Categories: General
      Date: 12/18/09
     Title: New Horizons recognized for Lifetime Achievement Award

Lebanon's own New Horizons was recently awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award by the Mid America Gospel Music Association.

This is the first time in the organization's history the award has been presented to a group, according to MAGMA President Gary O'Neal.

Lebanon's own New Horizons was recently awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award by the Mid America Gospel Music Association.

This is the first time in the organization's history the award has been presented to a group, according to MAGMA President Gary O'Neal.

“In past years, the Lifetime Achievement Award has been presented to individual artists,” O'Neal said in a media release. “When we began to look at candidates for this year’s award, the New Horizons stood out to us. "Quite often in touring groups, there are one or two individuals that define the groups sound, style and image.  This is not the case with this group of siblings. Each one brings their own unique talents to the group making it complete.”

The award was presented at the association's annual convention this fall.   New Horizons began as a male quartet about 42 years ago. Since 1973, the members have been Max and Danny Rhoades and their sister, Becky Buttrey. The band hits the road about 45 weekends a year, traveling over a six-state area to churches and other venues. The band has played the state fair about 15 times and has played in churches with up to 5,000 seats. Each summer, New Horizons hosts a Gospel Spectacular at the Cowan Civic Center, inviting other gospel singers and groups to play in Lebanon for the three-day event.

The group joined MAGMA in early 2009. New Horizons has recorded more than 30 albums on vinyl LPs, eight-track tapes, cassettes and now CDs. The New Horizons join Glendell Twidwell and Harold Mills, two gospel music veterans in the 2009 class of Lifetime Achievement Award recipients.

“It is an honor to count the New Horizons among our association’s membership and look forward to many more years of great music from the New Horizon’s at our Mid America Gospel Music Association Fall Convention,” said O’Neal. The group will be added to the Lifetime Achievement Award page on the MAGMA Web site, www.midamericagma.com .