We were mostly close to home in July, but August brought more traveling.  The trip to New Jersey was a blast!  Did you see the photo of our bus at Salem County Fair with “the bombs bursting in air”?   It has to be one of my favorite photos.  That trip was followed by our first trip into Kentucky and Illinois in many years.  The Pine Ridge Boys would like to thank the two people responsible, JD Cruce and Annette Bingaman.  Thanks for your hard work promoting the singings.  And we finished the month by recording our new radio single…”I’ve Got A New Song  To Sing”. It has already been sent to radio stations by our great media guru, Vonda Easley of "Hey Y’all Media".  Please take the time to listen to it and bombard your radio outlets to play this song.  It is a new, different sound and style for us, but from the responses we are having in concerts, you seem to love it.  “The Blood Still Flows” did quite well this summer and we are praying and trusting the Lord for success with the new song.  Again, please help us out by requesting it!  On an odd note, we have recently been notified by Christian Voice Magazine that a song of ours from a year and half ago has been on their Country Gospel chart for 3 months!  Praise The Lord!!   “What a Friend We Have in Jesus” is #46 for this month…God works in mysterious ways, his glory to behold. 

What a month September was, so much going on.  We started the month singing for some of our favorite places in North Carolina, followed by Maryland, Delaware, and Ohio.  Thanks to the people at The Great Smokey Mountain RV Camp and Resort in Whittier, NC (especially Carlene and Wayne). The Holiday Park Campground in Greensboro, Maryland and to one of the biggest supporters of Pine Ridge Boys, Rev. Steve Peterman of Cedar Neck Church in Milford, DE.  I would like to say a special thanks to the people of Pleasant Hill Baptist Church in Canton, OH.  We were honored to spend a couple of days with these folks singing for their gospel singing/revival at The Ron Howard Building for Gospel Singing.  The new pastor has come from Texas and he is ON FIRE. You go Pastor Allen Little! He preaches “old school” and we loved it and can’t wait to go back and hear more!  And as we were leaving, the church made a much needed contribution to our ministry.  God is good…and always supplies our needs!!  Other great happenings were singing at Harvest Day in our hometown of Inman, and for me, sharing time and song with my friends and family in Hartsville, SC. 

There were a couple of highlights, media wise, I did not mention earlier.  On one of our trips to New Jersey, we slipped in an interview with legendary radio personality, Paul Heil.  The week of September 10th, Pine Ridge Boys was the feature group on his syndicated radio program “Paul Heil presents The Gospel Greats”.  What an honor it was to be asked to be a part of this program.  And I would be remiss not to mention his wife Sheila.  This has to be one of the hardest working and humble woman in the business.  Also, the Pine Ridge Boys were invited to tape shows for Gospel Music USA hosted by Danny Jones, Karen Peck, and Mike Lefevre in Atlanta.  As we were finishing up, the Booth Brothers arrived.  We enjoyed a few minutes of fellowship before we had to move on. 

Now for more exciting news…the Pine Ridge Boys are going in the studio this week to work on our new CD!!  We should have it completed in a few weeks.  Be on the lookout for an announcement.  The songs are all selected; one is already complete.  The new project will be a mixture of new songs (two by Jonathan), rarely sung songs we are bringing back, and a couple of songs you have requested.  Something for everyone! 

Let me close by reminding everyone to plan on attending Creekside Gospel Music Convention in Pigeon Forge, TN.  This event just keeps getting better every year.  The dates are October 31st - November 3rd, and the best part is…the tickets are FREE! If you are interested in attending, talk to one of us or go to www.sgnscoops.com and get more details and order your FREE TICKETS!  The Pine Ridge Boys have been nominated as Traditional Quartet of the Year.  We would love for you to join us for this great event and who knows, you might even get to hear them call our name. 

