Gospel legends Mark Lowry and The Martins plan to bring some music and madness to Olathe on June 6 when they stop at College Church of the Nazarene on their Music & Madness tour.
This tour has been long–awaited and talked about for years by these two artists, whose friendship spans more than two decades and can be traced back to a cassette tape The Martins gave Lowry at a national quartet convention in 1992.
“They were just a young group from Arkansas trying to get started and they gave both me and [band mate] Michael English a cassette tape,” says Lowry. “We went to see Gloria Gaither, and in the women’s bathroom, they auditioned with an old hymn. Gloria then told Bill, and the rest is history.”
The sibling trio of Joyce, Jonathan and Judy Martin have since shared the Gaither stage many times with Lowry, but never their own tour. This spring, they finally got their wish.
“It’s a lifelong dream,” says Lowry. “It’s going to be an exciting year, just getting to hear them sing every night. We’re going to mix it up: The Martins and I will be singing together; I’ll be kicking Jonathan out and singing with just the sisters on a couple songs. Whatever it takes to make the night a success, we’re going to do!”
Lowry, who is best known for penning the Christmas classic, “Mary Did You Know?” has been performing as a singer since age 11. His unique gift of humor and story-telling came from early days in his career when he needed to fill time between song changes.
“Churches always get somebody who’s 10 years older than God to change the soundtracks,” he jokes. This usually meant plenty of awkward silence for Mark to fill, which he had no problem doing.
Lowry’s life work includes a long list of recordings and DVDs reflecting a wide range of influences. For many years he also sang as the baritone in the Grammy-Award-winning Gaither Vocal Band. He and The Martins, along with renowned pianist Stan Whitmire, plan to present an enjoyable evening of music and ministry for all ages at College Church of the Nazarene on Friday, June 6.
The show which is open to the public, starts at 7 p.m. with doors opening at 6 p.m. Tickets range from $18 to $25 and can be purchased at either the church located at 2020 E. Sheridan, Olathe, or online at marklowry.com. For more information, visit museconcerts.com or call 855-223-1008.
