Southern Gospel News Podcast

13/09/2026

Darien leaves “ The Porch “ tonight without Asa , goes back to his Roots and Host Gospel Gold Sunday night from 7p-10p .. Just Darien and his beloved Southern Gospel Music, listen live @ 101.1 The Pulse, on the pulse app, online at www.1011thepulse.com or tell Alexa to play 101.1 The Pulse.

13/09/2026

Has Supply in The Gospel Music world over extended the demand ?

30/08/2026

Southern Gospel Fans- ( Read This) This is a direct quote, if it applies let it apply. If it don’t go on past it .. It’s old school church man like this guy who ruins great things. And ask what was his motive ? He defriended me years ago. So I can’t ask . So feel free to share I don’t mind .

WHY.
This week, a Gospel music promoter in Marietta, Georgia, Robert York, made a couple of Facebook posts that really bothered me.

One dealt with the death of Dolly Parton, her impact, her legacy, and questions surrounding her walk and faith. The other concerned Charlie Sexton and the Georgia Gospel Music Hall of Fame.

Let me say this first: Charlie and I have been friends for years. We have disagreed plenty of times, and I suspect we’ll disagree plenty more. But we have always shared a mutual respect for each other and, more importantly, a genuine love for Southern Gospel music.

That’s why I’m speaking up.

If the kind of public criticism I saw this week from Robert York Promotions represents what Southern Gospel music is becoming, then I want no part of that side of it.

I’ll say it again for the folks in the back.
I LOVE SOUTHERN GOSPEL MUSIC.

I fight to keep this music relevant in an ever-changing world. I believe in its message, its history, its people and its future. Many times, this music has served as a voice to my own conscience.

Mr. York may have good intentions. But if he did why did he remove his post ? I don’t know his heart, and I’m not going to pretend that I do. But in my opinion, what was posted this week crossed a line. Again ask him why he removed them.

And I’ll go one step further.

If Robert York is going to publicly talk and write about Dolly Parton and Charlie Sexton in this manner, then I personally have to question any Gospel group that chooses to perform for his promotions and I have to question why anyone who disagrees with that kind of rhetoric would choose to buy a ticket and financially support those concerts.

That’s not me telling anybody what they can or can’t do. People can make their own decisions about where they sing and where they spend their money.

But where we lend our name, our talent and our dollars says something about what we’re willing to support.

Charlie handled this like a professional.

Do I agree with every decision Charlie makes or every person who receives an award? Absolutely not. I’ve questioned some of them myself! But that’s part of what makes this music and the conversations around it interesting.

At the end of the day, Charlie Sexton is doing something he loves. He’s trying to recognize people and preserve a music that means something to a lot of us. He’s not hurting anybody. I have made comments like Why did he put them in etc .. But it’s his deal. It’s fun to chat. We all have opinions !

I have a radio microphone on 101.1 The pulse everyday . I could turn it on and make this a much bigger conversation anytime I wanted.

I’m choosing not to do that.

For now, I’m simply leaving this here.

Robert i’ve seen you attack Bill Gaither and Dolly ! Now Charlie .. shame on you !

Robert, if you feel the need to take aim at somebody, take aim at me. I’m a big boy. I can handle it.

But maybe all of us who claim to love Gospel music should remember something:

The way we treat people is part of our testimony too.

What’s wrong with living right anyway
Charlie Sexton I hope the Hall grows to new heights. How can I help !

17/08/2026

SMALL TOWN SOAPBOX

Special Sunday Edition 49 Years Ago Today

Forty-nine years ago today August 16, 1977 America lost Elvis Presley.

He was only 42 years old.

And if you’re old enough to remember that Tuesday afternoon, chances are you remember where you were when you heard the news.

Because there wasn’t Facebook. There wasn’t a notification buzzing in your pocket.

Somebody called the house.
The television interrupted regular programming.

Or maybe you heard those words where America heard so much of its news back then…

on the radio.

“Elvis Presley is dead.”

And for a moment, America couldn’t believe it.
Because Elvis wasn’t supposed to die.

He was the poor boy from Tupelo who walked into Sun Records and eventually changed American music.

But here’s something I’ve thought about…

I believe Elvis Presley would’ve loved listening to 101.1 The Pulse.

And I’ll tell you why.

Because try putting Elvis Presley in just one musical box.

