Reba Rambo-McGuire Talks About Rambo McGuire's New Historic Record "Rambo Classics"

Longtime gospel music favorites and popular recording artitsts, Rambo McGuire, are proud to announce the release of their debut StowTown Records album, Rambo Classics.

Dony McGuire and Reba Rambo-McGuire continue the family harmony as a trio with their daughter, Destiny Rambo-McGuire, joining them on vocals. The group continues a long Rambo family legacy of music, spanning three generations from the late Buck Rambo to his granddaughter, Destiny.

The brand new project features 14 famous, chart-topping songs written, and once performed by, the late Dottie Rambo. It also highlights the special legendary voice of Hall of Famer Buck Rambo during his final recorded album before his recent passing. 

Timeless famous classics like "If That Isn't Love," "The Holy Hills of Heaven Call Me," "On The Sunny Banks," "Sheltered In The Arms of God" and "One More Valley" highlight this very special project. 

Q:  Thank you for doing this interview with us. Congratulations on the release of "Rambo Classics."  This is indeed a historic project featuring three generations of the Rambos.  What inspired you to make this a three-generation project?  

Reba-

For months after Mama Dottie's untimely death on Mother's Day of 2008, we couldn't listen to her songs. It was just too painful. One evening, we were gathered around the piano with our children Destiny and Israel. We started talking about the early years of The Rambos and how many of the songs came to be.

I began to reminisce about my childhood in Kentucky. Friday nights brought spontaneous sing-alongs. Musicians & singers would come out of the hills and hollers with their guitars, fiddles, banjos, harmonicas and other instruments. They would gather on the front porch and sing till the wee hours of the morning. That grassroots sound was the inspiration and birthplace of Mama's early songs.

That night at the piano, our son Israel said, "Why don't we record some of GranDot's songs with the original flavor?" Slowly we began recording many Rambo songs in our home studio in that earthy mountain style, just as a part of our healing process. Some of our dear musician friends asked to join in. To our surprise and joy "Grassroots Rambos" won the 2012 Dove Award for Best Bluegrass project.

The National Quartet Convention asked Rambo McGuire to perform many of the songs on the main stage to honor and remember the Rambos. I'll never forget the overwhelming love and acceptance we received! When Dad Buck (NOT BUCKY) Rambo walked onto the stage, the crowd erupted in a standing ovation. From that moment to this, there has been a fresh demand for this timeless music.

With hundreds of beloved Rambo titles in our catalogue, the requests were great for yet another Rambo McGuire project. We were so thrilled when StowTown Records approached my husband Dony, our daughter Destiny, Dad Buck and me to put together a CD honoring some of our most requested songs. "Rambo Classics" is our latest and most precious offering of music.

Q:  Perhaps most moving is that the late Buck Rambo was involved in the recording before his death.  What was his involvement in this project?  And what memorable story can you remember from these sessions?

Reba-

Nobody has ever been a greater fan of The Rambos than my Dad. For several of the early years, he managed to work a fulltime job and sing with Mom several nights a week and every weekend. He believed in the songs and the sound. In his later years when he was very sick with cancer, if we could just get him on a stage he would come alive and sing flawlessly and effortlessly under the anointing...he loved it! Thankfully, before he became too ill, Dony was able to capture Dad's vocal on several songs including "He Looked Beyond My Fault And Saw My Need" and "Tears Will Never Stain The Streets Of That City." I'll always remember him singing in the studio with Destiny and me, his hands lifted to heaven. What a beautiful legacy He and Mama left us.

Q:  This new project is also your debut with StowTown Records.  What did the folks at StowTown Records bring to this record that you particularly enjoy?

Reba-

Our dear friends at StowTown Records have brought such support and enthusiasm to not only this project but also our lives! Ernie Haase, and Wayne Haun, (2 lifelong Rambo fans) in partnership with Landon Beene and Nate Gobal have jumped in over their heads to insure this music is celebrated and easily accessed. It's thrilling to know it will be distributed worldwide through Provident/Sony distribution.

Q:  I am sure this whole album means a lot to you.  What was it like to visit many of Dottie's compositions from the 60s for you?  

Reba-

Mama's songs have been such an intricate part of my life since I was a baby. I was privileged to be an eyewitness when so many of them were birthed through her into the earth realm. It was always a 'catch your breath' moment. Going through these songs was a personal trip down memory lane...priceless.

Q:  Dottie has written hundreds of songs. So how did you narrow your song choices?

Reba-

It was a monumental task! All of us brought our top 50 and we began narrowing it down. It's like asking a Mom with a dozen children, "Which one's the prettiest?" They're all special and unique! Finally, certain songs just kept rising to the top and there was a unanimous knowing they had to be included.

Q:  "Tears Will Never Stain the Streets of That City" is the single sent to radio now.  Talk to us more about this song.

Reba-

This is one of those songs that once The Rambos introduced it in 1974, it almost always remained on our program. Even when we tried to exclude it at times to make room for other songs, people would just yell out, "Tears!" The audience would start applauding and we happily sang it. Mama, Dad and I each sang a verse and every line was so poignant in the message. It's alive with hope.

 Q:   What is it about the songs of Dottie Rambo that make them stand the test of time for you? 

 Reba-

Mama loved people. She had a way of tuning into the common emotions of all races, gender, religious inclinations, and socio-economic persuasions. She could tap into the issues of the heart like no other writer of her time. She could converse with paupers, good ole folks and Presidents, and they all felt important and heard.

Her melodies were memorable and her lyrics both simple yet extraordinary. In my opinion she was simply the best. I believe her songs will live forever. 

 

 

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