About Called Out Quartet
With God as the centerpiece, and harmony not far behind…Called Out Quartet has been sharing their message in song since 2002. Ranging in age from early 20’s to early 40’s, the men of Called Out Quartet are able to bring a wide variety of styles and intensity to their music. Though approaches may vary, the message does not…Christ and Him crucified.
Group members Marty Harris and Darrell Collier began dreaming of a quartet many years ago, but the timing was never right. Each passing year brought more pieces of the puzzle together in their home church in Nashville, TN. “I remember Darrell and me playing the piano and singing at my home when we began to pray and the Lord started to reveal the direction we were going to go”. Bass singer Von Gaines laid low in their church, though inexperienced his enthusiasm made up for the shortcomings. All that was left was a dynamic lead to hang the remainder of the group’s vocals upon. Jess Birdwell had only been attending for a short time when Marty, Darrell, and Von approached him about joining the new quartet. As is typical in God’s realm, He was working on Jess and preparing him for the work he knew was coming. After a few practices the group was solidified and the opportunities to sing came both from within their church and surprisingly from the outside as the news of their forming spread in the community. Now all that was left was the name. Acting on the advice of a good friend, the name “Called Out Quartet” was selected…it expressed simply the whole reasoning for coming together… accepting God’s calling to share his love through song.
Not long after their inception they came together with Eddie Crook, of legendary Happy Goodmans fame, and formed a relationship that can hardly be referred to as mere business. Through the assistance of Eddie, Called Out Quartet has been molded from raw exuberance to tempered passion for pure harmony. Starting with a grassroots effort to go from church to church, they have built upon the support they received and have vaulted onto the national scene with engagements not only in their regional southeast area…but also areas like Iowa, Michigan, and Ohio just to name a few.
With their first project, Called Out Quartet stepped out with a mix of original music and tried and true standards. “God blessed us with new songs when we came together, and though they weren’t always molded in the traditional southern gospel quartet style, the message was always the same. We grew tremendously with that project and carried what we learned right into the next round in the studio”. Darrell was talking about the first project “Because You Prayed” with songs penned by group members Marty, Darrell, and Jess. Somewhat subdued and introspective, the first project garnered much success…but there was a hole. The group learned a valuable lesson from a handicapped man in southern Illinois in 2005…”if we as Christians don’t smile, then why on earth would the world want any part of what we’ve got?”. Hard to grasp that a man riddled with pain from being struck by a drunk driver over 40 years ago could impart such a message. “Happy Rhythms” was borne from that experience as they worked with Eddie Crook to find songs that would keep folks smiling from ear to ear. Their latest project "Can't Make It By Myself" draws upon the traditions of old style quartets as well as the fresh new songs of some of today's most exciting songwriters to create a wonderful blend of nostalgia with a current edge.
Whether indoors or out, whether in a church or in a barn…Called Out Quartet remains dedicated to serving the Lord and sharing the good news of repentance through Christ. “It’s our passion, and whatever the Lord has in store for us is fine with me” states Jess. “We’ve already sang in many churches, amphitheaters, barns, tents, and at the quartet convention in Louisville…I’m satisfied turning it all over to the Lord, He’s treated us right so far and I have no doubt He will continue to do the same”.
