SCOTT GODSEY Homeland Inspiration Group has had a long history in Gospel Music Scott Godsey JIM: Homeland has been around quite awhile hasn’t it? JIM: I talked with Jim Sheldon, The Singing Cowboy, He was talking about how great it was coming in and starting out and such. For people who read this, some of them may be singers or songwriters. How difficult is it now. We have heard about people like Loretta Lynn, how she started out and put her music out to one station at a time. What is the procedure now to get your music out?
HOMELAND INSPIRATIONAL GROUP
Bob Jones, President and CEO of Homeland has an impressive resume’ and has worked with major groups and record labels.
Scott Godsey, son of Alan Godsey (The Northmen) hosted the Homeland Inspiration Groups Showcase at the 2011 National Quartet Convention.
Scott has been working in Southern Gospel Music for the past five years and having traveled as a Gospel Artist, Scott is very knowledgeable in his daily role as General Manager.
The 2011 Homeland Showcase featured many well known and many up and coming artists. I find it encouraging that Homeland provides for the artists who are just beginning and need the help Scott and Homeland are able to offer.
Here is an interview I had with Scott. I think you’ll find his words very helpful if you are one of the “newcomers”.
(Vice President/General Manager)
Homeland Inspiration Group
SCOTT: Homeland has been around since the late 1980’s back when Mr. William Traylor, we call him Bill Traylor after leaving the Benson, River Song label. They got bought and sold several timesa and The Cathedrals and Speers needed a home, they didn’t have a home any longer ‘cause that company no longer existed. Mr. Bill Traylor said I will have a label for you, don’t you worry. He created Homeland Records and Homeland Entertainment Group. That label was around for a long time until recently we changed it to Homeland Inspiration Group. We want to focus a little bit more on trying to inspire people with our music and less focus on the entertainment. While entertainment is always a part of the presentation, whether is in speaking or singing. We wanted the focus to be a little bit more on the singing and ministry side and not just entertainment.
SCOTT: Well, it’s actually very simple and doesn’t cost any money. People just send e-mails with Mp3’s in them. We get a lot of submissions every day not only from artists trying to make it, but songwriters. A lot of times, we find diamonds in the rough. People send us all these songs and a lot of times, they’re on work tapes, you wouldn’t even classify them as demos, they’re very rough and if you listen to the lyrics, a lot of times you can find great songs. You don’t have to be a Bill Gaither to write a good song. Theres a lot of people that the Lord has used as vessels and we’d like to try and find those people. That’s what we’re doing, not only with our writers but as developing artists. We have Heartwarming Records, MontEagle Records, River Song Records. They’re really all designed to launch groups. Then our Homeland Records is a home for artists who may have already made it and had a lot of success. The Anchormen Quartet are on Homeland Records, Gene McDonald, he’s on the Gaither tours, he’s on our Homeland Records. We have Freedom Trio which is actually a new group. They’re fantastic and have so many fans already. Not everybody’s at that level.