You can’t do it.
Elvis loved country music.
He changed rock and roll.

But deep down, some of the music that meant the most to Elvis was gospel music.

Those gospel songs weren’t some little side project to him. They were part of who he was. Long after the crowds went home, Elvis was known to sit around with friends and sing gospel songs.

Now think about what happens every day right here on The Pulse.

One minute you might hear George Strait.
Then The Inspirations.
Then Elvis.

Then a song about faith, family, America or this little corner of the country we call home.

Some people might ask:

“What kind of radio station does that?”

Well, maybe the kind Elvis would’ve understood.

Because Elvis didn’t see a wall between country music and gospel music.

He grew up in a world where Saturday night might mean listening to country music…

and Sunday morning meant putting on your good clothes and heading to church.

That’s The Pulse.

Faith.
Country.
Gospel.
America.

And music that still means something.

I can almost picture Elvis riding through these North Georgia mountains, turning that radio dial and stopping when he heard an old gospel quartet.
Then we’d play a classic country song…
and I believe he’d leave it right there on 101.1 The Pulse.

He might even say:
“Finally…somebody gets it.”

But here’s the Sunday part of today’s Soapbox.

Elvis had everything the world says we’re supposed to want.

Money.
Fame.
Cars.
Planes.
Graceland.
Gold records.
Thousands of people screaming his name.

They called him The King.

But on August 16, 1977, none of it could purchase one more tomorrow.

And 49 years later, that ought to remind us how quickly this life passes.
One day you’re young and think you’ve got forever.

Then you blink…
Your babies have babies.
Mama and Daddy get older.

The people who raised you begin disappearing.
The old church looks a little different.

And the songs you grew up listening to are suddenly called classics.

So maybe the lesson of August 16 isn’t simply that Elvis died.

Maybe the lesson is…
We’re still here.

We’ve still got somebody we can hug.
Somebody we can forgive.
Somebody we can call.

We’ve still got another Sunday to walk through the doors of a church.

We’ve still got another chance to tell somebody, “I love you.”
Elvis Presley may have been called The King.

But on this Sunday afternoon, I’m reminded that there’s only one King who defeated death.

Jesus Christ.

Elvis left this world 49 years ago today.
But the music is still playing.

The gospel Elvis loved is still being sung.
The country music he grew up on is still being heard.

And right here in North Georgia, there’s still a little radio station crazy enough to put them together.

Faith. Country. Gospel.
Come to think of it…
Elvis would’ve fit right in around here.

I’m Darien Southerland.

This has been a special Sunday edition of the Small Town Soapbox.
And I’ll leave you with the same question I always do…

What’s wrong with living right anyway?

10/07/2026

I think Southern Gospel is boxing itself in. And by doing so its limited popularity is becoming more limited daily .

I’ve long believed that the way we define the Southern Gospel industry has unintentionally become one of its greatest limitations.

Not because the message has changed—but because the boundaries have.

Songs written for congregational worship have a specific purpose. They give the gathered church words to sing together: to confess, lament, rejoice, pray, and proclaim the Gospel. Their purpose is worship.

Southern Gospel music, however, is not a liturgical category. It is a commercial one. It is an industry that has gradually come to believe Christians need their own separate musical world instead of participating in the much larger world God has already created.

The church needs songs for worship.

But it doesn’t need to isolate itself into a musical subculture.

Somewhere along the way, we’ve confused a musical style with a Christian identity.

We’ve created a distinction between “Southern Gospel music” and everything else, as though God only works through one genre. In doing so, we’ve unintentionally built walls where Scripture builds bridges.

There is no such thing as Southern Gospel creativity or secular creativity.

There are simply creative people.

There are believers and unbelievers.

There are artists who follow Christ and artists who do not.

A melody cannot be saved. A guitar cannot be baptized. A four-part harmony isn’t inherently more spiritual than a piano ballad, a country song, a blues riff, a jazz standard, or an orchestral masterpiece. Music is simply a vehicle. The message and the messenger are what matter.

If God is the Creator of everything, then creativity itself belongs to Him. Every act of genuine creativity reflects the gifts of the Creator, whether the artist fully acknowledges Him or not.

For generations, Southern Gospel understood this.

The Sunshine Boys didn’t limit their witness to church sanctuaries. They appeared in auditoriums, fairs, civic events, and even television westerns because they understood something we’ve begun to forget: representing Christ wasn’t determined by the stage they stood on, but by the lives they lived.

