The Downings

The 1970’s was a volatile time in the music industry, not just in gospel.  Every genre was experiencing growth as it was bombarded with all sorts of styles.  In an attempt to be a cross-over […]

After enjoying the immense success of their “Praise Him!” live album, the Downings weren’t done blazing trails and playing around with different sounds and styles.  Their next 2 studio albums were a musical playground of […]

One of the greatest and most exciting live albums ever recorded is this latest album by the Downings, appropriately titled, “Praise Him!”.  Filled with lots of exciting upbeat tunes that make live albums so…well…exciting…the album […]

I will go ahead and start by saying that this is my all-time favorite album by the Downings.  When I got this album, I was already familiar with several of the songs, as I had […]

1973 was a huge and busy year for the Downings.  Along with releasing 2 major albums (“Love Beyond Compare” and “Greater”), Ann, Joy and Dony each released individual solo albums (Paul had released a solo […]

As mentioned last week, 1973 marked the dawning of a new era for the Downings.  When Allen Henson left the group, instead of hiring another male singer, the Downings opted to utilize Dony McGuire as […]

After 3 years of being on the road and recording 7 albums during that time, things slowed down a bit and the group only recorded one album in 1972…titled, “Neighbors”.  This year also saw more […]

By this point in 1971, the Downings had been on the road for 2 years, and Heartwarming Records decided it was time to record a live album of the Downings.  Live albums were the “thing” […]

Much like 1970, the year 1971 brought additional changes for the Downings, and along with those changes, we also saw the group releasing 2 more new albums.  The first album being, “Once More…with Feeling”, and […]

1970 was a year of big changes for the Downings, as by the summer of 1970, more changes ensued as Sue Chenault had left the group and joined the Speers, where she remained for about […]