Thanks as always for your prayers and support.  Hope to see you at an event soon. 
Ivory, Jonathan, Wayne, Larry and Mark 

 

June 2016 

June 2016 Newsletter

Hello everyone.  This is Ivory doing the newsletter this month and I am pleased to report things have really been looking up for the group since we last published our newsletter.  We told you about our new radio release, “The Blood Still Flows”.  Well it has done great, showing up on The Singing News Top 80 charts for the months of May and June.  This is the first song to chart in the 53 year history of the group.  Let me take this opportunity to thank a few people.  First and foremost, Denny Livingston, the songwriter who penned this wonderful song.  What a blessing and inspiration this song has become. Just ask the young man from Bloomingrose, WV who bolted to the altar in April before we ever got to the second verse!  Second, to Vonda Easley of Hey Y’All Media who got the song out to the DJs to hear.  And thank God for DJs who were willing to play us and see that the message of this song was put before their listeners.  And lastly, thanks to you, the public for supporting this song and our group.  Keep calling your local stations that play our songs and request the Pine Ridge Boys.  It really does help us.  Our goal has never been to “chart” songs, but the more we are on radio, the more people learn about us.  This opens up new doors of opportunity for us to reach the lost and needy with our message in song.  We are already being invited to new areas, which I will mention later. 

Gosh, so much has happened over the past two months.  Our annual spring trip to NJ was a rousing success.  We got to sing with some wonderful friends along the way.  The Millers in Pennsylvania (first time we ever got run out of a Wal-Mart parking lot!) and The Williamsons in NJ!  Love Brother Joe McNulty pastor of Bridgeton Church of the Nazarene who hosted the annual BriPen Promotion Spring Sing!  Later in the month we were honored to sing a song with the choir at Inman First Baptist (our home church) on a Sunday Morning and then participate in The Redback Hymnal Sing on Channel 16 in Greenville, SC the next night.  What a good time.  Organized by Charlie Sexton and The Troy Burns Family, it was an amazing evening.  Like I say sometimes, we went there for a singing and a revival broke out!!  If you didn’t see it, you missed a blessing.  That was followed up by concerts with The Lumber River Quartet, the annual Chief Tolbert Memorial Sing with Squire Parsons, Greg Bentley, and Little Ernie Phillips!  And who can forget the SCGMA Hall of Fame ceremony where our own Pine Ridge Boys legend was inducted, Big Jim Stewart!  And there was truly an all-star lineup inducted that night; Mark Ferguson of the Sunday in the South radio program heard on Whistle 100 in Greenville; Donnie Seabolt who sang with The Blue Ridge Quartet and Prophets; Charlie Waller of the Florida Boys and originator of the Grand Ole Gospel Reunion; and our good friends and the only group inductee of the hall, The Sheltons.  One of the best crowds of our travels was in Barberton, Ohio!  It was magical.  The organizers, The Christian HealthCare Ministry group could not have been more hospitable.  And the crowd was amazing!  We went there to be a blessing, but we were the ones who were blessed…thank you!  I would be making a terrible omission if I failed to mention one of our greatest supporters and friend, Brother Steve Peterman.  Steve is one of those selfless people who think of others before himself and we love him for it.  His annual “Barn Sing” is a highlight on our schedule every year.  Thank you for what you do Steve!! 

June began in a far away land, Amherst, New York (near Buffalo).  Yes, people of the north like Southern Gospel Music.  Thanks to the people at Creekside Assembly of God.  The downside is most of us came home a little under the weather.  A week off was a blessing for these tired Boys.  Let me stop here and say HAPPY BIRTHDAY ANNE STEWART!!!!!  She is celebrating her day on Saturday, June 11th…and NO I am not telling how old she is…you can ask her if you want to know. 

So many good things lie ahead for PRB, but I will mention only a few.  Yes, we do hope to have a new single and CD in the near future.  And as I mention earlier, we are being contacted to come to new areas.  You can expect to see us in Kentucky, Illinois, Florida, and other areas in the coming months.  If you want to be a part of bringing us to your area, contact Larry or I and we will make it happen.  Check our schedule at www.pineridgeboys.com to see when we are coming to your area or to contact us about dates.  We still have dates available in 2016 and are already booking 2017.  Contact us to get your date TODAY!!! 

Let’s not forget about our Homecoming Sing featuring The Sheltons, Hearts Afire and a reunion of The Singing Americans, 90s Edition, on June 25th at Inman First Baptist Church in Inman, SC (just outside of Spartanburg, SC).  Details about the concert and lodging are listed on our website.  This truly is a concert you don’t want to miss.  You may never see this lineup again. 

