Majesty Quartet members, pictured in the purple jackets, perform alongside Ernie Haas & Signature Sound, all pictured in gray, at the Holland Theatre this spring. Ernie Haas member Doug Anderson, pictured at the center between Majesty Quartet members Jerry Zellers and Tim Walls, will join the local quartet for the upcoming Sept. 26 concert. (MANDY LOEHR | THE CHRONICLE)
A night of laughter, music and healing will take the stage next weekend in a 14-year tradition that pairs up Logan County’s Majesty Quartet with their close friends, gospel music stars Doug Anderson from Ernie Haas & Signature Sound and Southern gospel pianist Roy Webb.
The aptly named Night of Faith and Friends Concert is set for 6 p.m. , 1000 E. Brown Ave. Tickets are sold at the door for $15 each and doors open at 5 p.m.
“It’s a friendship now that has lasted for years and years,” Dove Award winner Anderson said this week of he and Webb’s bond with the local group, which features Tim Walls and Rob Kilgore, both of DeGraff, Ward McBrien of Logansville and Jerry Zellers of Bellefontaine.
“We just appreciate Roy and Doug so much,” said Walls, a retired Riverside Schools teacher and administrator. “It takes a lot of legwork and a big commitment from them to make this concert happen each year.
“They’re not just performers; we’re fortunate to call Roy and Doug our friends.”
Local gospel music fans and others look forward to this annual homecoming show and the uplifting atmosphere created by the musicians, who join together on stage for various numbers.
Indiana resident Anderson, a longtime baritone for the Ernie Haas & Signature Sound, along with Majesty Quartet’s Walls and Kilgore noted the important message they’re backing with this concert in support of the Ohio Suicide Prevention Foundation.
“There are people out there who are hurting and broken and don’t know where to turn next,” Anderson said. “Our hope is for God to speak to them through the show. We want them to know that they’re worth it and God needs them here.
“We want to show them the joy and the peace that only God can give.”
“Our whole point is if one of you feels better than when you walked in for the concert, then we did our jobs,” Walls said. “Our message is still the same, whether we’re playing for 20 people or for 500 – God loves you and cares for you.”
Relating to this heartfelt mission, Anderson remembers a first-hand instance from a show he performed in Kokomo, Ind., where he said a man wandered into the concert after seeing the marquee flashing outside.
“The man initially wasn’t sure why he went in, but then he told me after the show, ‘I was going to take my own life tonight,’” Anderson recalled. “We were so grateful he came to talk with us and we were able to get him connected with the help he needed.
Doug Anderson, left, and Roy Webb highlight in an Instagram reel their upcoming show with Majesty Quartet, set for Saturday, Sept. 26, at the Bellefontaine First Church of God. (SCREENSHOT VIA INSTAGRAM)
“I don’t think that just happens. It’s amazing to see God step in.”
The Ernie Haas & Signature Sound member who just wrapped up a tour in South Dakota said being used by God in these ways gives him a lot of motivation in the midst of the long days and nights on the road away from his family – including his wife and two adult daughters.
“You can’t run from your calling, so relax into it,” he said with a chuckle. “I’m 53 years old and I’m at the place where I want to see God at work and the greater purpose He has for my life.”
Anderson also shared the stage locally with Majesty Quartet back in March when Ernie Haas & Signature Sound performed at the Holland Theatre to a packed-out auditorium.
“Performing with Ernie Haas & Sig Sound was a bucket list concert for us,” Kilgore said. “We had such a wonderful time and we’re so grateful to everyone who came out to the show.”
Majesty Quartet has been a mainstay in the Logan County area and beyond for about 25 years. Also this month, they’re playing shows in West Virigina and at the Hardin County Fair. The quartet also is looking forward to performing as openers for The Voice Season 12 winner Chris Blue on Thursday, Oct. 15, also at the Bellefontaine First Church of God.
Blue recently has been performing on the road with the Gaither Gospel Music Tours and has a very versatile style, from Motown to gospel and many others, Walls noted.
Looking forward to the Night of Faith and Friends show next weekend, Walls and Kilgore expressed appreciation to their concert sponsors Buckeye State Bank in DeGraff and the Ohio Suicide Prevention Foundation for making the event possible and all of their local fans for their dedicated support.
“We love seeing familiar faces and meeting new people after the shows. It really means a lot to us,” Walls said.
For any church or other group who are interested in hosting Majesty Quartet at their venue, Kilgore and Walls encouraged them to visit majestyquartet.com and select the “Booking” link.
