“Promoting Gospel Quartet as an Anniversary Program”

By Kenneth Robinson II President of The Musbo Company

When Attorney J. L. Smalls, Jr. first approach me about this topic I really did not know what to clearly state. I begin to research about this topic and about the many obstacles that I went through in promoting my First Anniversary.

Believe it or not I called artist inquiring about their prices and when I said I was “Mr. Musbo” the name so many call me, they were very excited and would shoot me a huge figure that they would need in order to come. I guess they assume I had a lot of money.  The crazy part about it is that I would called back acting like another person to see if the price would be the same.  Guess what, it wouldn’t be.  It would be much cheaper.  All I could do was laugh at that.  So I booked a couple of groups whom I had worked with that year doing promotion for and things of that nature and got a $500 profit from a free will offering (I did not charge an admission fee).

Many who know me know I am very blunt, but it is never to hurt anyone but to enlighten the state of gospel and what we need to do to get it where it should be. So when 2007 came I begin thinking my next Anniversary had to be GREAT.  Not at all for it to be about me, but because whatever I do for the lord I have to do 150% and I really felt in my heart that on my last Anniversary I cheated Him.  So I began to think what artists I would bring in, because this one had to be big but also it needed to help the artist who came this way.  So I thought to myself, “man you need to do a showcase that would really help artists.”

I have been to many showcases and I am not talking down on any other showcases but many do not help the artist.  It would be so many artists until many come up very late when people are leaving or very tired and are not in the mood to hear any more music. Artist pay to sing, room and board and in return get nothing.  I thought, I can help some artist by doing this showcase and limiting the number of artists so that every artist gets at least 20 minutes to minister and also celebrate my anniversary.

I begin to think of what prizes would be given, so I called my good friend Dwight Gordon of The Williams Brothers and Quartet Boyz Records. I expressed to him about the idea and he said with great happiness, “do it man this is what this area (Houston and the state of Texas) need.”  When he give the go ahead and said he had my back 100% it give me a sense of ‘this might just work.’  Next, I called my good friend Bishop Fred A. Jones, Sr., of The Jones Family Singers of Bay City, Texas, he give me the go ahead also and said he “had my back 150%.”

So I put the word out about the showcase.  Many called about being a part.  Few signed up right away.  Many assume that it would be like other showcases and wondered if it would be worth coming to the showcase.  I kept stressing to the artist that called it was a first come first serve basis and spots were limited.  Over the months the spots begin to fill and all spots were taken.  Than like a tidal wave, when artists start seeing the flyers and who were to appear I started getting a minimum of  ten phone calls a day from artists were trying get on the showcase.  The answer was NO all spots were filled, sorry.  So many called me crazy for not allowing many more to be part of the showcase so that I could make so much money.  But they missed the point.

My objective for this showcase was not to make money but to build a foundation for upcoming years so that the showcases will have a good-taste effect on the artists being showcased.  I am using every year as a building block to the upcoming year.  So that, in the next few years it will be the biggest event in America.  Not the biggest event for Black America, but for the entire world.  My mindset is on something so spectacular that everyone will want to know about this great genre that we love and call quartet.

So all that is left to do now leading up to December is promote and promote more.  I have been blessed by so many radio angels, artist, and personnel, and different internet media such as: Gloryland Gospel, 24 Hour Gospel Network, Bishop Fred Jones, Therese “Lady T” Jones, Renee Clemons of 1180AM, Robert Ferguson of Sunday Morning LIVE, Dr. Ella Mahmoud, Grace Rhodes, Thomas Finlay of 1180AM, The Royal Travelers, Connection, The Jones Family Singers, My Mother (Linda Robinson), The Souls of Harmony, Leroy Jackson III (Third), Monique Ware, Pastor John Jasper Jr., Andre Tate, and so many others.  Many will be coming from all over the country to support me on this great day. (If I forgot to call you out blame my mind not my heart.)

So for any promoter out there who may be reading this article, if you decide to do a concert be sure you are doing it for the right reason.  Believe it or not, being a gospel promoter is a ministry.  Remember that!  Also set yourself a budget before you call any artist this way you won’t lose more than you can bear.  Stay very prayerful because the process will be stressful, and the most import step - have fun.  If you cannot enjoy what you are doing promoting may not be for you!

Gloryland Gospel