BY VIRGINIA STILL
vstill@oakdaleleader.com
The Texas Tenors have a new album called Rise that dropped in September and all the proceeds from the new single “Rise” will benefit the Hurricane Harvey Relief Fund. They will kick off the holiday season in Modesto at the Gallo Center for the Arts on Saturday, Nov. 25 at 7:30 p.m. with their “Deep in the Heart of Christmas” performance. The trio of JC Fisher, Marcus Collins and John Hagen make up the unique blend of harmonies known as the Texas Tenors.
The three best friends formed the group in 2009 and auditioned for America’s Got Talent where they came in fourth place and have been touring ever since.
“We have had over 1500 concerts, touring non-stop and five albums,” said Collins. “Our latest one (album) Rise just went to number one and we have done two PBS specials. We have won three Emmy Awards. It has been going really good.”
The Rise album features a 65-piece orchestra and full choir with a mixture of country and pop songs with some classics like “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin” featuring The Righteous Brothers’ Bill Medley and originals like “Bootdaddy” and “Rise.”
“It is a true crossover album,” added Collins. “It was number one for the first two weeks in its release on the classical chart. It was number five on the country chart. So it’s a true classical country crossover record.
“I think Rise exemplifies where our group is heading and the kind of music that we are putting out there nowadays and like I said before it is a very positive uplifting message.”
The trio is classically trained and have all been singing since they were kids singing in school and church. Their musical influences range from classic rock like Styx, Queen, and the Eagles to country music, pop, and Broadway tunes.
For their upcoming concert at the Gallo the Texas Tenors will perform Christmas favorites like “O Holy Night” and “Joy to the World” as well as a few original tracks and their version of “You’ve Lost that Lovin’ Feelin” and “Amazing Grace” from the Rise album.
“It is a true Christmas show,” Collins said. “We really do want to kick off the holiday season in Modesto. It is right after Thanksgiving and it is a kick off for our tour.”
With a total of 44 Christmas shows the group will be touring all over the United States through Dec. 18, then take a break to spend the holiday with their families.
“We are spreading positivity,” expressed Collins. “We have a very wholesome uplifting show. We have people that really get inspired after seeing our concert. They want to go out and follow their dreams too. That makes us feel great.”
This will be the Texas Tenors’ second appearance in Modesto as they performed last year and this year will be their first Christmas concert in the local area.