Creekside Gospel Music Convention in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee begins on Monday, Oct. 31st and runs thru Thursday, Nov. 3rd.  PRB will be there and hopefully will be involved in the Diamonds Awards.  You can help.  SGN Scoops Magazine has acknowledged we are one of ten nominees in the Male Quartet category.  Voting is happening now to narrow it down to the final 5.  Please go online and vote for PRB.  There is info on how to do this on our website and our facebook page.  This is a good time to tell you about the new SGN Scoops Monthly Magazine.  We have been distributing them at our concerts of late, and encourage you to support this new endeavor.  Next month, The Pine Ridge Boys will be featured on the front page, so plan on getting your copy. 

So much more to talk about, but it will have to wait until next time.  Please continue to pray for PRB.  There are many things coming up we have to make decisions on and we need your continued support.  Thank God for all his blessing and we hope you are well and happy.  BIG shout out to all of the fathers out there…HAVE A GREAT DAY!!! 

Larry, Wayne, Duane, Ivory and Mark 

 

April 1, 2016 

April 2016 Newsletter 

"The Blood Still Flows" 

That's right folks, "The Blood Still Flows" That is the title to our brand new radio single. It is an awesome song with a message about the blood of Jesus Christ. Please call your local radio stations and request this song. If they don't have it, call or email our office and we will see that they get it. 

We are getting geared up for all the summer sings that we have booked. Wow, the date book is filling up fast. If you would like to book the group, give us a call so we can get it on the schedule before everything fills up. We are looking forward to our annual 10-day spring trip starting out in West Virginia for a few dates then onto Pennsylvania to sing with our new friends The Millers. From there we head to New Jersey with Bri-Pen Promotions. Brian and Penny Davis always take good care of us when we go north. We are singing at some new places this year and it is always exciting meeting new folks and making new friends. Be sure and check our schedule to see when we are coming to your area. We hope to see you at one of our upcoming singings. 

Now, on to some big and exciting news!! We are so excited about our Annual Homecoming Singing. This year, joining us will be Hearts Afire from Inman, SC and The Shelton's with Junior Shelton. Also, on the second half of the program will have a Singing Americans Reunion of the 90's group. David Sutton, Dale Forbes, Buddy Burton, Joe Lane, Taylor Barnes and (yours truly) Larry Stewart. We are very excited about having all of the original guys from this era joining us. God has surely blessed us with this opportunity to get together for this One Time Only concert at Inman First Baptist Church, Inman, SC on June 25th. If you would like to help sponsor this event personally or as a business, we would greatly appreciate it. We have enclosed a flier with all the information about the singing. Hotel and restaurant information as well as driving directions will be available on our website for any of you out of town folks that would like to join us. Please help us spread the word. Also, we will be inducting 3 new people into our Pine Ridge Boys Hall Of Fame.  You never know who might show up. 

SGN Scoops now has a newspaper that you can subscribe to. We have been involved with SGN Scoops for almost 5 years and it has been a blessing to be a part of this great team of Christians. Rob Patz and Vonda Easley are making a big impact in Southern Gospel music. Be sure to go to sgnscoops.com and vote for Pine Ridge Boys for your favorite quartet. Coming up later in the year we will be with Rob and Vonda at Creekside 2016 in Pigeon Forge, TN October 31st thru November 3rd. Come go with us and be a part of this great convention with lots of Gospel Music. 

Don't forget to sign up for our monthly email on our website. We are always sending stuff out thru email. It is much easier for us to keep you updated on where we are going and what is going on with the group thru email. I understand that some of you do not have access to a computer and we will continue to mail letters to those. 
Continue to pray for us as we travel and that our songs will be a blessing to those who attend our services and concerts. Thanks to all of you who continue to support us financially. You will never know how much we appreciate what you do for us. 

Until next time, May God Continue to Bless You. 
Larry, Wayne, Duane, Ivory and Mark

January 12, 2016 

January 2016 Newsletter

HAPPY NEW YEAR 


Wow, how time has flown by. Not long ago we were in the middle of Fall then Christmas came upon us and now a New Year has begun. A lot has been going on since I last wrote a newsletter, so I'll try to catch you up on a few things. October, November and December saw a lot of travels for us and lots of lives were changed thru our ministry. We had the pleasure once again to be a part of the Creekside Gospel Music Convention in Pigeon Forge, TN. with a lot of new groups and were blessed to make some new friends. Thanks to Rob Patz and Vonda Easley for all that they do to keep Gospel Music alive thru SGNScoops Magazine. You need to plan now to join us in 2016 for the next convention. The dates are October 31 - November 3, 2016. There will be plenty of information on our website about how you can be a part of this and enjoy some great Gospel Music. 

