Jimmy Fortune, Bradley Walker, Mike Rogers and Ben Isaacs Join Talents for a Special Recording

By Hallels News May 31, 2020 12:22 AM EDT

Gaither Music Group is thrilled to announce a new recording combining four of the most talented and renowned country, bluegrass and gospel artists-award-winning singers who just happen to be good friends with gospel music legend Bill Gaither. Brotherly Love, an audio recording featuring Jimmy Fortune, Bradley Walker, Mike Rogers and Ben Isaacs, will release globally on May 29, followed by a DVD release and TV special later this year.

Each member brings their own wealth of experience to Brotherly Love, creating an intriguing combination of styles and influences. The result is a diverse collection that spotlights some of the best-loved gems on America's musical landscape. Walker takes lead on the mournful Hank Williams Sr. classic "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry." Fortune's pristine tenor shines on the Vince Gill hit "Go Rest High on That Mountain." Rogers delivers a spirited take on the O Brother, Where Art Thou hit "Man of Constant Sorrow"; and Isaacs' warm voice revives the Don Williams' hit "Lord, I Hope This Day Is Good."

An acclaimed producer who has shepherded many of the top names in the industry, Isaacs produced Brotherly Love. "It was, 'Here's our favorite songs,' and it was more about whatever song fit the personality," recalled Isaacs. "For me, it was a given that Jimmy sing 'Go Rest High' because there's no one who is going to sing that with more heart than Jimmy Fortune. It was a given that Bradley would sing 'The Lighthouse' and that Mike would sing 'Man of Constant Sorrow.' He does so good with those energy things."

Fortune rose to fame as a member of the Statler Brothers and penned some of their biggest hits ("Elizabeth," "Too Much on My Heart") before forging a successful solo career when the quartet retired. Walker is a DOVE Award-winning artist with a strong following in country, gospel and bluegrass. Isaacs, a DOVE Award-winning producer, has performed with his mother and sisters for years as the GRAMMY-nominated group The Isaacs. Formerly with the legendary Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver and currently on the road with Craig Morgan, Rogers is one of the most highly respected musicians in bluegrass music.

"When Ben called me and asked what would I think about doing a project like this-and he mentioned all four of us together-who wouldn't want to do that?" Walker stated with a smile. "I've known all these guys through their music careers and been a fan of what they've done for many years, so immediately I knew I wanted to be a part of it."

"Mike and I had sang on Jimmy's records, and we've sang on Bradley's records; but we were playing downtown [Nashville] and [Gaither Music Group's] Barry Jennings came and watched us play. He said, 'This is too good for people not to hear.' So he asked if we would be willing to do it with Jimmy and Bradley and I said, 'Absolutely.' We got together, and when we sang for the first time it was magical. Together the blend and the love we have for each other was so strong that I felt like it had to be shared."

The four friends shared their close-knit blends with country music singer/songwriter/storyteller Rory Feek, who hosted the LIVE video recording in his concert barn in Tennessee. The upcoming DVD and TV special, Brotherly Love, captures the intimate evening of song and storytelling, filmed in-the-round, that will feature an introduction by Gaither and behind-the-scenes interviews with Feek and the group members, who discuss the music they chose for the performance and share how these songs have touched their lives.

Those songs include the title track, "Brotherly Love," a country hit for the late Keith Whitley and Earl Thomas Conley; the Statler Brothers' classic "The Class of '57"; and Roy Orbison's "Crying" as well as such gospel standards as "The Lighthouse," "Daddy Sang Bass" and "Where No One Stands Alone."

"That night there was so much energy in the room and the crowd was involved. It just felt so good," said Rogers. "The energy was just so incredible, and to sing on stage in-the-round like we did--it was just amazing. It was one of the coolest, if not the coolest nights, that I've ever been a part of ever in my whole time of playing music."

"If ever we needed brotherly love we sure need it in the world today towards one another," Fortune said. "We need to look at each other with the love of real brotherhood. We're all in this together. No matter what our differences are, we have more in common than we think we do, and that is love for one another. That's what this whole project is all about, and that's why we wanted to call it Brotherly Love."

The Brotherly Love audio recording will be available May 29 on Pandora, Apple Music, Spotify, Amazon Music and other online digital platforms. Preview the album here: https://gaithermusic.lnk.to/BrotherlyLove.

The first digital video is available now on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PCMzW1WjmqE.

The title cut can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NpQK6vzunsA

The physical CD and DVD will be available later this year followed by the TV special set to air on networks including PBS, TBN, RFD-TV, GaitherTV, FamilyNet, CTN, GMC, GMTN, Guardian, Liberty, TCT and TLN. In Canada, Brotherly Love will air on Vision TV, CTS, The Miracle Channel and Hope TV

Song Listing (Audio)