As most of my friends know, I am a huge Gold City Quartet fan. They are easily my favorite quartet traveling today.
They were started as the Mississippi Christianaires in Missippi. At the stroke of Midnight on New Year's Eve/New Year's Day 1980 in a town called Dahlonega, Georgia, the group Became The Gold City Quartet. Dahlonega was the place where one of the biggest gold rushes, outside of California, happened. I believe Dahlonega is an Indian name meaning Gold City. The original group consisted of Dallas Gilliland singing bass, Jerry Ritchie singing lead, Bob Oliver singing tenor, Ken Trussell singing baritone, and Larry Goddard on the piano. At some point Gold City transitioned from Dallas Gilliland to Harold McVay for a few months until Tim Riley could join the group. Later,Tim Riley also assumed duties as manager as well as bass singer. He moved them to his hometown of Gadsden, Alabama. They moved there in 1985.
Other notable singers to be in the group include, Ivan Parker who sang both baritone and lead at one time or other. Brian Free sang tenor for a number of years. Mark Trammell was the baritone for a number of other groups, most notably the Kingsmen Quartet, and Cathedral Quartet, and a trio called Greater Vision before joining Gold City a few years ago. He now has his own group called the Mark Trammell Trio. If you want to check his group out go to http://www.marktrammellministries.com. Before him there was Steve Lacey who also sang with the Kingdom Heirs, I believe, and now has a group of his own. Jeff Easter, of Jeff and Sheri Easter played the bass guitar with them for a while I believe. The current group consists of Tim Riley singing bass, his son Daniel singing baritone, Jonathan Wilburn singing lead, and Jay Parrack sings the tenor part. Channing Eleton is the piano player for Gold City, and a great one at that. Adam Borden is the bass guitar player for the guys. And I don't need to forget Doug Riley, another son of Tim Riley. He is the drummer for Gold City. He is the leader of Gold City's band. He has also written several songs recorded by Gold City.
The best thing about them is the testimony that they have. All of the men really seem to love the God they serve. They do appreciate the recognition they receive, they have been awarded many awards by fans and Christian magazines, but they say the number one priority of the group is to point others toward the Lord Jesus Christ. There is no doubt that God has blessed them in the rewards they have received here on earth because of their faithfulness to Him, and I strongly believe that they will have more rewards in heaven for the same reason.
Some of the songs they have sung over the years are, "Midnight Cry"," If God Be For Us"," Getting Ready To Leave This World"," There Rose A Lamb"," When I Get Carried Away"," I Can Tell You Now The Time", and many others. Too many to try to name them all. For one thing I don't know the names to all the songs they have sung over the years, and for another, I don't have enough room here to list them all even if I did. Ha! Ha! For more on Gold City, go to www.goldcityqt.com.
Thank you to Gold City for their help in giving me some of the biographical information for this web page.
I have a quick update on the group that I should have already done here. Tim Riley, bass singer and manager of Gold City feels it is time for him to cut back on singing because of some health issues and so they have added Bill Lawrence to sing bass. Tim Riley will still show up at a concert every now and then as I understand it.
Another bit of news I have neglected to update is that in June, Jay felt the Lord was leading him to come off the road and stay home with his family and also go back into church work, which he was doing when Gold City called him to be their tenor singer ten years ago. So pray for Jay and his family during this transition. The new tenor singer is Steve Ladd, formerly with the Anchormen. I have not heard him in person yet, But believe me, I plan to. Hehe! Welcome and God Bless, to Steve Ladd and Bill Lawrence. Well, Bill Lawrence decided to leave the road a few months ago and so since they needed a bass singer to fiil in for them until they found a permanent replacement, Daniel Riley the group's manager and baritone singer asked his dad to come back for a while and Tim graciously accepted. Also the new bass singer who will join Gold City in June I believe, is 25 year old Aaron McCune. So go see hime when you get the chance. I have heard him a couple of times and he has a great bass voice. He beats me, that is for sure. Hehe!
P.S. Keep praying for the Riley family in the loss of Tim & Barbara Riley's older son Doug in a car accident earlier this year(2006). The older brother of Danny. Danny also has a sister, Amy. And especially pray for Amy Jo and the boys,(Chapen & Griffin). Today(9-3-08) I got news that the "Band Of Gold" is back. At least on a part time basis. The "Band of Gold" now includes:Kevin Albertson - Drums, Taylor Barnes - Bass Guitar, Daniel Addison - Lead & Acoustic Guitar, Josh Simpson - Piano
The lineup for Gold City now consists of Tim Riley - Manager and Bass Singer, Daniel Riley - Baritone, Jerry Pelfrey - Lead, Robert Fulton - Tenor, & Bryan Elliott - Piano.
Tim Riley & Myself
Jay Parrack, Daniel Riley,Jonathan Wilburn, & Myself
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