SGMA Brings Cathedrals’ Bus to NQC for Tours on Tuesday

Pigeon Forge, TN (Sept. 20, 2019) — The Southern Gospel Music Association (SGMA) is thrilled to announce that the Cathedral bus will be available for tours on Tuesday, September 24, 2019 from 3-6 p.m. during the National Quartet Convention this year only.

The black ‘Silhouette’ that carried The Cathedrals safely all over the nation has driven its last mile, but the memories live on. The bus has been generously donated for display at the SGMA Hall of Fame and Museum, so you will have an opportunity to board the bus and sit where George Younce sat, walk around the back parlor where Glen Payne sat with his Rand McNally, mapping from one date to the next, and experience “the last ride.” As they sat in the front lounge, recounting memories, Ernie Haase shared with JP Miller, “I can still smell George’s cologne in his closet, and his shoe rack is still right where it was when he used it last.” (See video at end of post for their interview.)

Join us for the SGMA Hall of Fame Induction ceremony at 1:00 p.m. inside LeConte Center for the Induction Ceremony and benefit concert. Learn how you can join the SGMA and help preserve the history of Southern Gospel music for generations to come. Your $20 membership fee includes an SGMA tote bag and a ticket to tour the Cathedral bus on Tuesday between 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. If you recently renewed your membership, your $20 donation will extend your membership one year from the date of expiration.

If you’d like to be one of the first to board the Cathedral bus for “the last ride,” you can donate today online at www.sgma.org and you will receive a special first-class ticket that will allow you to board at the front of the line. Your $50 online donation will include a two-year membership to the SGMA and an SMGA tote bag, and you’ll be one of the first to experience life on the Cathedral bus.

Plan to join us on Tuesday at 1:00 p.m. for the SGMA Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony and benefit concert and be a part of preserving the music we love for generations to come. Immediately following the ceremony, enjoy “the last ride” on the Cathedral bus, just outside the doors of LeConte Center.

The SGMA Hall of Fame and Museum is located inside the gates of the Dollywood theme park. On behalf of the Board of Directors and staff, we thank you for helping us keep the music and the memories we cherish alive. Visit www.sgma.org for more information.

Watch the interview with Ernie Haase and JP Miller aboard the Cathedral bus: