The annual Gaither Homecoming Concert will be presented at the Charleston Civic Center at 7 p.m., Friday May 30. Joining Gaither and friends will be such well-known favorites as Ernie Haase and Signature Sound, Lynda Randle, Jeff and Sheri Easter, Gordon Mote, Janet Paschal, Ivan Parker, Kevin Williams and many of your other favorites.

Tickets are on sale now and available through TICKETMASTER by calling 800-277-1700. You may also charge by phone at 304-342-575. Groups interested in obtaining tickets should call 304-345-7469, x221 or visit the Charleston Civic Center Box Office,

You may also go online at www.Gaither.com and go to the ticketing link. You can become a "Gaither Team Member" and help spread the word about your local Gaither Homecoming Concert. E-mail Bill Gaither at GaitherTeam@thecrgroup.com to get started.

Attending a Gaither Homecoming Concert is always an exciting event. It is a time to meet old friends and make new ones. Many people buy tickets for their friends and family members and make a party out of it. It can become a part of the summer vacation package. It may well be your best buy, least expensive trip and most enjoyable event of the entire year.

It is also a time when you can meet your favorite artists. Go early and see them before it all starts and be sure to see them during the intermission and after the concert. You will find all these popular musicians to be friendly and ready with a warm welcome for you. They really do look forward to meeting you.

My wife, Kitty, and I have attended Gaither concerts from the time they started about 1960. We have heard them in churches, college auditoriums and baseball parks. One characteristic has always marked the musical presentations of Bill and Gloria Gaither, and that is their integrity. They can be trusted. You will always hear the best in music coupled with honesty. They are all you have ever thought they might be. The kind of people you would enjoy having as your nearest neighbors. That is why they like singing in West Virginia and why West Virginians appreciate them so much.

You will enjoy the Gaither Homecoming Concert if you take some friends and family members with you -- maybe even your Sunday School Class or your whole church. Be sure you buy a ticket for your pastor who will certainly enjoy this kind of concert. Do remember to get a ticket for the pastor's spouse. When Gaither and friends come to Charleston, we always get the best. See you there!

Bill Ellis is a syndicated columnist who can be reached at P.O. Box 345, Scott Depot, WV 25560; phone (304) 757-6089.

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