II get asked a lot during our concerts two questions. How did Ransomed get started and how long have you brothers sung together? I am going to answer both of those questions by giving you a history on Ransomed.
 
On the first question, most of you do not realize that Chris and Steve have not always been a part of Ransomed. About eleven years ago or so, as a music minister I had a thriving love for quality southern gospel music. I loved groups such as the Bishops, Brian Free and Assurance, Poet Voices among others. I went to the concerts and took some people with me. I longed for my church to be able to have this music but I knew that we could not afford these groups because we were a small church. Understand this, I am one that wants to take care of the groups when they come in and believe in my heart that the vast majority of them are worth their fee. When I settled in on the realization that bringing quality national groups to my church was not an option I begin to settle in on developing a group that would have the same quality yet without the sticker shock of a national group. It didn't happen over night but I knew that a fresh sound could be developed.
 
About a year later there was an opening in the group and I asked Chris if he would consider singing southern gospel with Ransomed. Chris was still young and was a little more contemporary in his music and, bless his heart, had visions of singing from The Heavenly Highway Hymnbook around a piano.... There is nothing wrong with that scenario but he and I both had bigger visions than that and I believed that he could go a long way in developing what I had personally envisioned. So after much prayer Chris joined Ransomed in 1998.
 
Over the next 5 years Chris and I worked with Barbara Brooks and together we began to develop what Ransomed should sound like. Slowly more of the smaller churches started to invite us to sing and my original vision of bringing quality southern gospel music to smaller churches was being realized.... We learned the importance of blending in with a female tenor which is important to us today. After about 5 years, I was going through a particularly difficult time in my life and Ransomed basically took a sabbatical. At the same time the Lord was working on Steve's heart and life. He was singing with his good friend Eddie doing the country circuit at the oprys.
 
Chris was the original one to suggest bringing Steve in. I thought Chris was crazy and Steve was sure of it when he found out he wanted him to sing tenor but it was an opportunity to sing with the family so he decided to give it a shot. So in February 2003, Steve joined Ransomed and Chris and I had to learn all over again how to sing, this time with a male tenor.
 
During the past 5 years the Ransomed vision has continued to grow into what it is today. Our schedule continues to get busier which keeps us pressing forward. Oh yeah, one other thing that has recently happened. Last fall Ransomed was going to the Rodeo City Music Hall in Mesquite. About two weeks prior to us being there we came across the director Joe Gordon. I asked him if he knew the song Midnight Cry. He said that he hadn't sung it yet but he could learn it. I told him to learn it and Ransomed will provide his backup. The song was a hit that night with only one run through before the evening began. Since that night Joe Gordon has steadily become more of an integral part of Ransomed Music Ministry as a guest singer when he is not busy with his other ventures, chiefly going to Arkansas and operating gospel night at Rodeo City.
 
The uniqueness of Ransomed is that it is rare for a family to have three brothers who can sing, each being designed by God for their own part. God's uniqueness didn't stop with just the vocals but also includes the varying personalities. I am not sure how much of it is personality and how much of it is birth order. When it comes to seeking out the future of Ransomed ventures it usually will fall to Lee who then will try to include the rest of the gang in on final decisions. We often joke about Chris and his OCDness but it is because of this that we have the sound that we do, especially in the recording studio. I would prefer to get ‘r done and move on to the next thing but Chris will not settle for that and will stay until it is right. Steve, well….is Steve. He brings a lot of personality to the stage that otherwise would not be there without him. Add in Joe, whom the Berry's have adopted as 'Bonus' Berry, and he brings a voice that blends well with the brothers and the heart of a songwriter.
 
It is Ransomed's prayer that we will continue to grow in our walk with the Lord, find songs that minister to His people, and seek to further the southern gospel fan base.