Nashville TN , Lee and Elaine Roy, the brother/sister duo that create The Roys, are currently garnering much deserved attention from Music Row and radio alike. Their new single "Beautiful" has been one of the top most added singles on the Music Row chart and video will soon follow.
Humanitarians as they are, The Roys are always looking for ways to give back. Beginning August 16th, The Roys will take a detour from their ever-demanding schedule and head to Columbia, South America, as part of a missionary trip with Compassion International.
As the reigning ICM Duo of the Year, The Roys understand what being Inspirational to others is all about. "Being part of a Compassion International trip is very exciting," says Elaine Roy. "This organization has been in existence for 58 years, and they have done so many wonderful things around the world. To lend our name to such a great cause is a blessing."
The Christian child advocacy ministry is something that Lee Roy will be experiencing first hand, "I'm very humbled to visit the kids. It's important to us that we use the gifts God has given us to help others," adds Lee Roy. "We feel that bringing light to this problem of poverty which s everywhere is something we are called to do!"
"Compassion International is truly a life-changing organization. I have witnessed first-hand the amazing work they do around the world. Compassion wants to work more closely with the country music community and there is no better fit than The Roys. Lee and Elaine have huge hearts and will bring joy to a lot of kids through their work with Compassion International," says Jason Higgins, Executive Director of the Christian Country Music Association.
About Compassion International
Compassion International exists as a Christian child advocacy ministry that releases children from spiritual, economic, social and physical, poverty and enables them to become responsible, fulfilled Christian adults. Founded by the Rev. Everett Swanson in 1952, Compassion began providing Korean War orphans with food, shelter, education and health care, as well as Christian training. Today, Compassion helps more than 1 million children in 26 countries.

Country music superstar Craig Morgan is helping thousands of military men, women and their families who are struggling with the aftereffects of combat and the difficulties transitioning to life back at home as a spokesperson for Not Alone. Not Alone is an organization that empowers warriors and families dealing with combat stress through training, education, counseling and support. American soldiers of the 21st century are serving in combat longer than almost any U.S. soldiers in the nation's past with many soldiers serving multiple deployments with little break in between. Three in ten soldiers show signs of mental illness or marital problems after their third and fourth deployments.
Additionally, suicides are at record levels, divorce rates among enlisted soldiers continue to climb and rates of mental illness and prescription drug abuse are soaring.
Families of the soldiers need help, too. A study published in New England Journal Of Medicine in January 2010 demonstrated that prolonged deployment was associated with more mental health diagnoses including depression, anxiety, acute stress and adjustment disorders in spouses of military. Since September 11, 2001, it is estimated that over 300,000 warriors have symptoms of PTSD or combat stress. Combined with affected family members, this number grows to an estimated one million people affected.
Not Alone provides an anonymous online community where military men, women and their families can find support from others who are going through the same issues. Its core purpose is to ensure every warrior, veteran and family member gains knowledge and simple, confidential access to programs in order to empower them in their lives after war. At notalone.com, they find support groups, educational topics, blogging opportunities, and resources for face to face counseling – all at no charge.
“When I heard about what Not Alone was doing, I knew I wanted to be involved. We can’t sit quietly aside while our country’s bravest are struggling. They put their lives on the line to protect our freedoms, and they deserve to be honored and know that if they need help, they are not alone,” said Craig Morgan.
In his role as spokesperson for Not Alone, Craig will bring awareness to this resource through his website, media interviews and concert appearances. Craig was recently a part of Carrie Underwood’s Play On tour, where he performed for hundreds of thousands of fans through June.
Prior to becoming a Country music star, Craig Morgan spent over 10 years of active duty in the Army and additional years in the Army Reserves. He is an avid supporter of America’s military personnel and a recipient of the 2006 USO Merit Award. To learn more about Not Alone, log onto www.notalone.com.

Kathreyn Harris; With Introduction and Closing By: Russ Murphy

Last June, I wrote a story for Power Source Magazine about one of America’s amazing heroes, Shilo Harris. Shilo was wounded in Iraq in 2007 and suffered severe burns over much of his body. He is one of the most incredible people that I’ve ever met. He plans to join us during Inspirational Country Music Week in October. You will LOVE meeting him. What an inspiration.
For this article, I wanted to feature the writing of Kathreyn Harris, Shilo’s wife. I wanted you to hear what it is like to be a family member of a soldier and to have a better understanding of some of the trials that they go through.
Kathreyn’s experience is so moving that I cried several times as I read her story. I hope you enjoy her article and that it gives us all a renewed appreciation for the high cost of freedom.

