Pigeon Forge, Tennessee – Beginning September 1, 2006, the sounds of Gospel music is the Smoky Mountains will soar to new highs! The Award Winning Blackwoods welcome a new tenor singer to the legendary group, and though he may be new to The Blackwoods, this young vocal dynamo is no newcomer to the music business.

Gospel music connoisseurs agree that JOHN RULAPAUGH, age 27, of La Plata, Maryland is the greatest young tenor performing today. His powerful voice rivals the sounds of legendary singers of the past, perfectly complementing The Blackwoods’ emphasis on honoring the original Blackwood Brothers in every performance. That is precisely why Ron Blackwood, General Manager of the group, hired Rulapaugh. “Our heritage is who we are, and we are very driven to uphold all our Daddy (an original Blackwood Brother) lived and died for. There is no way around it. John brings it all to the table, he is a Christian husband, father, and businessman with integrity, and his singing is as good as it gets!”

John Rulapaugh will be leaving behind life on the road with a traditional male quartet to perform in the daily variety show The Blackwoods present in the Black Bear Jamboree Theater in Pigeon Forge, TN. He has worked most recently with the Palmetto State Quartet, but also was featured as the tenor for the very popular Dove Brothers and the Grand Ole Gospel Reunion Quartet. Rulapaugh says that though no change is easy, this one is well worth it: “ Life on the road is no way to raise a family. I am blessed with a gorgeous wife, Jennifer, and a beautiful baby girl, Jaydon, and they need me. You can’t get back lost time.” As for the change to performing daily in a popular variety show rather than the traditional quartet venues, “There is not better way to further my career and diversify my resume’ than to perform in the most well-known and widely acclaimed, legendary group in the Gospel music world today: The Blackwoods.”

Rulapaugh will be replacing Royce Taylor, a veteran, exceptionally talented vocalist himself. Taylor recently resigned from the group to pursue his dream and calling as both a preacher and a soloist.

The Blackwood Breakfast Variety Show features BOTH the Blackwood Quartet with Ron Blackwood, Baritone/MC; R.W. Blackwood, Jr., Lead; Paul Hyde, Bass; and John Rulapaugh, Tenor…AND the Blackwood Singers, featuring Donna Blackwood, Soprano; and Shelley Layne Blackwood, Alto (along with R.W. Blackwood, Jr., and Paul Hyde) singing 100% traditional Gospel, and Christian themed music. Accompanying The Blackwoods is America’s Premier Ventriloquist and Comedy Team: Bob and Marty Hamill. They keep the laughs rolling while the Blackwoods keep your hands clapping, and your heart warming! The huge, Smoky Mountain Breakfast served every day along with the show, starting at 8:30 am, simply rounds out an already perfect morning! Call 865-908-SHOW (7469) for reservations or show information.

PHOTO ATTACHED: Left to Right: Donna Blackwood, R.W. Blackwood, Jr., John Rulapaugh, Ron, Blackwood, Shelley Layne Blackwood, and Paul Hyde.