The Isaacs are a bluegrass Southern gospel music group consisting of mother Lily Isaacs (b. September 20, 1947), daughters Becky (b. Aug. 2, 1975) and Sonya Isaacs (b. July 22, 1974) and son Ben Isaacs (b. July 25, 1972), along with John Bowman (husband of Becky Isaacs) as an instrumentalist and songwriter. Joe Isaacs, formerly a singer and banjo player in the group, has left since his 1998 divorce from Lily Isaacs. He now does solo work on a far more localized level.
Baritone Tim Surrett, a former Kingsmen Quartet bass player and lead singer, was a member of The Isaacs from 1997 until 2002. Surrett was married to Sonya Isaacs during this time period. They were able to hire Jesse Stockman, a fiddle player from NM (who had been playing with the prestigious bluegrass band Doyle Lawson and Quicksilver) from 2005-2010. From 2006-2008, they hired Kevin Haynie to play banjo and guitar (Kevin is brother to Aubrey Haynie, fiddler extraordinaire who is an A-list session player in Nashville having played on hundreds of recordings). Kevin and Jesse were able to raise them to new heights instrumentally, as is evident on the "Live from Norway" DVD recorded when the two were in the group. With already unequaled vocal harmonies and now top tier instrumentalists, they recorded their first crossover album at StarStruck Studios (owned by Reba McEntire) in Nashville, with Mark Bright (Carrie Underwood, Rascal Flatts) as producer. This album garnered the group their first Dove Award. Thomas Wywrot was a member from 2008 to 2011. Sonya Isaacs' husband, Jimmy Yeary, took his place.
Currently, The Isaacs consists of Sonya Isaacs Yeary, Lily Isaacs, Becky Isaacs Bowman and Ben Isaacs. On August 10, 2021, they were invited to become members of the Grand Ole Opry. The group were also inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame in 2021.
History The group's roots go back to 1971, when Joe and Lily Isaacs began a bluegrass band. Lily's parents are Polish Jewish Holocaust survivors. A few years after they were liberated from a concentration camp in Germany in 1945, her parents moved two-year old Lily to New York City, where, in 1958, she got a recording contract with Columbia Records and started performing in night clubs. While performing with his Kentucky band at the Gerde's Folk City, Joe met Lily and they were married in 1970. After Joe's brother died in an automobile accident, Joe and Lily became Christians, and the group began to perform only bluegrass gospel music. The group was initially named the Calvary Mountain Boys and later became Sacred Bluegrass before settling on the family name, the Isaacs. The group performed primarily on weekends, part-time, until 1986. As their son and daughters became old enough, they joined the group.
In 1992, the Isaacs moved from Morrow, Ohio, and settled in LaFollette, Tennessee.
Recording As the Calvary Mountain Boys and Sacred Bluegrass, the group recorded for Pine Tree and Old Homestead labels. As The Isaacs, they had more success with Morning Star Records and Horizon record labels.
Discography
Albums Year Album Peak chart positions Producer LabelChristianCountryHeatBluegrass 1988 Heartbeat Harvest At Nightline 1989 Family Chain 1990 A Labor of Love Morning StarLive at Hominy Valley 1991 20th Anniversary 1992 Live In Atlanta 1993 Songs to Remember Our Style 1994 Carry Me Tony Rice Horizon 1995 I Feel the Christmas Spirit 1996 Live: Mountain Praise Kim Ryan 1997 Bridges Ben Isaacs The Very Best of The Isaacs K-Tel 1998 Increase My Faith Horizon 1999 Pieces of Our Past Ben Isaacs 2001 Stand Still Ben Isaacs 2002 Christmas Spirit Ben Isaacs, Tony Rice Eye of the Storm Ben Isaacs 2003 Songs of the Faith 14 Ben Isaacs 2004 Heroes 19 45 31 Don Cook Gaither 2005 Bluegrass Preserved Horizon Radio Hits Lily Isaacs Bluegrass: A Cappella 2006 Isaacs Bluegrass: Sonya 2007 Big Sky 21 48 23 Mark Bright Gaither 2009 Naturally: An Almost A Cappella Collection 25 12 1 Bill Gaither, Ben Isaacs Spring Hill 2010 Christmas 31 5 2 2011 Why Can't We 47 25 3 2013 The Living Years 10 1 Gaither 2016 Nature's Symphony in 432 3 Isaacs House 2018 Favorites: Revisited By Request Gaither 2020 Songs for the Times Isaacs House 2021 The American Face
