In 1971, Scott Anthony McLaughlin was born. This rounded out the trio of Mark Allen McLaughlin (b. 1965) and David Brent McLaughlin (b. 1968). This group of little rugrats were quickly known as The McLaughlin Brothers. It would be 1994, however, before joining our super-powers as America's greatest quartet. Mark's wife Kelly played piano and sang with us.
Our original plan was to do the old fashioned gospel music that we were raised on, and to do it in the old style - piano and vocals only. We loved the music of Hovie Lister and The Statesmen, Jake Hess and the Imperials, JD Sumner and the Stamps, The Blackwood Brothers, and more.
We continued that way for a little over a year and recorded three projects called Hymns and Classics 1,2, & 3. They were produced by Dale P. McCoy and David McLaughlin. They were very low budget and we thought they were great at the time, but they are a little hard for us to listen to now. However, many of our fans and friends still think those are our best recordings.
We worked extensively as a part-time group singing three or four concerts every weekend and began traveling out of state some. The schedule got to be a little too grueling for Kelly so we hired Jason Owen as our baritone and formed an all-male quartet. Our sound quickly became more like that of the male quartets of old.
At the same time, we also began recording more songs that we wrote as well as older songs that most people were not familiar with. Our recordings became better, but some songs on each album were still not up to our current standards. These albums were, "Hymns and Classics" (we re-recorded some of those songs with Jason), "Good to Go Back," Sing for You, Live," and "Read That Book." We also began to use tracks along with a keyboard player. Our keyboard players over the years included Newman Miller, Mike Price, and David Outon. On some occasions we would take out a full band with us.
The group decided to go full-time and that was probably the beginning of the end. We worked as hard as any group out there but the combination of "love offerings" and our booking agent not owning a map proved to be a fatal blow. We also began promoting some concerts, most of which lost money (some a tremendous amount of money) and that finished us off.
We were blessed beyond measure in other ways, though, and had a tremendous time. We were fortunate enough to become friends with our childhood heroes like JD Sumner & The Stamps, Hovie Lister & The Statesmen, Jake Hess, The Florida Boys, The Weatherfords, and the James Blackwood Quartet. We were also blessed to work with many of the newer Southern Gospel groups that we enjoyed such as Gold City, The New Hinsons, The Nelons, Greater Vision and others.
The highlight for us was performing on a great tour (although a money losing one), "The Legends of Gospel," which featured all of those great old groups. We especially appreciated the way JD Sumner took a liking to us and did everything he could to help us. He is greatly missed now that he has gone on to heaven.
Another great thrill for us was the number of "secular" concerts we were invited to. We loved singing outside of churches and were greatly received. We were invited to some bluegrass festivals (we don't know why), co-op meetings, holiday festivals, and were regulars (as well as two-time Group of the Year winners) at the Oklahoma Opry.
In 1998, we recorded a Christmas album in Nashville, produced by Jeff Quimby. It is absolutely our best recording. Jeff did a wonderful job and the recording is timeless.
At the end of 1998, the group disbanded for lack of money to keep things going.
Our original plan was to do the old fashioned gospel music that we were raised on, and to do it in the old style - piano and vocals only. We loved the music of Hovie Lister and The Statesmen, Jake Hess and the Imperials, JD Sumner and the Stamps, The Blackwood Brothers, and more.
We continued that way for a little over a year and recorded three projects called Hymns and Classics 1,2, & 3. They were produced by Dale P. McCoy and David McLaughlin. They were very low budget and we thought they were great at the time, but they are a little hard for us to listen to now. However, many of our fans and friends still think those are our best recordings.
We worked extensively as a part-time group singing three or four concerts every weekend and began traveling out of state some. The schedule got to be a little too grueling for Kelly so we hired Jason Owen as our baritone and formed an all-male quartet. Our sound quickly became more like that of the male quartets of old.
At the same time, we also began recording more songs that we wrote as well as older songs that most people were not familiar with. Our recordings became better, but some songs on each album were still not up to our current standards. These albums were, "Hymns and Classics" (we re-recorded some of those songs with Jason), "Good to Go Back," Sing for You, Live," and "Read That Book." We also began to use tracks along with a keyboard player. Our keyboard players over the years included Newman Miller, Mike Price, and David Outon. On some occasions we would take out a full band with us.
The group decided to go full-time and that was probably the beginning of the end. We worked as hard as any group out there but the combination of "love offerings" and our booking agent not owning a map proved to be a fatal blow. We also began promoting some concerts, most of which lost money (some a tremendous amount of money) and that finished us off.
We were blessed beyond measure in other ways, though, and had a tremendous time. We were fortunate enough to become friends with our childhood heroes like JD Sumner & The Stamps, Hovie Lister & The Statesmen, Jake Hess, The Florida Boys, The Weatherfords, and the James Blackwood Quartet. We were also blessed to work with many of the newer Southern Gospel groups that we enjoyed such as Gold City, The New Hinsons, The Nelons, Greater Vision and others.
The highlight for us was performing on a great tour (although a money losing one), "The Legends of Gospel," which featured all of those great old groups. We especially appreciated the way JD Sumner took a liking to us and did everything he could to help us. He is greatly missed now that he has gone on to heaven.
Another great thrill for us was the number of "secular" concerts we were invited to. We loved singing outside of churches and were greatly received. We were invited to some bluegrass festivals (we don't know why), co-op meetings, holiday festivals, and were regulars (as well as two-time Group of the Year winners) at the Oklahoma Opry.
In 1998, we recorded a Christmas album in Nashville, produced by Jeff Quimby. It is absolutely our best recording. Jeff did a wonderful job and the recording is timeless.
At the end of 1998, the group disbanded for lack of money to keep things going.
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