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Everyone has a defining moment in their life. Many of us look back and realize that we have several. For me, those moments were becoming a Christian, becoming a wife, becoming a mother, and becoming a Wounded Warrior Wife. The title of wife is one that I proudly accepted knowing the responsibilities that were laid out for me by the Lord. Shilo and I had been married a year when he joined the Army. At that point, I became not only a wife, but a military wife. Being a military wife brings many emotions. You are proud, knowing that your husband is doing a job that affects everyone in our country, as well as people across the globe. This is something that you must hold on to because it is what sustains you through so many of the trials. You feel fear. Fear is a feeling that you must respect, but you must not allow it to take over. As a military wife, the fear is always there. You know that one day you could receive that call, but the pride keeps that fear at bay.
My life was forever changed when I became a Wounded Warrior Wife. My husband had been deployed to Iraq from Fort Drum in New York. Then, on Tuesday, February 20, 2007, I received a phone call from our Rear Detachment telling me that Shilo had been seriously injured the day before. The only thing the Lieutenant could tell me was that on February 19, Shilo’s HMMWV (hum-v) had been hit by an improvised explosive device (IED) and that he had been burned (I later learned that three of the soldiers with Shilo were killed during the explosion). Shilo was in a medically-induced coma at Landsthul Regional Medical Center in Germany. I was told the military was making every effort to bring Shilo stateside, but he was very sick. When I was able to visit with the Rear Detachment Commander face to face, I found out that Shilo had 3rd degree full-thickness burns on 35% of his body and a C7 neck fracture. Upon hearing this, I knew that my husband was in very bad shape. From Monday to Thursday, the medical teams had tried to get Shilo ready for transport, but he was too weak. I was told I was flying to Germany. I was given only seven hours notice and had to figure out what to do with my three year old daughter, Elizabeth, and Shilo’s teenage son, Josh. I left those two children, not knowing when I’d see them again. Josh understood, but Elizabeth did not; I can still hear her screaming as I left the house. That sound still haunts me to this day … more than three years later.
I flew out on Thursday. (Shilo’s parents were scheduled to fly out on Friday.) That flight was the loneliest and lowest point for me. As a military wife, it is “known” that if you go to Landsthul, things are really bad. When I arrived at the airport on Friday, I realized there was a mix-up; no one was there to pick me up. I waited for about an hour and finally was able to get a ride. Once I made it to the hospital, I was greeted by the 10th Mountain Casualty Liaison. He and the Chaplain sat down to describe what I would see when I went into Shilo’s ICU room. I can tell you that regardless of how much they tried, there was no way to prepare me for what I was about to see. I know that the Lord had me in His hands that day. As I walked into the ICU, I was greeted by a team of medical professionals that under normal conditions would not have seen family members. These folks were doing their best to remain positive for me, but the prognosis for his survival was very guarded. I knew the Lord had our path laid out, and that He alone knew the plan. I was standing next to the man I married, looking at him and taking in how hurt he was. He had tubes everywhere. His head was swollen to the size of a basketball, and his face was charred black. His hands were swollen so much that his palms were about four inches thick. By the time I made it to his bedside, he had become septic and had double pneumonia. I can honestly say at this point I should have been terrified, but I wasn’t. Some people say I was in shock, but I know that the Lord was holding me.
That Friday was a long one. I stayed with Shilo all day and most of the night. I stayed by his bed watching him sleep, wondering if he even knew I was there. I couldn’t help but wonder what he was thinking and dreaming about. I couldn’t help but wonder if he would still be the man I married when he woke up. The nurses working with Shilo reassured me that he knew I was there because his vital signs would improve when I talked to him. I learned to watch for these improvements and would encourage him, which helped with his breathing and heart rate.
On Saturday, his parents arrived in Germany. I remember trying to prepare them for what they would see when they saw Shilo… It was incredibly difficult. I was describing all of these horrible injuries, telling them about their oldest child and only son. We walked into his room together and stood there, trying to take everything in. I recall watching them, and I’m sure at that point they were looking at their baby, having his life and childhood flash before their eyes. I know, as a parent, we all feel helpless when our kids hurt, and Shilo’s injuries were far worse than anything any of us could have imagined.
We took turns spending time with him, making sure one of us was always by his side. Saturday evening, I stayed with him. He had not been having good neurological responses, which really concerned the doctors. So, they made the decision to stop the pain medication and the medications that were keeping him sedated. The doctors asked if I wanted to be in the room during this, warning me that it would be difficult to see. I chose to stay by his side. It took about four hours for the meds to leave his system. I recall him kicking and trying to move his arms. He was in a panic. I remember coming nose to nose with him. His eyes were open, and when our eyes connected, he calmed down. This felt like an eternity, but in reality, it was maybe a minute, if that long. Looking into Shilo’s eyes, I saw so much … fear, pain and anger. The only way I know to describe what I saw, is to say that I saw hell in his eyes.