Video 2001: Live: Mountain Praise (Horizon) 2001: Pieces of Our Past (Horizon) 2002: Stand Still (Horizon) 2004: The Best of the Isaacs: Favorites from the Homecoming Series (Gaither Music Group) 2008: Live From Norway (Gaither Music Group)
Gaither Homecoming video performances 1996: When All God's Singers Get Home "Carry Me" 1996: Sing Your Blues Away "I Have A Father Who Can" 1997: This is My Story "Look What God Gave Me" 1998: Singin' With The Saints "I'm Gonna Move 1998: All Day Singin' At The Dome "Satisfied" (Sonya) 1998: Atlanta Homecoming "Daddy Sang Bass" (Sonya),"That's All That Matters To Me" 1998: Down By The Tabernacle "The Tabernacle" (Sonya), "The Least I Can Do" 1999: Sweet Sweet Spirit "Reaping In The Spirit" 1999: Mountain Homecoming "Did You Ever Go Sailin'", "Go Rest High On That Mountain" (Sonya) 1999: I'll Meet You On The Mountain "I'll Meet You On The Mountain" (Sonya) 2001: Passin' The Faith Along "I Wanna Be Ready" (Sonya & Becky), "Stand Still" 2002: Let Freedom Ring "The Star-Spangled Banner", "It Is Well (Elisha's Song)" 2002: New Orleans Homecoming "He Understands My Tears" 2003: Going Home "The Prettiest Flowers Will Be Blooming" 2003: Heaven "O Come Angel Band" 2003: Red Rocks Homecoming "When The Rains Come" (Sonya) 2003: Rocky Mountain Homecoming "Sweet Holy Spirit" 2003: Gospel Bluegrass Homecoming Vol. 1 "Is Not This The Land Of Beulah?" 2003: Gospel Bluegrass Homecoming Vol. 2 "Another Soldier Down", "He Ain't Ever Done Me Nothin' But Good" 2004: We Will Stand "When I Survey The Wondrous Cross" (Sonya & Becky), "Hebrew Lullaby", "If That Don't Make You Wanna Go" 2005: Hymns "Wayfaring Stranger" 2005: Israel Homecoming "Halleluyah", "Shalom My Home" 2005: Jerusalem Homecoming "Moses, Take Your Shoes Off" (Sonya), "Walkin' In Jerusalem", "Heroes" 2005: Mark Lowry Goes To Hollywood "Ha Ha Hollywood", "Friend 'Til The End", "Peace Like A River" 2006: Canadian Homecoming "It Is Well With My Soul", "More Than Ever" 2006: Live From Toronto "Great Is Thy Reward/Orange Blossom Special" 2006: Christmas In South Africa "The Savior Of The World Has Come" 2007: Amazing Grace "I Need Thee Every Hour", "I Surrender All" 2007: Love Can Turn The World "Everything Is Going To Turn Out Right", "Hear My Song, Lord" (Sonya) 2007: South African Homecoming "Umbrella" 2008: Country Bluegrass Homecoming Vol. 1 "There Is Power In The Blood", "Walk On", "I Know Somebody Who Does", "All Prayed Up" 2008: Country Bluegrass Homecoming Vol. 2 "Barbie Bandaids" 2008: Homecoming Picnic "Sally Goodin/Wildwood Flower", "The Sweetest Song I Know" (Becky), "Mama's Teaching Angels How To Sing" 2009: A Campfire Homecoming "I Have Found A Way", "Orange Blossom Special" 2009: Nashville Homecoming "The One I'm Dying For" 2010: Better Day "Mama's Teaching Angels How To Sing" 2010: Count Your Blessings "No Shortage" 2011: Alaskan Homecoming "I've Got Joy" 2011: Majesty "Little Bit Of Heaven", "When I Lift Up My Head", "Healing Stream" 2011: Tent Revival Homecoming "I Believe In A Hill Called Mount Calvary" 2011: The Old Rugged Cross "Consider The Lilies" (Becky & Sonya)
Awards and nominations Grammy Awards The Grammy Awards are presented annually by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States for outstanding achievements in the music industry. The awards were established in 1958. The Isaacs have been nominated four times.
|2016 |Nature's Symphony In 432 | rowspan=4| Best Roots Gospel Album
|2018 |Favorites: Revisited By Request
|2022 |Songs for the Times
|2026 |Praise & Worship: More Than A Hollow Hallelujah |
References
External links Official website of The Isaacs Interview with Lily Isaacs The Fishman Isaacs Israel Initiative