Join us on December 1, 2023 at the Bluegrass Hall of Fame & Museum for The Hoppers & The Williamsons! This concert is part of the REAL Southern Gospel Weekend, hosted by Les Butler.
The Hoppers
Multi-award winning family group The Hoppers have been singing to global audiences for over 60 years with appearances ranging from presidential religious inaugural ceremonies and New York’s Carnegie Hall to singing conventions and church platforms. They have performed throughout the United States as well as in Israel, Europe and Africa. Their unique blend of harmonies and song choices have created a legacy of musical excellence embraced by leading pastors and event organizers. Known as America’s Favorite Family of Gospel Music, they are favorites on the Gaither Homecoming videos and tours, and their recordings frequently land at the top of the BILLBOARD sales charts and The Singing News radio charts.
The Hoppers are comprised today of family members Claude & Connie, son Dean and his wife, Kim, son Mike, and Dean & Kims daughter, Karlye. The Hoppers were formed in 1957 in the rural-farm town of Madison, NC, and have grown continuously for decades, touching countless lives around the world. A cancer survivor, Connie has been honored with the prestigious Marvin Norcross Award, in addition to numerous industry and fan honors; and she has been inducted into the Southern Gospel Music Hall of Fame. Sons Dean and Mike have continued the family legacy with their musical talents and business abilities; and Kim, Dean’s wife, hails from her own nationally acclaimed musical family, The Greenes. She is noted for the excitement she brings to any live performance, and her unmistakable, rafter-ringing soprano vocals have taken The Hoppers to new heights for many years.
The Williamsons
The Williamson Family began singing together as a group in 1969 with Woody and Pinky Williamson and their children, Donnie and Tennie. Donnie has carried on the family ministry ever since. Though the makeup of the group has changed over time, their goal remains the same: Share the story of Jesus in song wherever they can! Members of the Williamsons today include Donnie Williamson and his wife Lisa, their children Sadie and Olivia Williamson, Darin Hebert and Bo Chesser.
The group’s mission statement is more than just a statement. It is the heartfelt desire of every member of The Williamsons. It simply says, “The Williamsons will share the Gospel through music in order to see the lost come to Christ, the Christian uplifted, and provide quality Christian entertainment all for the glory of God.” It’s easy to say that your goal is to reach people for Christ, but it’s much harder to do. The Williamsons have such a heart for evangelism that they have made mission trips to the Philippines, Nicaragua, and Kenya and have seen over 25,000 lives changed. They also travel across the United States sharing their unique style of Christian music in large concert halls and in churches of all sizes and denominations.
The Williamsons have produced more than a dozen recordings with much of their material written by Lisa and Donnie. Several of their songs have reached the Singing News top 40, the prevailing chart for Southern Gospel Radio. In December 2015, the group achieved their first #1 song, “Shout,” and received their second #1 song in March 2019 for, “Every Moment, Every Mountain, Every Mile”. Their latest album, “Above Everything” is on track to equal their past recordings, having already produced two top 20 songs! They have had many Featured Artists segments on the Gospel Greats and Sirius XM Enlighten radio. Their music is regularly played on southern gospel radio stations around the world.