The Oak Ridge Boys provide perhaps the greatest modern example. They began as one of America’s premier Gospel quartets before moving into country music. Some believed they had abandoned their calling. History proved otherwise. For decades they have openly professed their faith, recorded Gospel albums, spoken about Christ, and introduced millions of people to their Gospel heritage who may have never attended a Southern Gospel concert.

Their ministry became larger because their audience became larger.

The same is true of Johnny Cash, Dolly Parton, Randy Travis, Charlie Daniels, Alan Jackson, Vince Gill, and countless others. They have recorded hymns, Gospel albums, songs of redemption, and songs that honestly explore life, failure, forgiveness, hope, and grace. They never believed every recording had to sound like Sunday morning in order to honor God on Monday afternoon. Could you imagine what some of our modern Day southern gospel artists could do if they were not limited to a box many put them in. Honestly think about the musical gifts they could share.

Some of the greatest witnesses for Christ have sung about everyday life six days a week while never losing sight of eternity.

Yet today’s Southern Gospel industry often sends a different message.

We’ve created record labels, radio formats, awards, promoters, concerts, and fan expectations that sometimes make artists feel their faithfulness depends upon never stepping outside one musical lane. Sing a country classic. Record a patriotic anthem. Perform a love song celebrating lifelong marriage. Explore blues, jazz, Americana, or another style, and questions begin to surface.

Why?

No other profession places this burden on believers.

Martin Luther understood that centuries ago. When a shoemaker asked if becoming a Christian meant he should become a preacher, Luther simply replied, “Make good shoes and sell them at a fair price.”

Faithfulness wasn’t found in the occupation.

It was found in the person.

The same is true for musicians.

Perhaps the greatest mistake the Southern Gospel industry has made is believing it must identify itself as a niche instead of identifying with the Body of Christ.

There are hundreds of thousands of Southern Gospel fans.

There are millions upon millions of Christians around the world.

By marketing ourselves almost exclusively to one small musical tribe, we’ve unintentionally limited our influence, our audience, our artists, and ultimately the reach of the message we say we want to proclaim.

The mission of Christ was never niche.

The Great Commission wasn’t given to one musical style.

It was given to believers.

Imagine what could happen if Southern Gospel artists were encouraged to carry their faith into country music, bluegrass, Americana, jazz, pop, rock, blues, film scores, Broadway, symphony halls, community festivals, and every other place where people gather.

Imagine if the industry celebrated artists for living faithfully instead of merely staying stylistically faithful.

History suggests it would not weaken the Gospel.

It would strengthen its reach.

The church will always need songs for worship.

But the world needs Christians who carry the light of Christ wherever they go.

Maybe the future of Southern Gospel isn’t found in protecting the fence around a musical genre.

Maybe it’s found in opening the gate and trusting that the Gospel is powerful enough to flourish wherever faithful believers carry it.

05/07/2026

I’m writing this because it comes from the heart.

I love Southern Gospel music. The music, the ministry and even the business side of it helped shape my life and gave me opportunities that eventually led me to where I am today.

I started promoting concerts when I was 20 years old. Over the years, I worked with groups and artists such as The McKameys, The Wilburns, Charles Johnson, The Freemans, The Perrys, The Isaacs, The Martins, The Steeles, The Bishops, The Perry Sisters, J.D. Sumner and The Stamps, The Statesmen, Gold City, The Kingsmen, Jeff and Sheri Easter, Greater Vision, The Lewis Family and many others.

Concert promotion opened the door for me to get involved in radio. That eventually led to an Atlanta radio show alongside a 19-year-old rising star named Daniel Britt. When Salem abruptly ended that station, I moved into sales at 104.7 The Fish, one of the largest Christian music stations in the country.

I was blessed to build a client list that generated approximately $1.6 million a year in station revenue. In 2011, I left to start my own advertising agency, working with clients including KIA dealerships, the Dove Awards and Liberty University.

Even while working in advertising, Southern Gospel never left my blood. I continued hosting concerts at KIA dealerships across the South, including The McKameys in Tuscaloosa and Jason Crabb in Woodstock.

In 2018, Arthur Rice and I started the Southern Gospel News Podcast. Together, we produced more than 160 episodes promoting the artists, songs and people behind this music.

