Jay Parrack And Vocal Event: If you haven’t been fortunate enough to hear Jay Parrack, Anthony “Bubba” Hallman, and Darren Morton, the men who encompass the group known as Jay Parrack and Vocal Event, then you are definitely in for a wonderful experience. The group has a special harmonious blend that is not always easy for listeners to find these days. Their lyrics, melodies, and harmonies have a special blend of the old Southern Gospel sound with a Contemporary lilt that will take you straight into the presence of the Almighty One that they are singing to. All three singers grew up with musical backgrounds and have come together to form a wonderful trio of personalities and talents. Jay, tenor, was born in Smackover, Arkansas and was raised in Corinth, Mississippi. He says, “I grew up hearing my dad (Johnny Parrack) sing and began attending concerts at a very early age when he was with the Kingsmen Quartet. I was probably nine when I sang my first solo in church.” Jay went on to spend a decade singing tenor with the Gold City Quartet. He was the noted featured singer of songs such as “God’s Building a Church” and “Are You Ready?” Lead singer Bubba Hallman grew up in Alabama. “I grew up and still reside in Cordova. It’s a small town of about 3,000 people,” says Bubba. “Both sides of my family are musical so I’ve grown up around music and singing my entire life. I was part of a quartet when I was about eight years old. It was my sister, my two cousins and myself, and the only song we sang was “He’s Still Working on Me,” by the Hemphills. It’s so awesome that my children are now singing that
Blending the Old and the New
by Paige Givens
same song at church. My mom, dad and aunt traveled and sang a large part of my childhood so I fell in love with Southern Gospel music. My mom listened to The Southern Gospel Caravan EVERY night out of Birmingham, Alabama, which definitely added to my love of Southern Gospel music.” Baritone Darren Morton also grew up in Alabama. “I grew up in Corner, Alabama and started singing in the children’s choir at church when I was three.” Darren recalls, “The first performance I remember was in the musical Down By The Creek Bank when I was three years old at church. I have always had a love for music, whether it is performing, writing and recording it. The creative process is so fulfilling to me. Taking an idea for a song then growing that song from infancy to maturity into completed production is a blast!” The group began its journey with a night of shared singing, when Darren and Bubba asked Jay to sing a few songs with them. Jay agreed to sing with them for one night, and the sound that resulted was very special. After hearing what a great blend the three had, they all became eager to approach a group singing ministry on a more constant and committed level. Each member of Jay Parrack and Vocal Event has special skills that they bring to the group in order to make things flow smoothly. Bubba handles sales, while Jay handles the MC duties and produces the CD projects. Darren handles the live audio and video details. In the studio, he records, edits, mixes and masters the CD projects in his recording studio, Gat3 Midsouth (www. gat3midsouth.com).