TMG Artists, "The Westbrook Singers" featured in QC Magazine!

Tate Music Group recording artists, The Westbrook Singers, were featured in the winter edition of QC Magazine. We are proud of the work the "singers" are doing! To purchase their upcoming release, please visit their page on our Tate Publishing bookstore here! Here's the article from QC:

"Some say the Westbrook Singers got their start in 1960 in a tiny neighborhood church in East Moline when Charles and Barbara Westbrook, parents of 11 children, founded the Community Outreach Church of God in Christ. It was then that Barbara start- ed the choir with just her kids, providing the perfect opportunity for their five girls and six boys to develop their musical talents.

Others say the Westbrook Singers got their start in 1975, the year Charles and Barbara’s son, Kenneth, was shot by a key- board player in Minneapolis. While it is true that being in the children’s church choir provided the Westbrooks with valuable training and experience, their love for Kenneth was the impetus to take their talent to the next level.

“In 1975, our brother, Kenneth, was a member of a band in Minneapolis,” said Gary Westbrook. “When we heard the news (of the shooting), we immediately brought him home to recover.”

The siblings rallied around their brother, knowing how much he missed his music. “We needed to find an avenue for Kenneth to express his love for music,” said brother-in-law Raymond Bryson. With musical talent brimming in the family, forming a group and calling it the Westbrook Singers was the obvious solution.

The group has changed over the years since their fateful beginning. While all 11 siblings originally performed in the band, only four now actively remain—Gary Westbrook, Brenda Joyce (Westbrook) Lee, Delores (Westbrook) Tingel and Cynthia (Westbrook) Bryson.

The four have traveled the country, performing on the Bobby Jones Gospel Show and sharing the stage with gospel greats such as Andrae Crouch, recipient of the Dove Award; the Winans, pio- neers in the field of contemporary gospel music; and the Williams Brothers, gospel singers with the greatest longevity of all time.

A STYLE ALL THEIR OWN

“The Westbrook Singers have their own authentic sound,” says Bryson. “It’s Gospel Jazz that is both contemporary and tra- ditional.” To grasp and appreciate the Westbrook Singers’ music, it’s best to experience it firsthand.

Bob Marovich of the Black Gospel Blog (www.theblackgospelblog.com) notes, “The effortlessness with which the Westbrook Singers interact is something only singers who grow up singing with one another in the family living room can develop.”

The group’s soprano, Delores (Westbrook) Tingel, is often the voice fea- tured throughout much of their music. Praising her, the Black Gospel Blog comments, “Delores hits notes so far over the ledger line that a music transcriber would have a difficult time writing them on paper.”

The Westbrook Singers write much of their own music. An aspect unique to their music is the art of weaving lyrics from old, well-known hymns into their modern arrangements.

While the make-up of the group has varied over the years, their focus has not. Music is their ministry as they attempt to “fill a spiritual void amid the turmoil and confusion of the world today while stressing family unity.” The Westbrook Singers are excited about their future. They have recently signed a recording contract with Tate Music Company in Mustang, Okla. The company will repackage and market the Westbrook Singers’ CD, and make it available nationwide in retail chains such as Best Buy. Musical talent runs deep in the family, as evidenced by the upcoming generation of Westbrooks. “We have some very talented grandkids,” said Bryson. “However, the music of their generation will be very different from ours—it’s more of a praise and worship style of gospel.”

THE WESTBROOK FAMILY

The patriarch, Bishop Charles B. Westbrook and his wife of 69 years, Barbara, are 92 and 84 years old respectively. Barbara is still an inspi- rational singer and is proud that her children are using their talent to glorify God.

The siblings, ranging from oldest to youngest, are Rochelle, Charles Jr., La June, Brenda Joyce, Kenneth, Dennis, Larry, Delores, Gary, Joseph and Cynthia. The family spans five generations, with 50 grandchil- dren, 56 great-grandchildren and two great- great grandchildren. Ministry runs deep in the Westbrook fami- ly, which has a total of seven pastors among them. The family also has a voice in city gov- ernment—Gary Westbrook serves as alder- man for the 7th Ward of East Moline. Charles and Barbara instilled in their chil- dren a strong work ethic and the family shares a long history with one Quad City employer, John Deere Harvester in East Moline.

“Dad worked for Deere for 33 years before retiring,” Larry said, though he was quickly corrected by Gary who quipped, “You mean 33 years, nine months and nine days. That’s what Dad always said!”

In addition to Charles Sr., 10 of the 11 Westbrook siblings have worked for John Deere Harvester at one time or another. Three have retired and two are still employed by of John Deere.

The Westbrooks’ dedication to John Deere has not gone unnoticed by the manufacturing giant. The family was recently featured in the John Deere Journal for their dedication and service to the company. “Collectively, we’ve given over 200 years of service to the compa- ny,” said Gary with a grin.

The siblings credit their parents for instill- ing a strong family bond amongst them. “All the credit goes to our parents,” said Larry Westbrook, current Minister of Community Outreach Church of God in Christ. “And we’ve taken the value of their teaching and are pass- ing it along to our children.”