Praise Music. Keeping the love for Jesus alive!
Sixty Years and Three Generations of Gospel Music
Generations of Praise is compilation of songs from three generations over the past sixty years, to include my maternal grandmother (Dolly), Mom (JK), and me (RK).
1-I started writing Jesus is My Friend in about 1984 at twenty-four years old. I had basically the first two verses and part of a chorus in 1984 but just could not find the words to complete the song. Over the years I would make several attempts to complete the song but I could never make things fit. In 2025, I kind of got it together even though the melody was completely different from the original version. I made a few revisions in 2026 for what is now the song on the album. I have included male and female vocals versions (tracks 1 and 10). (by RK)
2- The Final Call started out to be rough draft for a song to say what I was feeling about the Last Days. It blows my mind that only eight people in the entire world survived the Great Flood (Noah and his family). Some of the lyrics are from verses straight out of the Bible. Consider it a wakeup up call, a warning to not play around and miss out on eternal life in Heaven with our Savior Jesus Christ. I let a friend hear this version, explaining this is a working idea of a song. He seemed to think it was complete. Well, there you are. I moved on to my next musical inspiration. (by RK)
3- He Will Answer Your Prayers, A song written by my mother in 1977. I updated the music and vocals while keeping the original underlying melody and original lyrics from her original recordings. (by JK)
4- A Godly Plan, a song I created from a poem I wrote in about 1986. (by RK)
5- On Heavenly Mother, I created it from the hand written lyrics I found in some of my mom’s doodles. She was always writing a love letter to Jesus, or lyrics for another Gospel song. She never did anything with this song. I was delighted to hear what it would sound like. I must admit it choked me up when I heard it. I could see my sweet grandmother and mom in the song. (by JK)
6- What a Wonderful Savior, another song by Mom in 1977. I updated the music and vocals from a Southern Gospel sound to a more Contemporary Gospel style while keeping the original underlying melody and original lyrics from her original recordings. (by JK)
7- When Jesus Comes, one of several gospel songs written by my grandmother. This song was written in 1965 when she lived alone in a very small house in Armona, California near one of her daughters. However, she was a native of Arkansas, where she was born and died in 1987. At a very young age I remember hearing Grandma Dolly play and sing her songs on her guitar she bought at Western Auto for $12. Of all of her songs, this is the one that was most memorable to me. I always remember calling it “It’s Raining Now,” from the words in the song. She told me the line in verse 1, “It’s raining now and I’m fenced in”, is referring to her feeling fenced in by the four walls of her small home. Yet, she continued that she had the Joy within. (Grandma Dolly)
8- Jesus My Lord, A song written by my mother in 1977. I updated the music and vocals while keeping the original underlying melody and original lyrics from her original recordings. (by JK)
9- The Holy Trinity, It was probably around 2006 when I wrote this. I had actually forgotten about it until many years later when I found an email where I had sent the letter to my mother. I have since taken poems or writings and created laser engraving, or songs from them. I figured it was better than my thoughts scribbled on a piece of paper just buried in a drawer or box and forgotten. (by RK)
10-Jesus is My Friend, (Female version) see notes on # 1. (by RK)