So many of you have helped us with your financial gifts and prayers over the past several years. We want to thank you for all that you have done and continue to do for the Pine Ridge Boys. We ask that you continually seek God and ask God how He would have you help us in our ministry, whether it is financial or otherwise. We always covet your prayers and financial support.

We have a brand new song that we have sent out to radio and we want you to call your local radio station and request, "Blood Still Flows." If they don't have it let us know in order for us to get it to them. We are currently working on a new CD but not sure when we will have it out. We are hoping by early spring. Check our tour dates and when you see we are going to be in your area, please come be with us. We always love to see your smiling face in our audience. Don't be surprised when you pull up and don't see that big white bus. The big white bird has drove its last mile for us because, financially, there were just too many problems (motor and power plant) to repair or replace. We are in another bus now that we call our home on the road. Pray that God will keep us safe and keep us going. 

Many of you have asked about former members such as my Dad, Jim Stewart, Miles Cooper and Ned Wilder. I want you to know they are doing well. Dad has had a few problems but is doing OK.  He can still cut the mustard any day of the week. One of the greatest bass singer's to ever step foot on a platform. Miles fell not long ago but is recovering. It will take awhile till he gets back to his old self but he'll tell you, “I'm doing nothing but fine." Then you have old Ned. He just never slows down. You can bet if his boys, (Pine Ridge Boys) are anywhere close, he and Mama Sara are going to be there. Love you Dad, Miles and Papa Ned. 

Well, I guess I have rambled long enough but before I go, I want to share something with you that happened at our home during the Christmas holidays. As many of you know, not only the Pine Ridge Boys, but many other groups travel all over this great land of ours spreading the Gospel thru song. Sometimes we go thru what I call a dry spell, where you sing and sing and sing and you see nothing happening. You wonder sometimes if you're really doing what God wants you to do or if you're doing it the right way or many other things. Then all of sudden when you least expect it, it happens. I mean right here in my own living room it happened. I have a daughter, Kelly, who is 27 years old and is a Christian. Kelly has a friend named Courtney who is just like another daughter to us and whom we love just as our own. December 23, 2015 we were having the Stewart Christmas at our house and I was sitting and talking with Kelly and Courtney and Kelly says, "Dad, I need to talk to you." I said OK. She said that she and Courtney were talking about being baptized and she asked Courtney had she ever been baptized and Courtney said no. Kelly then asked her had she ever been saved. Courtney said, "No, but I want to be. Do you think your Dad will help me?" So right there, I talked with Courtney, read and showed her some scripture and told her how she could be saved. We prayed and right then and there Courtney accepted Christ as her personal Savior. You talk about getting a Christmas present! WOW. Being able to lead someone to Christ right here at Jesus birthday. It doesn't get any better than that. One of the greatest Christmas gifts ever to be given was when God the Father gave his Son Jesus to us. He died on that Old Rugged Cross for our sins so that we could accept him into our lives and have a home in Heaven and live forever more where there's street's of Gold and walls made of Jasper. Let me tell you, we had Church that night. So many times we as Christians get discouraged when things just don't go the way we think they ought to go. The Bible plainly tells us to trust in Him and pray. Cast our burdens and cares upon Him. He will never let us go thru something by ourselves. He will always be by our side and walk the path with us. So as you go thru your daily life, remember to pray for someone. Pray for new Christians as well as old Christians. Pray for Gospel Music and those who sing it. Pray that God will move in a mighty way in this great land of ours and Revival will start up and never end. Most of all, Pray for those that are lost and don't know Jesus. 

“For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” Romans 10:13  

Larry, Wayne, Duane, Ivory and Mark

September 12, 2015 

September 2015 Newsletter

WOW. Where do I begin? It has been a busy month.

August took us back up North to New Jersey with our good friends Brian and Penny Davis. They do a wonderful job keeping us busy when we are up there. Also great to see a lot of our friends up that way. If I start naming people I might get in trouble and leave somebody out. We started out going to an Assisted Living facility and singing for a young lady who turned 101 years of age! She was precious. Then we headed on over to the fairgrounds that same day for the Salem County Fair. We always have a good time there with Mom Mom Bobbitt and her son John. By the way, if you are in need of a new vehicle, go see our buddy John Bobbitt at Bobbitt Auto Sales in Salem, NJ. (How’s that for a little advertizing!) It was a great trip and we look forward to going back in April for more good times. The rest of the month we stayed closer to home, still singing every week just closer to home. We sang in some new places and made a lot of new friends. It was a great month for the PRB. By the way, just in case you missed it, you can go to our Facebook page and scroll down to find the link where we sang at Canton Baptist Church in Canton, Ohio. They did a live broadcast of the service and you can still view it on their website.

