Updated 12-5-09
THE ISAACS WIN 2009 INSPIRATIONAL BLUEGRASS ARTIST!
2009 ICM Awards took place on October 15 and was hosted by David Keith. Dedicated to honoring and showcasing the biggest names and emerging talent among artists who perform Christian and Inspirational Country music, this event saw live performances from James Payne, Tommy Brandt, Del Way, Greg McDougal, Amanda Fessant, Ricky Skaggs & The Whites and The
Full winners list of 2009 ICM Awards:
The Isaacs were scheduled for sound check at 3:25pm and that went smoothly. Although they were not scheduled to perform until six hours later, there was not much time for relaxing. I learned a long time ago that these people do so much more than just show up and sing. There is an enormous amount of work that goes into it…..then they sing. The week of NQC is filled with TV, radio and magazine interviews. Fans get a chance to meet and talk to their favorite musicians. However, business must go on as usual; things like travel planning for future dates, ordering products and equipment and keeping up with family left behind at home.
They were warmly welcomed on stage by the crowd, and started their four-song set with “Walk On”. Ben introduced the next song and gave the history of “The Three Bells”. The crowd was hard to read at the time, but I learned later at the product table that they absolutely loved it! Next, they did Sonya’s, “A Little Bit of Heaven”. They finished with “I Will Praise Him” and brought down the house! I was slowly making my way to the exit in an attempt to beat the crowd back to the table. I stood there to hear the song and when they did the first modulation (I just learned that word) the crowd audibly gasped! Before the second verse, the crowd was applauding and the applause did not stop. I wanted to tell everyone there to hold on to their seats because they were not finished! Of course, when they did finish, they got a huge standing ovation. I was moved to tears…..that song always does that to me. 
(9/11/09) Alexandria, IN - The Isaacs are, without question, among the most important talents ever to find their way into the music industry, with countless awards and inductions added to their credits every year. This week, the September 8 release of their brand new recording, Naturally, marks a new beginning for this long-standing force in gospel music.
Co-produced by Bill Gaither and Ben Isaacs (who has an impressive and growing resume as a producer), Naturally, intentionally highlights the Isaacs' vocal prowess with as little instrumentation as possible. The result is a stunning, collection of "nearly a cappella" songs that is guaranteed to stop you in your tracks.
"Jaw-dropping talent like that of the Isaacs is a rare find, and it's obvious this group is here to stay. For that reason, it has been extremely exciting to finally capture the breadth of that talent in the studio. 'Naturally' brings you The Isaacs at their very, very best. And to be honest with you, I still can't listen to the project without smiling from ear-to-ear. I believe 20 years from now, people will still be loving this recording and jaws will still be dropping at the harmonies this group can achieve."
National Grandparents Day - September 13th, 2009
You’d have to be a Godly woman to give birth to 17 children in a rustic log cabin nestled in the hidden mountains of
Growing up with hundreds of first cousins and thousands of extended family members (some who you just had to pretend to know) made family reunions a blast and going home to Grandma’s more like a party than a visit. Comfortably squeezed into 3 small bedrooms, I fondly recall those occasional overnight stays up on their mountain… Ahh the smell of the wood burning in the fireplace and the oil lanterns flickering on the newspaper covered ceilings above… the sound of creaking wooden floors, and the whispers of little girls just after the lantern was blown out “Mommy, I gotta go to the bathroom!” Only instead of her walking us down the hall, Mom would simply pull the pot out from under the bed and assure us that it was much better than having to walk up the hill to the outhouse in the dark!
Breakfast was always a feast, and Grandma would wake up before the sun did to make it every morning… soft, moist, made from scratch biscuits covered in perfectly stirred gravy with skillet fried potatoes and some good ole salty country ham, which I always found a little hard to swallow after watching the pigs out in the pen just the day before! But boy could she cook! And boy could we eat... but never until after we gathered in the living room for not just a word of thanks, but a “get down on your knees and thank God” prayer! Faith was the center of their existence. God was everything to them… their Provider, their Keeper, their Helper. I don’t recall ever seeing Grandma get upset about anything, and never heard her say an unkind word to or about anyone. She was the closest thing to an Angel that I’ve ever seen and I’ll never forget how hard I cried the day God called her back to heaven.
Before she left us we had the opportunity to record Grandma Bessie singing some of the songs we loved to hear her sing growing up. I always smile when I think about it because she had no idea how the recording process works. She didn’t understand that you have to be very quiet when you finish a song, and almost every time she would say something that we would later have to erase. Finally Dad stood just behind the recording glass and at the end of the song held his finger to his lips to remind her to be quiet. Unaware that even the quietest noise would make it to tape, she softly whispered “ok” to his request, and we all just smiled at each other knowing that we were blessed to inherit the gift of her love and her heart for God, family and music.
by: Sonya Isaacs
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