06/13/08

Madi got bitten by a shark!

First of all—and trust me, these are not words I ever pictured myself writing—our daughter Madi Rose got bitten by a shark! She is fine, God miraculously protected her from what easily could have been a tragedy. We were in Cherry Grove, SC, a small beach town north of Myrtle Beach on vacation. She and her little sister Charlotte were body surfing in about hip-deep water, and she felt something close around her foot and ankle—she thought it must be a giant crab or something! Turned out to be a bite from what is estimated to be about a 5 foot sandbar or black tip shark. She received emergency treatment on the scene from the Beach Patrol, and then received 16 stitches at the emergency room. She is healing beautifully, and Tori and I are finally breathing again! You can read the whole story on Tori’s blog: http://babybloomr.com/?p=75
Join us in thanking God for watching over all of our children—He is so faithful.

Madi's Leg Wound		Picture of Sandbar Shark

On a happier note: I am so eager to tell you about an organization that I wholeheartedly believe in and support, the Angel Food Ministries, run by my dear friend, the incredible Pastor Joe Wingo and his family. I want to do everything I can to spread the word about this innovative, compassionate program and I’m thrilled to announce that plans are in the works for me to become a spokesperson on their behalf (not that they need me—this is a nationally recognized, award-winning program!) We are planning some events together, and I will post them here as soon as we have the details finalized. In the meantime, please learn all about them at www.angelfoodministries.com. I cannot say enough good things about this ministry and the people who run it. This is a rock-solid, Godly organization that truly ‘walks the walk’ and I urge you to check them out!

07/20/07

Brand New Website!

Hey Everybody!

Welcome to the brand-spanking new, super-improved Russ Taff website! This has been a long time coming and we are so excited to be able to finally bring it to you all. There are lots of plans in the works to make it even more user-friendly and comprehensive, and we would love to hear your suggestions and comments. Thanks for your patience during the long lag time… this stuff takes awhile!

The other big news is that we have a new booking agency, Deacon Management in Kansas City. We love these guys so much, and if you call to book a concert and talk to them, you’ll see why! They also work with Lynda Randle, and we are hoping to be putting some dates together in the near future—there’s no one I enjoy singing and ministering with more than Lynda and Mike. Keep checking the site for news about that.

Well, take a minute to look around—we have cds and dvds in the store, and lots of embarrassing photos in the gallery and my current touring schedule (that we are actually going to update more than once a millennium!), and a bunch of other stuff. We will be adding dates and other info about once or twice a month. Also, please sign up for the mailing list. I promise we won’t bombard your inbox, but you will get occasional exclusive ‘email blasts’ and also some personal writings and thoughts from yours truly.

Thanks for stopping by—come back often! And please keep an eye on my schedule to see if I am going to be in your neck of the woods, or call Deacon Management and book me in your area—I’d sure love to see you at a concert!

Praying for God’s best for you,
Russ

03/26/07

Two New Projects from Russ Taff Provide a Look into the Heart of A Truly Unique

By Judi Turner
US Gospel News

The words to the age-old gospel favorite, "His Eye is on the Sparrow," seem especially appropriate in describing Russ Taff:  "I sing because I'm happy; I sing because I'm free." Russ, whose hands or feet seldom stop moving or clapping, performs with such abandon and sings with such passion that it's as if God has ignited such a firestorm in his heart he can barely contain his emotion.  But until now, few people have been offered a glimpse into the big, soft heart of the man whose infectious laugh is so uplifting.  Bill Gaither is about to change all that with the release of The Best of Russ Taff, a compilation of some of this revered singer's best Homecoming performances sandwiched between intimate, revealing conversation.

Russ and Bill have been close friends for close to three decades, and Bill sums up his friend Russ pretty well:  "Russ has one of the most recognizable voices ever to take the gospel music world by storm.  His energy and charisma on-stage is matched only by his integrity and kindness off stage. He's been the cheerleader for all of us."

Born the fourth of five sons to a fire-breathing Pentecostal preacher father and a gospel music loving mother, Russ grew up singing southern gospel with his four brothers.  "In fact, we weren't allowed to listen to anything else," he points out.  "We were not allowed to watch TV, listen to the radio or read newspapers, so all we had for entertainment was Mama's record collection. She loved the Statesmen.  When my buddies were listening to the Beatles in their early teens, I was listening to the Statesmen and the Goodmans."

Russ and Bill enjoy a laugh recalling the first video taping Russ attended.  Bill prefaces the story by pointing out that there are a lot of style preferences in Christian music – rock, inspirational, contemporary.  "You were labeled Contemporary," he mused.  "I'm a uniter, and I want to bring people together, so for the Turn Your Radio On video, I brought my friend in, my buddy, who had done some rock and roll, and I asked you to take the second verse on 'Farther Along.'  Some people from the Southern Gospel field looked at you and asked 'Who is this guy?'"

"I was so nervous," Russ laughs, "and I just don't get that nervous anymore.  I had worked with a lot of famous people, but I walked into this room with a lot of people who had been my musical heroes, and  there was Jake and Dottie and this one and that one, and my hand began to tremble and I got so scared.  I remember how kind they were to me.  As we would do other songs, I would just sit there and listen and not sing because the voices were so incredible."  Bill remembers that he knew the group had accepted Russ when Glen Payne pumped his fist and said, "That's good."

The new Best of Russ Taff DVD contains such Homecoming stand-outs as "Oh, Say, But I'm Glad," "Praise the Lord," "Hold to God's Unchanging Hand," and "We Will Stand," written by Russ and his wife, Tori, which has become of an unofficial anthem for unity among Christians everywhere.  A TV Show with portions of the DVD will air on more than a dozen networks starting the weekend of February 15-17.  Networks include GAC, RFD, TBN, INSP and Daystar.  Check local listings for times.

Released in conjunction with the Best of Russ Taff DVD is a CD entitled Now More than Ever which contains some of his finest work to date, with songs ranging from "Jesus Loves Me" to "Thanks to Calvary" and "I Believe in a Hill Called Mt. Calvary."

Both are available on this website.