Singing Cookes
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| The Singing Cookes | |
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| Background information | |
| Origin | Kingsport, TN, USA |
| Genre(s) | Southern Gospel |
| Years active | 1962–present |
| Website | www.singingcookes.com |
The Singing Cookes are a professional Southern Gospel group hailing from Kingsport, TN.
Originating in 1962 with two guitars, a dream, and a lot of faith. Hubert, who had been a Virginia coal miner for 16 years, decided to leave his job and start ministering. Hubert had been reared around music all his life--namely bluegrass. He was once even in a bluegrass group called The Ramblin Mountain Boys. His wife Jeanette had always been in church. She was the daughter of Rev. Gordon Freeman, so she would often attend revivals with her father to help him out by playing the guitar and singing. With the ending of Hubert's coal mining, a couple of guitars, and the start of something new, The Singing Cookes were formed; although, at that time they called themselves the Cooke Duet.
The Cooke Duet traveled from place to place singing and becoming more and more popular. Then James, the oldest son, decided that he wanted to join the group, so he began to play the bass guitar. It wasn't until the group recorded the 9th album that James started singing. Ronny, the keyboardist, and Donny, the drummer, joined the group, respectively, around the age of fourteen.
The Cookes became very successful with their first national release, "He Rows Me over the Tide." They continued to be successful with hits on the Singing News charts such as "Moses," climbing to #3, "Earth's Loss is Heaven's Gain," which went to #10, and "I Hope We Walk the Last Mile Together," which reached #14. The project that included both "Earth's Loss is Heaven's Gain," and "I Hope We Walk the Last Mile Together," reached #1 in the Gospel Voice Distributors Top Sales Chart, in the early spring of 1994. Most of all, though, the Cookes were ministering to souls, and seeing people give their lives to Jesus Christ.
After playing for mom and dad for many years, James, Ronny, and Donny found that the Lord was calling them to sing. The boys formed their own group called, The Cooke Brothers. They are a dynamic trio with that great harmony that can only be found with brothers. They, too, have been successful with fan-favorites like "Chiseled in Stone" and "Go Rest High on that Mountain." Daniel Cooke, Donny's son, now plays and sings with the two groups. Daniel recorded his first song entitled "He Was Thinking of Me" on the Cooke Brother Project CB-14 "Driving Nails." Daniel also plays guitar for the Singing Cookes and drums on the Cooke Brothers' other songs.
The Singing Cookes and The Cooke Brothers now travel all over the nation ministering and have even performed concerts in Canada and the British Virgin Islands.
