Karen Peck & New River

Karen Peck & New River originated in 1991 as a Southern gospel ensemble based in Gainesville, Georgia. Already an established vocalist, Peck had performed with the Nelons and the Rex Nelson Singers while also issuing solo recordings prior to assembling the group alongside her sister Susan and husband Rickey Gooch. Although personnel shifted across the years, the Peck sisters remained its core. The project ultimately became Peck’s longest-running and most prominent endeavor, producing nearly annual releases across more than twenty years that began with the 1995 Horizon album Live from the Alabama Theatre. Three additional Horizon titles followed—Unlimited later that year, Right on Time in 1996, and Makin’ a Difference in 1997—before the ensemble moved to Spring Hill for the ensuing decade. The Spring Hill catalog encompassed A Taste of Grace, Triumph, For His Glory, Good to Be Free, and Journey of Joy, the last of which received a Grammy nomination for Best Southern, Country, or Bluegrass Gospel Album. A Best Of compilation appeared in 2007. The group then joined Daywind, issuing Ephesians One in 2008 and earning a second Grammy nomination. Subsequent Daywind releases included No Worries and the 2010 Nashville-recorded Live at Oak Tree: The Series, itself a Grammy nominee. Jeff Hawes joined the lineup ahead of the 2011 album Reach Out, while the country-flavored Georgia Mountain Christmas arrived in time for the 2012 holiday season. Revival appeared shortly thereafter, followed by Pray Now in spring 2015. Former American Idol contestant Ricky Braddy replaced Hawes later that year. Relativity issued the career-spanning 25th Anniversary: Collector’s Edition in 2016.