The Booth Brothers

The Booth Brothers trace their origins to the late 1950s, when a teenage Ron Booth, Sr. assembled the first version of the group in Detroit alongside his siblings Charles Booth, James Booth, and Wallace Booth. The quartet performed throughout the local and regional circuit until 1963, at which point Ron Sr. dissolved the ensemble and joined the Toney Brothers. Although neither aggregation rose beyond the level of a neighborhood church picnic’s musical segment, Ron Booth, Sr. remained deeply spiritual and musically inclined; after his marriage he relocated southward to Brandon, Florida, where he raised two sons and trained them as musicians.

In 1990 the younger son, Michael Booth, revived the family name by inviting his father and his brother Ronnie Booth, Jr. to join him. Adding pianist Tim Sievert, the singers initially performed as Ron Booth & the Booth Brothers. When Sievert departed a few years later because of worsening hand ailments, the remaining members continued as a trio. They issued the self-released album Beyond the Cross with assistance from arranger and composer Mosie Lister. Their profile rose sharply following a 1993 appearance at the Grand Ole Gospel Reunion, prompting them to shorten the billing simply to the Booth Brothers.

The trio’s first Morning Star project, Praise God Anyhow, appeared in 1995. Upon Ron Booth, Sr.’s retirement he was succeeded by former Perfect Heart member Joseph Smith; after Smith exited, Jim Brady took his place. The configuration of Brady, Ronnie Booth, Jr., and Michael Booth sustained the group well into the following decade, issuing a succession of Dove Award-winning recordings. Brady stepped down in 2014 and was replaced by Paul Lancaster, whose first studio contribution came on the 2015 release Still. A live concert set, Gospel Favorites (Live), appeared two years later.