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Brian Free & Assurance is a Southern Gospel group.
Brian Free & Assurance | |
|---|---|
| Genres | Southern Gospel |
| Years active | 1993 – present |
| Members | Brian Free Bill Shivers Mike Rogers Jeremy Lile |
| Website | brianfreeandassurance.com |
Brian Free formed his own group in 1993 after performing with the Gold City Quartet from 1982-1993. After being formed, the group has released multiple albums and has received several awards and nominations. Brian began the group as a trio, but they expanded to a quartet in 1996 with the addition of Bob Caldwell singing bass. They have remained a quartet ever since. The quartet was dissolved in 1998 while Brian Free pursued a solo career. After a few years and two solo records, he realized he missed the classic quartet feel. The group returned with entirely new members, other than Free himself, in 2001. The group then included Brian's son Ricky on drums. Ricky exited the group in 2008, and they continued without a live band. Ricky is now a songwriter at Daywind, a producer, session musician, and a drummer for various Country and Christian groups. He resides in Nashville, Tennessee with his wife and two sons. The group has become known for Brian Free's soaring tenor vocals, meaning the lead and baritone sings in a higher register than other quartet singers typically would. Brian is still to this day, the most awarded tenor in the history of Gospel music.
Band members
Past members
Lead
- Kevin Price (1993-1995)
- Kevin McCaw (1995-1997)
- Randy Crawford (1997-1998; 2009-2010)
Baritone
- Mike LeFevre (1993-1997)
- John McBroom (1997-1998)
- Craig Singletary (2001-2003)
- Derrick Selph (2003-2009; 2010-2013)
- Randy Crawford (2009-2010)
Bass
- Bob Caldwell (1996-1998)
- Bill Lawrence (2001-2003)
- Keith Plott (2003-2007)
Pianist
- Michael Camp (2001-2002)
- Josh Simpson (2002-2003)
- Scott McDowell (2003-2008)
Drummer
- Ricky Free (2001-2008)
Discography
- Brian Free & Assurance (1994)
- Requests (1994)
- Things That Last Forever (1995)
- Live In Atlanta (1995)
- At Your Request (1996)
- For God So Loved (1996)
- Glimpse Of Gold (1997)
- Doing This For You (1999)
- Lovin' This Livin' For The Lord (2001)
- So Close To Home (2002)
- Timeless Hymns & Classics (2002)
- Greater Still (2003)
- Live In New York City (2005)
- Christmas With Brian Free And Assurance (2005)
- It's So God (2006)
- Real Faith (2007)
- Timeless Hymns & Classics Volume II (2008)
- Worth It (2009)
- Acappella (2010)
- Never Walk Alone (2010)
- A Season To Remember (2011)
- Nothing But Love (2012)
- Unashamed (2014)
Awards
| Year | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 2007 | Southern Gospel Album of the Year (It's So God) | Nominated |
| 2008 | Southern Gospel Album of the Year (Real Faith) | Nominated |
| 2009 | Southern Gospel Recorded Song of the Year ("I Believe God") | Nominated |
| 2010 | Southern Gospel Album of the Year (Worth It) | Nominated |
| 2011 | Inspirational Album of the Year (Accapella) | Nominated |
| Southern Gospel Album of the Year (Never Walk Alone) | Nominated | |
| 2013 | Music Video of the Year (I Want To Be That Man) | Won |
| Tenor of the Year (Brian Free) | Nominated |