We are preparing for a new CD to be released in January. We have been listening to a lot of songs so that we can find the ones that you might enjoy and receive a blessing from. Please keep us in your prayers as we go through this process and that God will send us the songs that He would be pleased with.

In September we will be singing a lot in NC and SC, check out our schedule for a date close by and come out and be with us. One date that is kind of special to my wife and I is September 26th. We will be singing right here in our hometown for Harvest Days. It is an all day event with lots of crafts, entertainment and food. Did I mention FOOD? We will be singing on the main stage starting at 2:00pm. Come see us if you can.

I want to encourage all of you to attend Church. I know that might seem a little strange for me to say that, but recently Anne and I joined Inman First Baptist Church. This is where she grew up and it's real close to home. Since we have been going there, I feel like my walk with God is much stronger. I'm not saying that I was going to a Church where it was not, but I just feel like I got a new sense of renewal. I hope that makes a little bit of sense to you. I'm not home very much because of singing but I like to go to Wednesday night Bible study. As I sit here writing all this I think back to this past Wednesday night when we studied about the differences between Joseph and Jesus. We talked about the 6 C's. Genesis 1-2 talk about the Creation. Genesis 3-11 talk about Corruption. Genesis 12- the rest of the Old Testament talks about Covenant. Then you have Christ (Gospels), Church (Acts-New Testament) and then Consummation. Ideal future-Renewal. I'm telling you, I just feel renewed. Just a little something for you to ponder on.

Please keep the Quartet and all our Families in your prayers. We Love You.
Ivory, Duane, Wayne, Larry and my buddy Mark

Proverbs 3: 3-6 NIV
3 Let Love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet your heart. 4 Then you will win favor and a good name in the sight of God and man. 5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; 6 in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.

 

August 1, 2015 

August 2015 Newsletter

Happy August everyone! I hope everyone is staying cool. Well, we have been up north and let me tell you, it's not much cooler up there either.

We started out July going down to Georgia to a church that we haven't been to in awhile and man, what a time we had. Thanks to Eddie and Phyllis Simmons and the special folks at Central Baptist Church for making us feel special. After that weekend we headed north to New Jersey and Delaware. Thanks to our good friends Steve Peterman and his side kick Richard for taking us to eat in PA. We went to a place called Shady Maple Smorgasbord. Folks if you have never been there and you are up that way, trust me, it is well worth your time and money to go. Some of the best food I have ever eaten. It was awesome! This was a special treat for me because my grandson Zach was able to go with us. This trip brought back a few memories for me. I remember when my son Josh was little and how he loved getting on that Singing Americans bus and going on the road with his daddy. He thought he was something special. (Come to think of it, I thought he was too!) Josh and I had some great times together and made some special memories that only a father and son could have. Now today, I get to take my grandson and make some more special memories. Zach is always ready to get on stage and sing. When he first started doing this he would always go and sing down next to the Tenor man. Well, his voice has changed and it dropped. You can probably guess where this is going, I told him it was ok that his voice had changed, and the Baritone spot is low. He said, “but Papa, I want to sing your part." Needless to say, I told him right now he needs to concentrate on something else because he ain't singing my part! We all got a big laugh out of that. I'm very proud of Zachary and the young man that he is becoming. He is 13 years old and he is not ashamed to tell you that He Loves Jesus and he knows who He is. AMEN.

As I sit here writing all this and think about the relationship between a Father and Son, I think about how awesome it is that we as Christians can have that same kind of relationship with our Heavenly Father. Think about it, when we get to Heaven we can move into that big fancy house that we all have dreamed about owning someday. He has already built it for us, “A Mansion Just Over The Hilltop”. Streets that are paved with gold. All of our loved ones that have gone on before us that are waiting on us, “Just Over In The Gloryland”, or maybe “Down By The Riverside”.  I am so thankful that I know when I die that I will see Jesus and be able to say Thank You for dying on the Cross so that I might live and have everlasting Life. That is the promise that God himself has given us. I hope you are ready.  The Bible says in John 3:16-17   “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.  For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. All you have to do is ask God to come into your life and Save you, then you too can have that Heavenly Father relationship.