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Gene Higgins

Happy 4th of July! Looking back, I realize I’ve had an amazing, blessed life. Growing up in church, leading my dad’s church choir at 6 years old, founding a group called the Brothers Of Christ at 14… taking a youth choir from 8 to over 75 members, founding a group called the Singing Celestials, later changing the name to the Rock City Boys and moving from Southern Gospel into Christian Country music, working over 250 dates a year… producing and recording over 100 albums, having written over 200 songs including some that were recorded by major artists, then moving into a solo ministry performing more than 200 dates a year… founding the Christian Country genre, the Christian Country Music Association, and the HMG Nashville marketing service, financing the Power Source Top 20 radio show, which is now called Power Source Country, publishing Power Source Magazine…and being Executive Producer of 15 major award shows (the CCMA and ICM Awards)… It’s all been quite an experience!
Now that I work within the music industry on a daily basis, I am involved in all different musical genres. Knowing the church family and working with all denominations for years, it has become quite clear that things have changed. Things have changed not only within the music industry and the church circuit, but also with radio, TV, print media and broadcast media. It is a new age. With these changes, we must change as well. We will never change our belief in God, our Father, or that Jesus Christ is His son. As an artist, I was involved in a Southern Gospel quartet for half of my life. I have seen major changes in Southern Gospel music throughout the years. Many years ago, at the beginning of the National Quartet Convention and the Singing News Magazine, there were only quartets in Southern Gospel music. The National Quartet Convention was named and created for quartets only. In the early days, it was male quartets only. The Singing News began a chart and called it the Southern Gospel chart. As many of you know, that genre of music now includes some trios, duos, and solo acts. Some of them are not singing “Southern Gospel” anymore. I know that for a long time, the industry has been trying to come up with a new title for Southern Gospel music to re- brand their product. I know there are still thousands of churches and venues that book Southern Gospel music but, with all the changes, there are also thousands that will not book artists who brand their music as Southern Gospel.
With that being said, Power Source Magazine will officially change our Southern Gospel chart to the Power Gospel chart. This means, as an artist or booking agency, when you contact a venue, you only refer to your style of music as Gospel. Also, if you are fortunate enough to be on the Power Gospel chart, you can refer to it simply as the Power Gospel chart. There are artists from the north, east, and west who title themselves as Southern Gospel artists. I’m sure it is uncomfortable to call a venue to say you sing Southern Gospel music, if you’re living in Pennsylvania. Now, all you have to say is, “We sing a variety of Gospel music.” Recently, I have had the privilege of producing several Black Gospel artists, Inspirational artists, AC artists, and Praise and Worship artists. Now, artists like these will have an opportunity to be united with the Power Gospel chart.
Believe me; this will open a lot of doors for your career and ministry. I have spoken to other industry professionals who believe this is a smart move. I know that I am going to get some criticism for this move, but I know in my heart this change will open venues for everyone and help with bookings and product sales. I’m not telling anyone what genre of music you sing. You can still brand yourself as whatever genre you feel is best for your ministry or career. That ball is still in your court. I believe this change will give artists an opportunity to work with other genres in the same venues. After all, we’re not Southern Gospel Christians, Inspirational Christians, Black Gospel Christians, or Praise and Worship Christians… we are all just Christians with the same message!
Unfortunately, with change, there are always obstacles. It will take us time to make this transition. We are already working with radio stations that play different styles on one station. It will take time to work with these stations and develop the chart properly. Over the next few months, we will work hard to develop this. What would be our next HMG Southern Gospel compilation disc, will be the first HMG Power Gospel disc. This disc will be mailed to a variety of stations, which hopefully will report and play every song on the disc. For more information on this exciting opportunity, contact your HMG representative. Come, get on board with Power Source Magazine. We have the knowledge and experience to take your music to the next level. Just so you will not misunderstand the changes coming: Christian and Inspirational Country will still have its own individual format in the magazine, promotion, charts, and the disc services we offer. Country and Bluegrass music will also remain the same. We are  also looking into developing a weekly spin chart. Our message is about Faith, Family and Country™. God bless all of you, and God bless America!
’Til He comes!

