Tony Jarman leaving OTGH Quartet

According to this post on the Singing News forum, Old Time Gospel Hour Quartet has sent out an email announcing that Tony Jarman is leaving to pursue a solo career in 2008.  This will be the second time Tony has left a professional quartet to begin a solo ministry. 

This post in the same thread mentions that Tony “moves around more than anyone I know of” (apparently, the poster has never heard of David Hill). 

 According to Tony’s bio on the OTGHQ website, Tony began his profesional career in 1994 with Poet Voices and stayed until 1997 when he “took a hiatus from the gospel music scene”.  Tony then joined Legacy Five after Josh Cobb’s sudden departure following NQC 2000.  He stayed with L5 until 2004 and began his first solo effort.  He made plans to join the OTGHQ in May 2005, officially joining at NQC ’05.  Tony spent roughly 2.5 years with Poet Voice and not quite 3.5 years with L5.  He spent at least two years on the road with OTGHQ. 

So yes, Tony has moved around, but I wouldn’t think excessively so, especially considering he’s a very good tenor singer, which are hard to come by.  I expect he would have gotten plenty of offers to join other groups.  I might think differently if he had group hopped constantly, but he hasn’t.  He has taken time off or spent time as a soloist between each of the groups.  I will acknowledge that if (when) he joins a group again, the owner might not want to plan on having Tony around five to ten years, but I wouldn’t expect him to leave after a few months to a year.

I got an idea.  Tony should form a trio along with David Hill (who can’t decide if he wants to sing with a group, preach, another group, sing solo, another group, or what) and Mike Lefevre (who after a great run with Gold City, has left full-time SG, returned with the original Brian Free & Assurance, left again, and is now back with his own quartet).  We need a bass singer to make a quartet and I’m drawing a blank.  Suggestions?  Bill Lawrence maybe?  He has his trucking business to occupy his time.  They could travel for a few months, then take a few months off.  When one gets the urge to travel again, call the guys and say “Let’s hit the road!”.

As for where this leaves the OTGHQ, I don’t know.  They seemed to have such a bright future ahead of them when they signed with Daywind and released their first two excellent projects, The Lamb Is King and The Return.  Now, they are looking for their third tenor and are already on their third bass.  I don’t know how long it has been since I’ve noticed one of their songs high on the charts.  They are heavily involved with Thomas Road Baptist and haven’t been touring that much (although from their schedule, that may be changing in 2008).  You also have to wonder what the passing of Dr. Jerry Falwell means to the future of the group. 

I wish all parties involved the best.  They just need to remember “There’s A Brighter Day”!