VANCOUVER, Wash. (WordNews.org) March 31, 2012 – Sandi Patty just completed another leg of the Sandi Patty & Friends Tour that featured her friends Larnelle Harris, Wayne Watson, Clay Crosse and the group 4HIM.
Sandi said the time was right to bring out some classic songs with some friends from the past.
The idea came about last year when she, Harris and Watson were at an event together.
“We were just kind of reminiscing and thinking about how a lot of people are loving going back to hear Earth, Wind & Fire and Chicago and we thought, ‘You know what? We’re very 80s. Maybe we should think about doing some kind of throwback tour.’”
It’s been a hit for the friends, who have received a number of awards among them.
Sandi, who earned the nickname ‘The Voice’ with five Grammy awards, four Billboard Music Awards, three platinum records, five gold records, and 11 million units sold, is the most awarded female vocalist in contemporary Christian music history with 40 Dove Awards.
She’s released more than 30 albums, including her latest Dove Award winning album, The Edge of the Divine.
Larnelle has won five Grammy awards, 11 Dove Awards and a number of Male Vocalist of the Year awards.
Larnelle and Sandi have recorded some of the all time greatest duets, such as “I’ve Just Seen Jesus.”
Waye has also received several Dove awards and sings a duet with Sandi, “Another Time, Another Place.”
Joining the team on this most recent leg was multi Dove Award winning artists Clay Crosse and 4HIM.
“They just seemed to spark some familiarity with the audience and that was really awesome,” Sandi said.
The friendships have remained, Sandi said, even after so many years apart.
“It’s such a gift to reconnect with dear friends after so many seasons of life. You can go through ups and downs.You kind of are part of each other’s ministries in the very beginning. Then you kind of go different ways but you hear about each other,” she said. “And to come back and say, ‘How are you? How’s life?’ To reconnect and remind yourselves why you were such good friends in the first place. It’s been such a sweet thing.”

This is the first in a series on Sandi Patty. Come back next Saturday for the next installment.