After 21 years of singing southern gospel music, the Cumberland Aires will bid farewell with a final performance March 21 at Cumberland Presbyterian Church in South Fulton.
The group formed in 1988 in the Fulton Cumberland Presbyterian Church with Leroy Sawyer, Charles “Moose” Ray, Brent Greer, Tom Couch, and Aleen Pollard on the piano. Through the years, there were others who joined the group and left, such as Jimmy Barber, Brent Tibbs and Gary Bradley.
Sawyer is the only original member left in the group, accompanied by lead singer Robert Dilday, a 19-year member, Dennis Bruner, who sings baratone and plays piano, also a 19-year member, Mark Bennett, bass, who has been with the group for 15 years and has written songs for the group, lead guitarist Kenneth Stowell, who has also been with the Cumberland Aires for 15 years, and Don Morgan, bass, five years. Brett Stowell, Kenneth Stowell’s grandson, plays the drums when he is available.
The singing group obtained their name from the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, and sang at numerous events.
There were times the group would perform 42 weekends per year. Five recordings have been released by the Cumberland Aires, with the first one out in 1991.
“It has slowed down quite a bit,” said Sawyer. “A lot of the churches don’t have many singings anymore.”
Never charging for performances, the Cumberland Aires sang for love offerings. Some events include the Banana Festival, Airstream Convention in Jackson, Tenn., events at churches and fairgrounds throughout west Tennessee, western Kentucky, southern Illinois and Missouri. They performed at several nursing homes, and did several benefit singings. If there was any way we could, we would accept any invitation to sing.”
“Part of the group wants to retire, while some want to continue to sing,” said Sawyer. “It’s a good time to reorganize.”
Dilday, Bennett and Morgan plan to continue to perform with new members; however, the Cumberland Aires name will be retired. The new group will be in search of a piano player, singers and guitarist.
“When you reach a certain age, you can’t put out 100 percent like you need to,” said Stowell.
Stowell and Bruner had been singing years before joining the Cumberland Aires.
“We’ve all been singing all our lives,” said Dilday.
“It is a labor of love,” added Sawyer. “Yeah, it’s going to be tough, this last singing.”
With members all from different churches, “There was never a cross word about religion,” said Joyce Goodwin Dilday, Robert Dilday’s wife. “Christ was always the center of the group. They are so popular in the area. They enjoy the people, and it really showed.”
“Our wives were our best critics,” said Sawyer. “We’ve been fortunate. The Lord has blessed us.”
