Hey everyone! Click HERE to watch Gaither.com’s Skype interview with me. Once you click on the link, just scroll down to the bottom of the page and click “play.” I answer your questions and talk about the release of my solo CD. Enjoy!
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
New Release from
“A Man Like Wes Hampton”
Gaither Vocal Band Member Takes Solo Project to the Marketplace
NASHVILLE, Tenn.—September 8th, 2011—Gaither Music Group is scheduled to release an all-new solo recording by Wes Hampton, member of the award-winning and legendary Gaither Vocal Band, on September 13th. A Man Like Me, produced by Hampton along with producer/vocalist Michael English and producer/musician/vocalist Gordon Mote, showcases the depth of Hampton, who has been traveling with The Gaither Vocal Band for six years now.
A resident of Birmingham, Hampton came to Music City to create the new recording which he describes stylistically as “songs that he enjoys listening to.”
“Bill and the GVB have always been great at mixing sounds,” Hampton describes. “And I feel like this release is somewhat along those lines--reflective of a variety of styles and of the influence the group has had on me when it comes to combining a variety of sounds.”
Those sounds include background vocals from soloist and former Gaither Vocal Band teammate Marshall Hall as well as a duet with the Christian contemporary music pioneer Steve Green. When Green toured through Birmingham, he invited Hampton to sing “It Is Well” on stage with him that evening, and the duet is now re-captured on this new release.
A Man Like Me features songs from heralded writers such as Travis Cottrell, Cindy Morgan, Becky Isaacs Bowman, Sonya Isaacs Yeary, Sam Mizell and Jeff Pardo, among others. Hampton covered the Cottrell hit “Jesus Saves”; and the title cut, penned by Jeff Pardo along with Stephen Gause, is a special tune for him.
“I loved this song immediately,” Hampton recalls. “It kind of encapsulated what I wanted to say as a whole, which is why I made it the title of the project. It says, ‘I believe there's hope for everyone, and Your arms still reach even for a man like me.’
"I relate to this,” Hampton continues. “I am a fallen man trying to make the best decisions I can every day, and sometimes I don't succeed, but I get a fresh start every day. You can't outstretch the love of God. I think it’s important for people to hear that as much as possible as we tend to forget it.
"I hope this release encourages listeners. We're not in this alone, so let’s stop trying to pretend we can do it on our own. We need each other, and we need God through the journey. There are times when I try to do things by my own strength, forgetting that God has promised to walk alongside me and get me through whatever I'm facing. The songs on this release point to the fact that we're all in this together.”
In addition to a heavy touring schedule alongside The Gaither Vocal Band and the HOMECOMING tours, Hampton performs solo dates when time allows. He and his wife, Andrea, have four children.
A Man Like Me will be distributed in stores and digitally exclusively through EMI CMG Distribution. It will be available on iTunes as well as at www.gaither.com. For further information, visit www.weshampton.com. To schedule interviews, receive music or make further inquiries, please contact:
Celeste Winstead, CWinstead@springhillmusic.com, 615-383-5535, ext. 138.
Hey everyone!
We have been so excited about having the new solo project added to the Gaither Music label! Because we now have distribution through EMI, A Man Like Me will be carried nationwide in stores wherever Gaither product is sold (with the exception of Cracker Barrel), starting Tuesday, September 13! Also, A Man Like Me will be available for download on iTunes. Everything is the same as far as the track listing goes. The only thing that has changed is the CD cover itself.
We need your help in getting the word out about this CD release. Not many people know that I actually even HAVE a solo CD. So, any help you could give would be appreciated so very much. Twitter, Facebook, emails…whatever you can do to assist us in notifying folks about the release…we thank you in advance!
This summer has really flown by. It’s been filled with a little vacation time, some solo concerts, and catching up on DVR. Andrea just finished watching this season of Masterchef and The Next Food Network Star: two of my absolute favorite shows! We just finished up the Alaskan cruise a couple weeks ago. In two weeks the GVB really starts things back up with the fall tour. I’ve missed being with the guys and singing with them. I love it that the GVB reunion concert is coming up September 15 at NQC. What a great way to kick things off! If you haven’t made plans to attend, you don’t want to miss this concert!
Barrett and Hudson have both started back to school. Barrett is now in 2nd grade and Hudson is in kindergarten. Wow. I love it that they are going to the same school now. Carden and Sutton start back to their pre-school program in a couple weeks. Andrea and I are excited about having several hours a few days a week to do whatever we want! We’ll finally be able to knock out some “to do” items that have been on the list for quite a while. Oh, what will it be like to have a nicely organized garage?! 
wes
I was browsing through my iTunes recently on my computer and came across a couple songs. Both of these are songs that were recorded several years ago for the “Lovin’ Life” CD that released back in 2008. The group was then composed of Guy Penrod, Marsh Hall, Bill, and myself. I edited down these two songs to give you a “taste” of each. The first is a song written by Gerald Crabb. We ended up not putting it on the CD because we felt it didn’t fit stylistically on this particular CD, so we “canned” it for possible future use. The second is an older Gaither tune entitled, “Praise You.” We had enough slow tunes on this record so decided not to include this one, either. Hope you enjoy!
Also, I’m currently in Cheyenne, WY, for a solo concert this evening at 7:00. The venue is First Baptist Church. If you’re anywhere close by, be sure to come see me. I would love to meet you after the concert!
wes
Let the Celebration Begin
http://weshampton.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/Celebration.mp3
Praise You
http://weshampton.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/Praiseyou.mp3
Hey y’all,
It’s that time of year again: Family Fest! I feel like we were just here. The weather is very nice right now. Upper 70′s and partly cloudy. I’m so used to it being sweltering here, so I’m gladly welcoming this change of weather! The babies are down for a nap and Andrea is lying down with them…oh, the sacrifices we make as parents. 
I’ve already met several very nice people that are attending FF. All of them are first-timers and are so excited about this weekend. This is the GVB’s last weekend for the spring tour. After this, we’ll have a couple months off for the summer until the Alaskan cruise starts the last week in July.
I’m meeting up with Bill and the rest of the guys shortly to rehearse a little before this evening’s concert begins. We’re doing a song we’ve only done a couple of times. I’m all in for rehearsing this one. People ask all the time how much the GVB rehearses. The truth is, not very much. We’re taking a couple days in July for rehearsal’s sake. We’ll all meet up together (since it would be a little difficult to rehearse otherwise) and rehearse for several hours, mainly songs we’ve never done. We also “tighten up” on some songs we’ve known for a while.
Several solo dates have been added to this summer! If you would like to see if I’ll be in your area, just swing by my Tour page. Would love to meet you in person! I’m planning on doing a lot more solo work during the GVB off-time, mainly during the summer months. I’ve signed with Michael Davis with the Dominion Agency. Michael is a wonderful guy and will be booking me for all future solo events. If you are interested in having me at your church, please contact Michael via our Contact page. He will be with you shortly.
The GVB children’s album is now finished! We have been working on it for quite a while. This has been an interesting process because of our individual schedules. Most of my stuff was actually recorded using a portable studio that Ben Isaacs carries on the road. It’s been really nice because it’s allowed me to be at home more as opposed to making separate trips to Nashville just to record. This CD should release late summer/early fall. I think people are going to love it! It obviously features the GVB, but it strongly features children’s voices. I think grandparents especially will be getting this one for their little ones.
Our thoughts and prayers are with all of those affected by the recent tornadoes and flooding in the south. It’s heartbreaking to see the devastation, pain, and hopelessness these people are experiencing. All we can do for these folks besides giving of our time and resources is pray for strength to get through this unbelievably difficult time.
wes