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News Release: Abe Zacharias Opens for Paul Brandt
Paul Brandt's "This Time Around" tour hit Salmon Arm, BC on October 29, 2004, the seventh stop of 37 planned concerts on this North American tour for the county music superstar and his band. For the Salmon Arm concert though, Paul chose award winning country gospel singer and long-time Salmon Arm resident, Abe Zacharias, to be his opening act for the evening.
While Paul Brandt is a superstar with few peers in the country music industry, judging from the crowd's rousing welcome to Abe one could easily tell that many were there especially to hear him, too! And why not? Abe is somewhat of a hometown hero, having appeared on the stage of the Grand Ole Opry, and because he was also the 1997 winner of the Golden Heart Award as male vocalist of the year, awarded by the Country Gospel Music Association in Knoxville, Tennessee.
There's also a very interesting little story connected with Paul Brandt and Abe Zacharias from when they met, for the first time ever, back in 2002. It turns out, as Abe was more than gratified to learn, that Paul had already heard many of Abe's albums years ago, and even told Abe that he (Abe) was one of his (Paul's) inspirations for getting into professional music! What a great surprise to hear from the man who is himself the idol of millions of fans now, eh?
For Paul Brandt's concert last week, Abe opened his portion of the program with "Country Boy," the title track from Abe's 11th album, a CD he released in 2002. Amongst others, Abe also sang his "Tribute to the Man in Black," as yet unrecorded, but which he wrote shortly after the passing of country music legend, Johnny Cash, in the fall of 2003. Altogether, Zacharias has now recorded 12 albums.
While he's been singing country and gospel music professionally for over 35 years now, and has numerous awards for the genre to his credit, Abe Zacharias and his wife, Marge, continue to tour and concertize for some 100 days annually. This is at an age, you understand, where most would have retired from the demands and rigours of active concert touring, but Abe and Marge just feel it is their duty to their Lord to keep going and "fighting the good fight," touching the souls of those in spiritual need. Besides that, if you ask Abe why he keeps going strong, He'll say, "I just love singing songs about God's love for us!"
Drew Bryant
- Salmon Arm Observer
Discography
Abe has recorded 13 albums. The latest, Classic Country with the Sons of the Sage which was released in April 2006, has so far been very well received wherever they perform. The majority of his recordings are of original content.
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Bio
Award winning Singer and Songwriter
1. Abe Zacharias is a singer/songwriter who lives in Salmon Arm, BC Canada where he resides with his wife Marge. He has been singing Christian Country/Western and Gospel music for over 35 years.
2. In 1993 Abe appeared on the stage of the Grand Ole Opry.
3. In 1997 he became a member of the Country Gospel Music Association and was nominated for the Silver Heart Award for Male Vocalist of the Year and won both titles for the Northwest Region of the United States and Canada.
4. In September he went to Knoxville, TN and won the Prestigious Golden Heart Award for Male Vocalist of the Year for the U.S. and Canada.
5. In July of 1998, 1999 and 2000 he competed and won the Silver Crown Award for the Northwest Region.
6. In 1998 he formed a group called the Rising Heights which won the Regional Silver Heart Vocal Group of the Year in Omak, WA as well as the National Golden Heart Award for Group of the Year in North Carolina for all of the U.S. and Canada.
7. Abe has been in music ministry for about thirty five years and has traveled extensively in many parts of Canada and the U.S.
8. In 2001 he traveled to Nashville and was nominated for Male Vocalist of the Year at the Country Gospel Music Guild Convention which was held at the Stardust Theatre on Music City Drive in Nashville.
9. Abe has also sung on many TV programs including the Children's Miracle Network in Nashville which was started by Marie Osmond. Recently he also sang on the National Primetime Broadcasting TV Network in Midland, Texas.
10. In 2002, Abe met Canadian Country Super Star Paul Brandt and discovered that Paul has been a fan of Abe’s for years and told Abe that Abe’s music has been a contributing factor in Paul's going into the Country Music field. On october 29, 2004 Abe had the distinct privilege of being the opening act for Paul's "This Time Around" tour concert in Abe's hometown. Needless to say this was an unprecedented opportunity for Abe to open for Canada's most awarded Country Male Vocalist. In spite of Paul's phenominal success as an award winning singer, songwriter/entertainer who is adored by millions worldwide, Abe finds Paul to be "A very personable, humble individual who hasn't let stardom affect his rapport with his fans and his faith in God." As an example of Paul's humble demeanor, when Paul signed his picture for Abe after the concert, Paul wrote, "Thanks for letting me close for you." Abe says, "In spite of the fact that I've been in the field of country music for longer than 2 decades than Paul has, I am finding I have a lot to learn from him."
In January of 2006 Abe started another singing group consisting of himself and 2 other guys. They are known as the Sons of the Sage. Here is their biography:
The Sons of the Sage
Abe Zacharias has been a country gospel and western singer and songwriter for more than 35 years. He has won several awards for his songs and his vocal stylings, including country gospel’s prestigious Golden Heart Award as Male Vocalist of the Year (1997). He has performed in many parts of both the U.S. and Canada and counts his 1993 appearance on the stage of Nashville’s Grand Ol’ Opry as one of his career highlights. In noting the “taut and traditional” style of his eleventh CD, A Country Boy, Country Road Magazine’s Steve Butts praised Abe’s “spring-clear voice [that] resonates with a kind of passion you just don’t find much anymore.” Abe and his wife Marg reside in Salmon Arm, B.C.
Gerry Pelland began his musical career over fifty years ago in Winnipeg, Manitoba and is a veteran of stage, radio, television, and recording studio. The countless notables with whom Gerry has performed include Red Sovine, Donn Reynolds, Buddy Duvall and Elmer Tippe. As a singer, Gerry knows his way around a song, and as an instrumentalist, he plays bass, and steel, lead, and rhythm guitars. He and Abe Zacharias have worked together for the past fourteen years. Gerry makes his home in Enderby, B.C.
Duane Stewart left a promising music career in his late twenties to devote his time and attention to the field of education. As a result, he spent twenty-seven years as a high school and university English teacher, confining his singing and playing to the occasional church service or fund-raiser. Inspired by his relocation from Alberta to the Shuswap in 2003, Duane has resumed singing and playing lead guitar and 5-string banjo. He joined forces with Abe and Gerry this past January. Duane and his wife Lyn live in Blind Bay, B.C.
Together Abe, Gerry and Duane have formed a dynamic trio whose mostly traditional cowboy/country/bluegrass and country gospel music is pleasing the ears and capturing the hearts of people everywhere they perform. Their ability to blend together in vocal harmony is unique. It is a sound that is rarely found in the field of music today. Considering they have only been together for a few months they are already re
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