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Joe Wayne Reynolds is from Quitman,
TX and lives there with his wife Dana and their son, Mason. He
grew up singing in a family gospel quintet in East Texas area churches
and playing several instruments including piano and guitar. The
song "Legacy", which is the title track of the group's first CD, was
written by Joe Wayne as a reflection upon that time in his life when
the foundation was being laid to do what he is doing today as part of
this
ministry. His musical experiences range from performing with
Southern Gospel quartets to playing the club circuit with Country &
Western Swing bands, and his musical influences are just as broad and
varied. Combining his talent, love of music and God with these
other individuals in the group, Joe Wayne has continued to define his
individual calling in this ministry and expand the boundaries of
Christian Country music. He says there is nothing more fulfilling
than having the opportunity to entertain people and impact lives for
Christ through the power of music.
Joe@HigherTrailsBand.com |
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Tony Sheffield is originally
from Carthage, TX and now resides in Mt Pleasant, TX with his wife,
Kim. Tony and Kim attend South Jefferson Baptist Church in Mt
Pleasant. Tony has been playing guitar and singing for more than
20 years. Outside of playing guitar in church, bands and with
Higher Trails, he also does session work for recording studios,
including both lead guitar and acoustic guitar. Tony worked as a
lead guitarist in several country groups for the last several years
until he got his calling from the Lord to play gospel music. Tony
says, "What an honor to be called by the Lord to use my talents He gave
me to serve Him. I have
never been happier playing music in all my life and I owe all the glory
to God!"
Tony@HigherTrailsBand.com
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Travis Terrell is 18 years
old and already a veteran fiddler and keyboardist. He has been
playing professionally since he was 10. He is now traveling the country
playing for festivals, concerts and freelance work. He has performed
with Jack Greene, Billy Walker, Hank Thompson, Floyd
Domino, and world-renowned fiddlers Johnny Gimble and Mark
O'Connor. He has been voted "fiddler of the year" every year since 2002
in Coast to Coast magazine. In High School, Travis had three
consecutive "ones" at State Solo and Ensemble Contest playing Alto
Sax. Apart from Higher Trails, he also has his own Quartet
which consist of members of Johnny Gimble's Band. They have
performed for the Waco and Fort Worth Symphonies as well as private
events. He now resides in Waco, Texas and is a full-time college
student at McLennan Community College. He started out by playing
piano in a small Baptist church in Mount Pleasant when he was 10 up
until he graduated from High School.
Travis@HigherTrailsBand.com
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Paul Richardson is a native of
Pittsburg, TX. He and his beautiful wife Gina have seven
children--Amber, Becca, Dillon, Wesley, Trace, Joshua and Adam and they
all still reside in Pittsburg. Music has been a part of Paul's
life for as long as he can remember. He started like alot
of performers did in church singing with family. His daddy showed
him a few chords on the guitar and now over thirty years later here he
is playing country gospel music. During the last twenty years,
Paul has played with a ot of well known performers and says that all of
those experiences combined don't come close to what this group of guys
means to him. He says that he knows God put this group together
because he gets "goose bumps" every time he plays and ministers with
Higher Trails. Paul says, "You don't get those goose bumps
without our Lord and Savior standing on the stage with you!" He
and other band members all know they have a God given talent they want
to share
with others and that this is a highest honor they can have to be called
by God to do his work. Paul wants to say Thank You to all who
have been a part of this new beginning for Higher Trails and God Bless!
Paul@HigherTrailsBand.com |
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Todd Quinn lives in Gilmer,TX. with his
wife Trena and two sons Ty and Riley. He was raised in the First
Baptist Church of Pittsburg, TX. and now attends Longview Metro Church
in Longview, TX. He has played professionally for 20 years and has had
the duties of lead singer all the way to sound man. As the drummer and
harmony vocals in Higher Trails, he says he is at his natural
instrument. " I play a little guitar, a little bass, and steel guitar,
but I feel more at home with the drums " says Todd. His roots are in
western swing. He has played with such people as; Johnny Gimbel, Bob
Boatwright, Herb Remington, Walter Lyons, and many more great
swing players. " I am humbled and honored, to be called by God, to use
the talent He gave me, for His glory. And I couldn't ask for better
people or musicians to do it with."
Todd@HigherTrailsBand.com
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Hugh Blair - As a boy of 9 or 10
years of age, Hugh would go to the Saturday matinee in Grand Prairie,
Texas to see Gene Autry riding down the trail and
singing with unseen musicians in the background. The sound of an
instrument he had never heard caught his attention--the steel
guitar. He knew then he wanted to learn how to play this
instrument. As a young teenager Hugh took lap steel lessons from
Alvin Wood in Sweetwater, Texas, who taught Hawaiian steel guitar. When
he was 14, Hugh's family moved to Ft Worth, Texas and his steel
guitar hero was Jerry Byrd. Hugh learned to play in the smooth
style of Jerry Byrd and began playing with different groups and
weekends at a new show in Ft Worth called the Friday Night
Frolic. It was there that he played with Country Music legends
Sonny James, Marty Robbins and Jim Reeves who were themselves new
artists at the time. Hugh moved to East Texas in 1953 and through
the early 50s and 60s he played on Joe Shelton's Reilly Springs
Jamboree for such artists as George Jones, June Carter, Floyd Tillman,
Bob Luman and Merle Kilgore. Hugh's dad was a machinist and with
Hugh doing the research, together they built two of Hugh's first pedal
steel guitars. In the 1970s he played in
Loretta Lynn's backup band and in the 1980s Hugh began playing for
Oprys and Jamborees all across East Texas and Arkansas. In 1988
he joined the Mt Pleasant Jamboree full time and has been playing there
every Saturday night since. Hugh and his wife live in Mt Vernon, where
they attend the First Baptist Church in Mt Vernon and his wife is the
organist there. They have two sons and daughters-in-law and 3
grandchildren.
Hugh@HigherTrailsBand.com
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