Staff writer Andrew Stephens got to sit down with up and coming trio 2nd Generation recently! Get to know more about this exciting trio!
Andrew Stephens: Many Southern Gospel listeners are a bit unfamiliar with 2nd Generation. Take a moment and share who each member is and his/her role in the group.
Elaine Robinson: My sister, Brenda Denney, and I make up the second generation of the group. Because we are sisters, our blend is closer than the typical alto & soprano. I usually sing the alto part, and Brenda sings the soprano, but we have been known to switch it up with our arrangements. Randy Barnes has been singing the baritone part for the past few years.
AS: Back in September, you all did a fabulous job singing on mainstage at the National Quartet Convention. How was this first-time experience?
Brenda Denney: As a child, I would attend the National Quartet Convention and dream of singing on the main stage. Our parents, Elaine, and I were a singing group called the Singing Greens. Our Dad was a preacher, and we mostly sang in revivals and church meetings. When I was around 9-10 years old, I wanted this to be a dream that really would come true. Several years later, Elaine and I started 2nd Generation, and we’ve attended the National Quartet Convention from the start. That was 10 years ago. We sang at every showcase and weren’t picked to sing on the main stage for one reason or another. There was some level of disappointment, but we knew the opportunity would come. We received a call earlier this year asking us to sing on main stage, and we were stunned. God answered my dream, even though it took a lot of hard work and patience. So, to sum it up, the experience was thrilling for us all!
AS: Your recent radio single, “I Came on Business for the King,” has been impacting radio and several music charts. What prompted you to record & single this classic?
BD: I actually sang this song years ago when our family traveled. Back then, it was a testimony of where I’d come from and what I was there to do. We were picking songs for our latest project, The Church, and I wanted to re-record the song. It has ministered to so many people. In fact, when we sang it at NQC, I had a gentleman waiting at our product table to buy a copy of the CD. He had felt an anointing from the performance and just had to meet us and thank us. There are many people who are hurting in our audiences, and we need the reminder that this is God’s business – not our business. We’re on business for the King!
AS: For many fans, the concert is just showing up to the venue and taking a seat or maybe stopping by the product table beforehand. What is a typical preparation for a 2nd Generation concert?
Randy Barnes: Brenda & I usually set up the sound system, while Elaine deals with the product table. We usually arrive at the venue 2 hours early to have plenty of time to set up without interfering with the audience. After we set up, we spend time in the church/venue talking with the attendees before the program starts.
AS: After traveling many years, how do you manage to stay rejuvenated & energized from one concert to another?
ER: When Brenda and I started this group in 2005, we determined that we won’t stop until God moves us to a different path. Our Dad had a drive in him to focus on the message that he passed that drive on to us. There will be sometimes that we’re gone for 2-3 weeks at a time, but we’ve determined to keep the ministry as the primary focus of the group.
AS: What is the best way to contact 2nd Generation?
BD: Our website is www.2ndgenerationministries.com.