Please keep the Quartet and all our families in your prayers. We Love You.

Larry, Wayne, Duane and Ivory.

PS: Zach too.

June 30, 2015 

June 30, 2015

I know most of you are wondering what happened to the monthly newsletter. I do apologize for the delay in keeping you informed with what's going on in the group. I will try and do better, I promise. Well, a lot has happened since our last newsletter so I will try and catch you up on things.

The last thing I mentioned in the last newsletter is that we were headed to West Virginia. What a weekend it was. We were in two revivals that weekend and as I have heard people say before, "The Lord showed up and showed out." It was awesome! We took some time off after that to get ready for a busy month in May. We had a great time singing with our friends Jerry Jennings and The Chordsmen. Then we headed out for 12 days up north with our New Jersey, Maryland and Delaware friends. Always a good time up north thanks to Brian and Penny Davis of Bri-Pen Promotions in Salem, NJ. Then we went down to Milford, DE where we sang with our good friends The Anchormen at our Pastor friend Steve Peterman's house. Well, let me re-phrase that. In the BIG RED BARN. We came home for a few days then headed back north again to Ohio and Buffalo, NY. We always enjoy our time in Canton, OH with our friends from Canton Baptist Temple and their seniors. They call themselves Forever Young Seniors. What a great name! Then from there we headed to Buffalo so Duane could show out in front of his family. I'm just kidding, he didn't really show out per say. His family treats us very well when we go up there and for that we say Thank You Rizzo Family. Well, we got home and got a few days rest and headed down to Georgia. We met some really nice people while we were there in Lincolnton, GA. The folks at Double Branches Baptist Church were awesome and we can't wait to go back. By the way, they have these two young guys that tried to take mine and Ivory's job. The nerve of those two! Hahaha. We got these two brother's Jay and Austin up to sing with us and it was a lot of fun. Then they got a bus load together and came to our Homecoming Sing. Thanks DBBC. (That name is a mouth full.)

Speaking of our Homecoming, We celebrated 52 years in Gospel Music this year. June 20th we had our annual Homecoming Sing and a great night of good ole Gospel Singing. Charlie Griffin, Carolina Quartet, Chuck Wagon Gang and PRB. We had a house full. We had about 70 people from Mud Creek Baptist Church, Hendersonville, NC, and about 25 people from Temple Baptist Church, Gastonia, NC. Thanks to Chris Roberts and Scott Whitener of Carolina Quartet. The floor was full and we brought out chairs and then some were in the balcony. It was awesome. Thanks to all who came and a special thanks to those who helped make this a successful night. We could not have done it without you. I want to say a special thank you to my buddy Mark Cash. As many of you know, Mark takes care of our website for us and does a lot of stuff for me. Mark has spent countless hours helping me work and put together a lot of things for our Homecoming Sing to be what it was. Not only that, but Mark is my best friend and I Love him and appreciate all he does for the Pine Ridge Boys. Even though he is a Slacker at times. Love ya buddy!

One thing new this year that we did at our Homecoming, was start our Pine Ridge Boys Hall of Fame. Inducted this year, was the very first original group. Miles Cooper, Charles Burke, Wayne Shuford, Jim Stewart and Wayne's brother Darius Shuford. Also inducted this year was Pine Ridge Boys oldest living member, Ned Wilder. We are working on a Hall of Fame page for our website and hope to have it up soon. Here you will be able to learn a little about each of these great men. So keep checking back.

Many of you have been asking about a new CD and when we will be doing another. Well, we are listening to new material now, but it might be awhile before we can do anything. The cost of making a new CD is not cheap by no means. We have some other things that we need to get fixed with our bus first, before we can do anything else. Don't panic, nothing major, it's just that we need a new generator. Many of you have asked the question many times, "how can I help?" Well one way that you can help is go to our Donations page and you can help us fund the things that we need. The Bible plainly tells us, ask and it shall be given unto you. So, I'm asking! If you want to help us, this is how you can help, with your financial giving. Thanks to all of you who have supported us over the past years. Until next time, God please bless all of our friends abundantly. Amen.

Larry

2 Chronicles 7:14 KJV
14) If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.