Then, in 2025, God opened the door for us to purchase WLJA 101.1 The Pulse, the largest FM signal in North Georgia.

Before we purchased it, the station had been broadcasting Southern Gospel music 24 hours a day. Unfortunately, it had lost approximately $200,000 annually in both 2023 and 2024. We knew changes had to be made, but we were determined to keep Southern Gospel as an important part of the station.

We created a format where faith, country and gospel unite.

On 101.1 The Pulse, listeners might hear Martina McBride’s “Blessed,” followed by Karen Peck and New River, and then “God Does” by The Red Clay Strays. The common thread is faith, encouragement and a message that matters.

The format has exploded.

In just 15 months, the station became profitable. Our advertising rates have grown from approximately $5 per commercial to as much as $60, during a time when many people continue to claim that radio is dying.

Every week, we broadcast from churches, car dealerships, community events and businesses. We conduct Church Shout Outs and continually remind listeners that the message is in the music.

What is difficult for me to understand is that we are investing in Southern Gospel artists and introducing their music to an entirely new audience, yet because we are not a traditional charting station, we rarely receive a phone call, visit or promotional material from many groups.

Karen Peck and New River, Bill Gaither and Jason Crabb have been tremendous friends to our station. They have supported us and have always been willing to help. I am sincerely grateful for them.

However, many other major names in the industry seem unaware that we exist, even though we are a growing commercial station that is willing to play and promote their music.

Last year, we paid our own expenses to broadcast live from a major concert in Bryson City. We promoted the event and gave away tickets. This year, we never received a phone call.

We have also had Southern Gospel groups perform within 15 minutes of our station without contacting us, advertising with us or even making us aware that they were coming.

I’m not angry, and this is not meant as a complaint. God has blessed 101.1 The Pulse beyond anything we could have imagined. We are growing rapidly and reaching new listeners every day.

But I honestly question the marketing strategy being used by some artists and industry leaders who say they want to grow Southern Gospel music while ignoring media outlets that are actively introducing the music to new audiences.

Country artists are currently taking classic Southern Gospel songs and placing them in front of millions of people. Cody Johnson has helped make “I Can’t Even Walk Without You Holding My Hand” familiar to an entirely new generation. Mama Cook’s “Ain’t No Grave” has reached the American Idol stage.

That is exciting to me because the message is still in the music.

But artists and industry leaders must be willing to use the resources that are available to them.

The clients who helped me generate $1.6 million in annual radio revenue years ago still remember me as “the Southern Gospel guy.” Many of them have embraced what we are doing today because they understand my heart and know this is more than a format to me.

We genuinely want to help Southern Gospel artists, groups and ministries reach more people. But sometimes, people must be willing to help themselves by recognizing and supporting the outlets that are already working on their behalf.

Download the 101.1 The Pulse app, listen online at www.1011ThePulse.com or contact me directly at [email protected].

The message is in the music.

WLJA-FM The Pulse - The Top 5 Are In—Now It's Time to Vote!Are You Ready For The Best Summer Ever?Upcoming Events Now - Jul 29 | North Georgia Fairgrounds Whitfield County America’s 250th Celebration Jul 4 | Downtown Cartersville Cartersville 4th of July Parade Jul 4 | Downtown Jasper Jasper Fou...

25/06/2026

19/06/2026

"The danger of prayer is not that God will not hear us but that God WILL hear us." I've been thinking about that all day. Are we praying for the right things or our selfishness? just a thought

23/05/2026

Lord i just saw this. Where will people go eat after NQC each night !

24/04/2026

As I watched the Grand Opry this week and the Inspirations singing with the Oak Ridge Boys, as a cult-like Southern Gospel music fan, I couldn't help but get excited. In all honesty, I'll tell you the truth - a tear came to my eye because I thought, wow, we can stand on a platform next to any format of music and exalt Jesus. It also showed me that this music is bigger than the box a few industry insiders attempt to keep it in. Lord, think of it this way - the Inspirations just sang the Gospel in a venue that openly sells alcohol. Now, folks, I don't drink at all, but they were able to exalt Jesus more in a two-song performance than they will all year long in industry-specific venues. Thank you, guys - you proved to me what I knew, and some hardliners fought, that 101.1 The Pulse would work. Well, at the Opry and on air, we are winning, and I see a new path for the music I love. Life is about seasons, and I love this one we are in. WLJA 101.1 FM