The Mark Trammell Trio

If surrounding yourself with the right people is one of the keys of success, then Mark Trammell might be considered a 'master locksmith.' Since he was 15 years old, Mark has literally been surrounded by and sung with some of the most respected men in Southern Gospel Music including Ray Shelton, Eldridge Fox, Jim Hammill, Squire Parsons, Ray Reece, Tim Riley, Glen Payne, and George Younce. Taking on the mantel of mentor, Mark is now surrounding himself with two of the brightest young vocalists on the Gospel Music Horizon, Joseph Smith and Eric Phillips.

Joseph was born and raised in Alabama and has been following Southern Gospel Music all of his life. His first professional opportunity was with Perfect Heart. Since 1998, Joseph has been singing with The Booth Brothers. When Joseph heard that Mark Trammell was forming an evangelistic focused group, it was an opportunity he felt compelled to pursue. "I was fifteen when I saw my first Southern Gospel video" explains Joseph. "It was The Cathedrals and Mark was with them at that time. Since then, Mark has been the standard that I have measured myself by both musically and professionally. I'm grateful to have this opportunity to sing with Mark. I think our emphasis on ministry and evangelism sets us apart. The fact that we present the Gospel through the preached Word on Sundays is unique. Everything we do is toward the goal of reaching the lost and the hurting." Joseph is also an accomplished pianist and holds a Master's degree in Voice and Piano Performance from the University of Alabama. He and his wife Shawn have been married for six years.

Nearly twenty-five years ago, Mark Trammell as a member of The Kingsmen, shared the stage with one of Southern Gospel Music's best loved tenor singers, Ernie Phillips. Today, Ernie's son Eric Phillips sings tenor for the Mark Trammell Trio. Although his earliest memory of singing is being on stage with Squire Parsons, Sam Parsons, and his father when he was very young, Eric actually began his singing career a few years ago with some regional groups from the Carolinas. Most recently, Eric was the tenor vocalist for The Melody Masters Quartet. Like the others, Eric is very ministry minded. "It's all about the message," he states. "I want to be an encouragement to people and to share The Word through song to unbelievers. It's very humbling, yet also very rewarding when someone tells you how a song you've sung has been inspiring to them, or helped them in some way deal with a problem or difficult situation." Ever the tenor, Eric adds, "of course there's nothing like a good, fast, Gospel song with a high ending!" Eric is single and a graduate of Western Carolina University with a BS in Criminal Justice. A veteran of the Asheville Police Department, Eric retains his certification and continues to serve the citizens of Asheville as a reserve officer.

Mark Trammell has been married to his wife LeResa for twenty-four years. They have one son, eighteen year old Nick who will begin college in Fall 2002. Throughout his career, Mark has been privileged to perform in some very prestigious venues including Radio City Music Hall, Brooklyn Tabernacle, and the South Lawn of the White House. He has performed for President Jimmy Carter, and noted pastors/evangelists such as the venerable Dr. W.A. Crisswell, Dr. Charles Stanley, Dr. Tom Eliff, Dr. Bailey Smith, and others. It was on the Isle of Patmos that Mark initially began to understand God's call of evangelism. "For many years I literally fought the call of evangelism," explains Mark. "I've enjoyed these years of helping others fulfill their dreams while living out my own. But now, God has given me new dreams built on His calling on my life to combine singing and preaching. I came to the realization a few years back that God doesn't want me to be someone else. He wants me to be who He made me to be, and that is the goal for this trio. We are to be ministers of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and to live, preach, and sing in such a manner that no one feels or thinks we're trying to be something we're not. We are to be trusted stewards of God's blessings in our lives. We are to be faithful and obedient to God's leadership and to administer our ministry with integrity on sound and godly principles. The bottom line is for our families to be able to say, 'we're glad we lived in the home of a Gospel singer.'"