The Isaacs coming to Paramount Arts Center

ASHLAND -- Thirty years of performing and 30 albums later, The Isaacs are still a force to be reckoned with in three musical genres -- bluegrass, country and gospel.

Today, the family will bring its acoustic stylings to the Paramount Arts Center. Showtime is 7 p.m., with tickets priced at $25. The Isaacs will be joined by special guest Mark Harris.

Fresh off their 2008 Dove Award win for Country Album of the Year, The Isaacs are made up of matriarch Lily Isaacs and children Ben, Sonya and Rebecca. Their latest CD, "Big Sky," features songs of life, love and the pursuit of happiness "as designed only by God."

"Our goal is to try to spread a message of hope and redemption. A lot of our songs are what some might categorize as crossovers into more secular music, but all have a positive message," said Lily Isaacs. "Knowing the Lord and being a Christian makes all the difference in the world."

The Isaacs perform frequently at the Grand Ole Opry and are active in the Gaither Homecoming videos and concert series. Their a cappella song, "I Have A Father Who Can," became the group's first Top 5 hit, and Lily herself has undergone great personal struggles -- a bout with cancer and a divorce 10 years ago. The struggles are what make the songs of "Big Sky" real, she said.

"My dream and aspiration for 'Big Sky,' would be that we would reach even more people with this message of hope ... that they would see a family singing about love and life ... and know that 'Yes, you can live your life after divorce. You can live your life after you have lost a child. You can live your life if you have cancer," she said on the family's Web site. "There's a whole world out there who needs that hope."

Two of The Isaacs new favorites are "Walk On" with a "driving banjo and fiddle" combination and "Barbie Band-Aids," a ballad about the "pains of growing up and letting go."

Lily said the secret to the family's longevity is really no secret at all.

"We're just trying to stay faithful in the ministry and stay true to what we feel like our calling is," she explained. "That's really all it is."

For more information or to purchase tickets, call 606-324-3175 or visit www.paramountartscenter.com.