Erin Young, Director Of HMG Radio Promotions

As most of you have probably heard by now, Middle Tennessee was hit by devastating floods during the weekend of May 1-2. Thirteen inches of rain fell in Nashville in only two days, a quarter of what the city usually gets in one year. The Cumberland River crested at 52 feet, flooding downtown Nashville and surrounding areas. Small ponds and creeks overflowed, flooding entire neighborhoods. Numerous homes, businesses, churches, and historical landmarks were tragically destroyed in such a short period of time. Every home and business that was flooded has to be stripped of drywall, insulation, and flooring because of the accumulation of mold and mildew; some have to be rebuilt.
The Nashville community has rallied together reaching out to its own people. Neighbors are helping neighbors. Churches, non-profit organizations, and Country music stars are putting together volunteer and fundraising efforts. The response to this disaster has been amazing. Hands On Nashville (HON) was one of the first organizations to respond, quickly setting up volunteer opportunities throughout Nashville and in surrounding counties. HON volunteers are helping to clean out homes and businesses, distributing water to flood victims, assisting the Red Cross, and sorting food for the Second Harvest Food Bank. These are only a few of the many ways that this amazing organization and its volunteers are helping Middle Tennessee recover. Over 8,300 people registered as flood relief volunteers with Hands On Nashville as of Tuesday, May 4. The number was so overwhelming that the organization’s website was temporarily shut down from too many users being online at one time. HON recently shared a story of a woman in Virginia with no ties to Tennessee who was celebrating her 30th birthday. Instead of having the party she planned, she wanted to be here to help with HON's flood-relief efforts. Hands On Nashville’s executive director Brian Williams stated, “We are so fortunate to live in a community where people selflessly give of their time and talent to help others in need. I am so proud of the nearly 10,000 volunteers who have made a difference for friends, neighbors, and, in many cases, complete strangers. You are the change we want to see in Middle Tennessee.”
While volunteering with Hands On Nashville and visiting communities that were destroyed, I was amazed at the optimistic spirit of everyone I came across. I went to a house in the Bellevue community that had been completely destroyed. When I told the owner of the home how sorry I was that this happened, her response was, “It’s okay, I always hated that utility room!” It was incredibly inspiring to see her find humor in such a tragic situation. My roommates and I attempted to deliver water to many homes, only to find that neighbors and other organizations had delivered food and water to them already. Everyone was truly grateful to see the community working together to supply their needs during this time.
At the time of press, Nashville and surrounding counties in Middle Tennessee are still in need of help. The flood waters have receded and revealed the damage that was left behind. Although many needs have been met, there is still so much left to do. Many homes and buildings that were flooded have been gutted. However, some are still trying to flush out the water. The rebuilding process has begun but will take several months, maybe years in some cases. And, it will take the community continuing to pull together and help each other out. The number of verified HON volunteers on the ground serving others reached 9,888 on May 11. This proves that Nashville is not slowing down.

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Hands On Nashville Flood Volunteers
To view current volunteer opportunities and register for flood-related volunteer projects, visit www.hon.org. New opportunities are posted daily to meet community needs.
Make a Donation to Hands On Nashville
If you can’t volunteer, but want to support volunteerism, Hands On Nashville accepts donations at www.hon.org. Donation may also be mailed to: Hands On Nashville, 209 10th Avenue South, Suite 318, Nashville, TN 37203. These gifts underwrite the agency’s flood related volunteer management expenses.

