Friday After 5, Owensboro’s summer-long music festival is celebrating its 20th anniversary by announcing the return of free gospel concerts as part of their 2016 summer season. Only the name has changed.
“We’re blessed to have such talented gospel groups return for this year’s season,” explains Donnie Dortch, Gospel on the River producer. “It was a chance meeting with Glenn Taylor and an unintended misunderstanding that made it all possible.”
More than thirteen years ago, Dortch met with Glenn Taylor of Glenn Family Services in an effort to secure a sponsorship for the event.
“We have always been supportive of events that brought Owensboro families together,” explained Glenn Taylor. “So when Donnie asked, I told him, yes, we would help get the new gospel series off the ground by sponsoring the first concert. Evidently, I misunderstood, or Donnie did. I thought we only committed to sponsoring the first concert that season, not all six. We ended up sponsoring all six that first year. It turned out to be a blessing.”
“The series has been sponsored entirely by Glenn Family Services ever since,” says producer Dortch.
Friday After 5 is acknowledging Glenn’s partnership by changing the name to “Glenn’s Gospel on the River” concert series.
“This will be our thirteenth year and more than 70,000 parents, grandparents and their kids have enjoyed great gospel music, three groups each Friday of the series in beautiful Cannon Hall at the RiverPark Center since we first became a special addition to Friday After 5.”
This season’s line-up includes a wide variety of family oriented gospel, southern gospel and traditional gospel music. The series takes place on six of the sixteen Fridays this summer as part of Friday After 5.
- May 27th: The Crossmen Quartet, Firm Foundation and Still Water
- June 17th: The Childress Family, The Johnson Family and Living by Faith
- July 8th: The Conquerors Quartet, New Heritage and Mark Mudd & Family
- July 22nd: Paul Moseley & Friends with special Guest Charlie McCoy
- August 12th: Lambsong Quartet, Sons of the Father and The Sneed Family
- August 26th: The Crossmen Quartet, Deena Ashley and the Joylanders
“All of the gospel concerts are free, sponsored by Glenn Family Services,” explains Dortch, “and this time Glenn Taylor agreed to sponsor the entire season, just as he has for the past twelve years.”
The line-up is listed on the Friday After 5 website and the concerts begin at 7 p.m. each Friday of the six Fridays during the season.
