In 1999, the Southern Gospel Music world was changed forever when the Cathedral Quartet announced their farewell tour. After 39 years, George Younce and Glen Payne were finally ready to retire the Cathedral name forever.
After much prayer and consideration, Roger Bennett and Scott Fowler decided to take the Cathedral legacy forward by forming a new quartet. Legacy Five took the stage in January of 2000 and their music has been received with the same kind of enthusiasm as the Cathedrals in the beginning of their reign.
Scott commented about the early years, “We had no idea how Legacy Five would be received by the people, but we really believed that God would bless our efforts... and He certainly has!” The first version of the group featured a young tenor named Josh Cobb and four other men who have remained together since the beginning. Scott Fowler moved from baritone to take the lead position while Scott Howard filled the baritone slot. Singing bass is newcomer Glenn Dustin and, until his death in March of 2007, Roger Bennett led the group as pianist and master of ceremonies.
In that first year, the group recorded their first project titled “Strong in the Strength” which garnered a Favorite Album of the Year nomination. The group’s first single release from that album titled “I Stand Redeemed” was also nominated for Song of the Year and reached number two on the radio charts. Tenor Josh Cobb won the Horizon Individual award and Roger Bennett was voted the Favorite Pianist. Legacy Five was obviously off to a very successful start.
Josh left the group in the fall of 2000 and tenor Tony Jarman was selected to fill the position. Over the next three years, the group continued to prosper as they received numerous other award nominations and released several top ten radio singles. They recorded a series of “Heritage” albums featuring hymns and gospel classics, as well as, the highly acclaimed project titled “Heroes of the Faith” in tribute to the late Glen Payne.
Following in the footsteps of their mentors, Roger and Scott then took the group overseas to record another well-received album with the London Philharmonic Orchestra. The “London” project was nominated for Favorite Album of the Year and it produced their first number one radio single titled “I Found Grace.”
Tony Jarman left the group in the spring of 2004 and tenor Frank Seamans came on board to replace him. Scott Fowler and Frank were old friends, having traveled together some fifteen years prior in another group called The Sound. This seemed to make for a new on-stage chemistry that was immediately embraced by the Legacy Five family. In the same year, Roger returned to the road after receiving his first bone marrow transplant.
The group all but swept the Singing News Fan Awards that year, winning the Favorite Group, as well as Favorite Pianist, Favorite Baritone and Favorite Bass. They also launched their highly successful Celebration events, bringing together gospel music’s finest artists and some 2500 Legacy Five fans to the Gaylord Opryland Resort in Nashville, TN, for the Memorial Day weekend.
Legacy Five followed those accomplishments up with more of the same success, releasing the well-received recording “Monuments,” as well as a live video recorded at the National Quartet Convention. Newcomer Frank Seamans was voted the Horizon Individual for 2005 and the group was nominated in several categories for 2006.
While leader Roger Bennett faced a recurrence of leukemia, Legacy Five pressed on, utilizing the talents of longtime friend, Tim Parton, to fill in for Roger at the piano. Over the next two years, the group released two more specialized recordings… the theme-oriented “A Little Taste of Heaven” and “A Cappella,” both produced by Tim Parton. They also expanded the Celebration franchise to include the Labor Day weekend for 2006, both events attracting sell-out crowds.
Roger’s health rallied after the second bone marrow transplant and the group recorded the “Live in Music City” DVD and CD at their Memorial Day Celebration 2006. From that same weekend, they released the “Friday Night Favorites” DVD and CD featuring requests and favorites from past recordings. Shortly after those tapings, Roger suffered another recurrence of leukemia and was scheduled for a third bone marrow transplant at M. D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, TX for October of 2006.
While Roger continued his valiant battle with cancer, the group called on Tim Parton once again to fill in. They recorded another brand new CD produced by Tim titled “Know So Salvation” and began work on their first ever Christmas CD. Roger’s health took a sudden turn for the worse in the beginning of 2007, and he passed away on March 17th. His funeral service was held at Brentwood Baptist Church in Nashville, TN with hundreds of gospel music artists and fans in attendance to honor Roger’s memory.
In the following days, Scott Fowler asked Tim Parton to join the group permanently and he graciously accepted the position. Tim commented that “there will never be another Roger Bennett… but I’m honored to have the opportunity to follow Roger at the piano for Legacy Five.”
Obviously, this is a new chapter for the group, but God is still blessing their efforts as they continue to fulfill their calling. The Christmas project titled “A Little Christmas” and the “Know So Salvation” CD have just been released to raving reviews and the group was once again nominated for several awards at the 2007 National Quartet Convention. Scott Fowler was voted as Favorite Lead Singer and Glenn Dustin garnered the Favorite Bass Singer award for the second time. The “Live in Music City” project was voted Favorite Album of the Year and Roger Bennett was posthumously awarded the Favorite Pianist for the 12th consecutive year. Roger will certainly be missed, but his music and influence will always be an important part of Legacy Five.
Scott Fowler has held the group together through some major challenges, but he recognizes it is the blessing of God that has sustained them… and he prays that God will continue to bless their efforts as they continue to press forward.