The popular and long-running program known as Power Source Top 20 has changed its name to the more simple and direct Power Source Country. The name change for the nationally syndicated Sunday Country music show reflects the program’s evolution from a countdown show to a program with a broader format and more flexible programming capabilities. The name change and format change for the program took effect the weekend April 17-18 (the broadcast week of April 12th) and the announcement came from the show’s Executive Producer, Jason Higgins.
“The Country radio marketplace told us that there were enough countdown shows and that there would be a warmer reception to our programming if we dropped the countdown format,” said Higgins. He added, “We talk to stations every week that love our show but couldn’t reconcile airing another countdown in their weekend lineup, but the consensus now is that we’re on the right track by re-formatting and re-naming our show.”
Power Source Country: Songs of Faith Family & Country™ is a two-hour nationally syndicated weekly program that has proven to be a hit with listeners and affiliates alike across the USA. The program is an Inspirational/positive Country music show that delivers a mix of current hits, re-current hits and artist interviews. Power Source Top 20 has been in production for five years and while it could air at any time, tends to be broadcast on Sundays. The show is hosted by award winning, former WSM-FM air personality, Rich Miller, (the three-time ICM Radio Personality of the Year) and the regular programming content is supported with promotional contesting and various features included in the 2-hour block.
The Power Source programming brand is about to begin its sixth year on the airwaves and it has built a loyal listening audience across the US and in Canada. The show can currently be heard on over 80 stations and in 120 markets including great stations like WMIL/Milwaukee; WTVY/ Dothan, AL; WQSB/Birmingham-Huntsville; KJUG/Visalia, CA; WTRS/Gainesville, FL; KNFM/Midland-Odessa, TX; KYKS/Tyler- Longview, TX; WCLT/Columbus, OH; and KHCM/ Honolulu. Several new affiliates have agreed to join the Power Source network after the new format is in place, and updates on those new affiliations are forthcoming.
Quotes from a number of our happy affiliates:

• “…The new logo looks AWESOME! An awesome logo for an awesome program!”
  — Tim Collins, Program/Music Director, WSIP Radio, Paintsville, KY


• “This is by far the best show I've heard anywhere! I am so proud to have Power Source on Country 106.9. I love the idea of moving to the Power Source Country name! Keep the great shows coming and Thanks!”
  — Reid Thrush, Program Director/Mornings, WGZR Country 106.9, Savannah, Hilton Head


• “This show has generated a dedicated audience in my market…You guys are awesome!”
  — Bill Dutrey, Program/Music Director, WUUU 98.9 FM Cat Country


• “…Your quality show fits perfectly into our Sunday programming and helps us bridge some of our Sunday morning programming. We have also had the opportunity to associate your program with several musicians who have performed in our area and have stopped in for interviews to promote their concerts …Keep up the great work!”
  — Bob Cupp, WBUT


• “I like it!”
  — Kerry Wolfe, WMIL, Milwaukee


• “Love the show!”
  — Boomer Kingston, 97.5 KGKL

UNITED STATIONS TO HANDLE NATIONAL AD SALES
FOR POWER SOURCE TOP 20

Growing Program Looks to Expand with New Association

New York, NY – May X, 2009 -- United Stations Radio Networks, Inc., (USRN) an independent leader in original network radio programming, today announced it has signed an agreement to sell national network commercial time for The Power Source Top 20, a weekly Country music program that The show’s producers will continue to handle both the creation of the weekly programming as well as affiliate relations. United Stations EVP/General Manager Jim Higgins made the announcement in the company’s New York headquarters in conjunction with the Executive Producer of the Power Source Top 20, Jason Higgins (no relation to USRN’s Higgins).

The Power Source Top 20: Songs of Faith Family & Country™ is a two-hour nationally syndicated weekly program that has proven to be a hit with listeners and affiliates alike across the USA. The program is an inspirational/positive country music show that delivers a mix of current hits, re-current hits and artist interviews. Power Source Top 20 has been in production for five years and while it could air at any time, tends to be broadcast on Sundays. The show can currently be heard in over 75 markets including WMIL Milwaukee, WCLT Columbus, KTJJ St. Louis and KASH Anchorage. The show is hosted by award winning, former WSM-FM air personality, Rich Miller, (the reigning three-time ICM Radio Personality of the Year) and the regular programming content is supported with promotional contesting and various features included in the 2-hour block.

In commenting on the addition of The Power Source Top 20 to its ad sales package, United Stations’ Jim Higgins noted, “There’s been a trend among our advertisers that favors family-friendly programming. We already had several properties fitting that description in our portfolio, and by adding The Power Source Top 20, our targeted lineup will be strengthened nicely.”

Power Source Top 20’s Jason Higgins added “The uplifting and inspiring theme of our program has never been more timely and significant than it is right now. Both listener and industry feedback has been very positive, and the enhancement of our ad sales picture by working with United Stations will enable us to focus on growing and improving our on air product.”

United Stations Radio Networks, Inc., United Stations Radio Networks, Inc. is the largest independently owned and operated radio network in the U.S. The company maintains offices in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Dallas, Washington and Nashville and services programming to over 4,500 rated radio stations across the country. The New York-based company was founded in 1994 by Dick Clark and Nick Verbitsky.