Primitive Quartet…50 years of Gospel
Performing Final Area Concert April 1
Grace Phillips
Ashland Beacon
Sometimes wonderful blessings come about in unexpected ways. Fifty years ago, two sets of brothers, Reagan and Larry Riddle and Furman and Norman Wilson went on a fishing trip. They took all the things you would take fishing, but they also took something a little unusual… a mandolin and a guitar. After a long day of fishing, they would sit around the campfire and play music. They realized they could sing in four-part harmony…this was the trip that would shape all their futures. After this weekend, they were encouraged by their parents to sing at church on Sunday. The four friends had no idea that this was the beginning of something very special that over the last 50 years has been a blessing to tens of thousands of people.
In the beginning, the group was known as the Riddle-Wilson Quartet. They would sing at area events and local churches. The Inspirations, an established Southern Gospel group, invited them to sing at some of their concerts and even took them along on their bus to the concerts. The popularity of the group grew beyond any of their imaginations. By 1978, the group became known as the Primitive Quartet and began traveling full-time. They now sing at about 150 concerts and travel more than 50,000 miles a year.
Reagan Riddle said, “We were just normal people…we didn’t think we were special in any way…that’s the thing that amazed us. We just wanted to see people blessed and lead souls to Jesus.” However, they were unique and in today’s modern music world, they are extremely unique. They sing accompanied by acoustical instruments. Even as technology developed and most groups used studio musicians for recording, they have stayed true to their roots and still play the instruments on their recordings in order to duplicate the same sound as in their personal appearances.
The group is almost exactly the same today as it was in the beginning. Furman Wilson was called to preach and stopped traveling with the group. That’s when Reagan and Larry’s brother Michael stepped in and began singing with them. Two additional members were added in later years to play instruments and add some vocals, Randy Fox, and Jeff Tolbert.
One of the hardest times the group faced was on October 15, 2014. While bear hunting in the woods with a group of friends in North Carolina, Norman Wilson died from an apparent heart attack at the age of 70. It seemed almost ironic that the Primitive Quartet was formed while on a fishing trip together in the outdoors, and God called Norman to the eternal home he sang about for so many years while in the woods with a group of friends.
Paul Belcher began his relationship with the Primitive Quartet in Detroit, Michigan in 1977. He had the Inspirations booked for a concert there, and they asked him to use their friends in the concert also. This was the first of many concerts to come. “Through the years I have found the Primitives to be very humble. They just want to minister from the stage...no joking around…they are there for business. Their mission is to tell people about Jesus and win souls to him.” Belcher went on to tell how Reagan would always ask at the end of the concerts if he was okay with ticket sales. “He would tell me to cut their pay if needed because he didn’t want me losing money on them.”
“That’s what has always made the Primitives so special…when they arrive at a venue, they are there to be a blessing to those who attend and do whatever it takes to help the promoter of the event make it a success,” commented Ellen Keaton. “I have worked with these guys for about thirty years now, first with my job at WTSF TV and then as the president of the Boyd County Fair. I still don’t think they have any idea what an anointing and gift God has given them.”
Last April the group made an announcement via Facebook that they would be traveling full-time for one more year to mark their 50th Anniversary of singing. With that final year nearing the end, I asked Reagan Riddle how he felt about their impending retirement and what the future looked like for him. “It’s all been good…so good. God has blessed us so much. I do kinda wish now we had just cut back to a few dates a month instead of the fifteen or so we do and maybe kept singing some.” He went on to say, “I’m sure I will continue singing in some way, just not full-time. I’m just going to wait on the Lord to see His plan.”
Riddle also talked about their first concert in Ashland. “It was in the late 1970s with Barbara and Sonny Sites at the Paramount. We have met so many wonderful people along the way.”
On April 1st, the Primitive Quartet will perform their final concert in the Ashland area at the Paramount Arts Center beginning at 6 p.m. The concert will also feature The Inspirations and Gold City Quartet. Tickets for the event are $20 and $25. There are only a few hundred tickets still available for the concert. You can get your ticket at paulbelcherconcerts.com or at paramountartscenter.com
When asked if Riddle had a final comment he said, “After 50 years of ministry and 55 recordings, my prayer is for the songs. I pray that the songs are blessings for years to come and that they live on forever.”