Three of the four singers traveling with gospel legend Bill Gaither during his latest Homecoming Tour are ex-members who have returned to the fold. When asked if their return was similar to a grown child returning home after college, he laughed.
“I don’t know about that,” he said. “Mark [Lowry] said they were like warts. You can’t get rid of them. But he’s a good example of what happens. He had been with us 13 or 14 years and was worn out. He wanted to do something else, and he is a very good comic as well, so he did his own touring.”
Lowry is joined by David Phelps and Michael English as the returning singers. New to the group is Wes Hampton.
“Wes has survived,” Gaither said. “He is the young kid, and I was afraid with all those all stars he might get lost, but he has held his own.”
Gaither, who has had a number of personnel changes with the Gaither Vocal Band, calls this lineup the best he’s had.