Tracy Dartt Family in Concert October 7th!
6:00pm at Faith Baptist Church
THE DARTTS
Tracy Dartt was born and raised in St. Paul, Minnesota in 1944. He moved to California in 1959, and there graduated in 1962. He attended college classes at night, having to work during the day, but it wasn’t until 1990 that he finally received his B.A. from Baptist Christian University (Shreveport, LA). He completed his master’s degree from American Bible College (Pine Island, FL) in March of 2008, and is currently working on his doctorate. Dartt’s musical training began in high school. Thanks to his teacher, Mr. Richard Riggs, he excelled in music and drama. Dartt’s first experience in gospel music came in 1960 when he joined a teen choral, The Christianaires. In the fall of ‘63, Tracy received Christ as his personal Savior. In ‘65 he began singing bass in his first gospel quartet, The Stewards. In ‘68 he began singing with The Victors quartet in Hollywood, California. Shortly after His joining The Victors, they were given a contract with Capitol Records, and they released an album entitled “Brand New Feeling”. The title song was Tracy’s first attempt at song writing. His song writing mentor was his quartet partner, Al Harkins. Harkins’ tutelage, along with the insights received from writers and producers in Hollywood, helped to refine Tracy’s God-given song-writing skills. Dartt moved to Oklahoma in ’72, where he began singing with the famous Weatherford Quartet. After the Weatherfords, he worked for a time as a producer for Cam Records and laid the foundation for Sound Factory Music Company. Then it was back to California, where he took up partnership in a swimming pool construction company.
While in the pool business, Dartt & wife, Sharon, helped to form a new gospel group with June and Dale Wade and Larry Brown, called The Country Congregation. Tracy began his solo career in 1975. He wrote the songs and sang them too, as his wife, Sharon, accompanied him on the piano. In 1988, Tracy began pastoring the First Baptist Church of Auberry, California. He resigned the church after seven years, and in 1995 formed a family gospel group, The Dartts.
Music-wise, Tracy Dartt has written hundreds of gospel songs, many of which have been recorded by some of the finest groups and soloists in gospel music. Dartt’s songs include such notable titles as “The Last Sunday”, “Your Blesser Ain’t Never Been Blessed”, and “With Him” (recorded by The Cathedrals), “A Matter Of Policy (The Deacon Song)”, “God Stopped To Pick A Rose”, and of course his biggest hit song, “God On The Mountain”, which has been recorded over 200 times by artists such as The McKameys, Lynda Randle, Jake Hess, The Weatherfords, Jessy Dixon, Dixie Melody Boys, John Starnes, and many more artists in at least 8 different languages. In 1988, the McKamey’s live recording of “God On The Mountain” jumped to the top of the Southern Gospel charts, taking the #1 spot on the charts for 5 months in a row. The song was nominated for a Dove award, and during the 5 months that it was #1 on the charts, it drew more radio air-play points than any song in the history of Southern Gospel music up to that time. The song has been used on several of Bill Gaither’s “Homecoming” videos, and is used frequently in his “Homecoming” live concerts.
The Dartts, now in their 15th year, began with Tracy, Sharon, and sons, Forrest and Stone Mountain. Forrest left the group in ‘96 and The Dartts carried on as a trio. In 2005, they became a quartet once again, with the addition of BJ Speer. The Dartts travel coast to coast, border to border, and beyond. The group averages around 200 concerts per year. In 2007, The Dartts sang 210 concerts across 25 states, as well as 4 provinces of Canada. In 2008, in addition to singing 163 concerts across 22 states and making an appearance in Switzerland, The Dartts managed to move their home from the San Francisco Bay area to the Nashville Tennessee area. Currently, Tracy Dartt is awaiting approval for a kidney transplant. In the meantime, He and Sharon remain close to their Nashville area home in order to facilitate Tracy’s dialysis treatments, which he has 3 times weekly. Tracy has dealt with kidney problems and ongoing kidney stones for nearly 30 years now as a side-effect of a life-saving weight-loss surgery he underwent back in the 1970’s. These problems have increasingly worsened as time has passed, even bringing Tracy quite close to death in early 2004 due to the fact that one whole kidney was filled with a massive stone while the other kidney was starting to fail, combined with a severe allergic reaction to an antibiotic that he had been prescribed. Since then, doctors have been suggesting a kidney transplant for Tracy. In mid-2007, surgery was performed to UNDO the weight-loss surgery from the 70’s, thereby eliminating Tracy’s kidney stone problem, with not a single stone incident since that time. This procedure, combined with a modern technique to ensure Tracy’s weight remains stable, has paved the way for a possible kidney transplant, as even now testing is underway to find a volunteer kidney donor who is a healthy match. Tracy and Sharon hope for a transplant in the near future and would like to return to the road full time in 2011.
In the meantime, Stone Dartt and BJ Speer carry on the ministry of The Dartts full-time, having already made hundreds of appearances across the United States, Canada, & Europe. Stone Dartt says, “We have seen many people come to Christ already this year and we’re praying for many, many more. We’ve been blessed with a great opportunity to carry on The Dartts’ presentation of this thought-provoking, Scripture-filled, original music in such a wonderful variety of musical styles. We are singing the same music that fans of The Dartts have enjoyed over the last 15 years of our ministry, not to mention the many years of Tracy Dartt’s solo ministry before that. We are continuing to go on strong while Mom and Dad have to be off the road, and we are looking forward to going on strong – along with them – as soon as they are able to return to the road!”
The calendar continues to fill up as Tracy and Sharon do much of the office work and scheduling from The Dartts’ Tennessee home base. These challenges aren’t holding The Dartts back, as they continue to write new music and are excited to announce the release of their largest project yet, “The God On The Mountain Legacy“. Released in September 2010, this film, produced by Don Dartt, highlights the impact that Tracy’s song, “God On The Mountain”, has had on people the world over. Look for “The God On The Mountain Legacy” this Winter on the NRB Television Network! The film is available on DVD and Digital Download. Also, to be released this Winter, “The God On The Mountain Legacy” CD, celebrating the song-writing legacy of Tracy Dartt. Look for it at music retailers and online through iTunes and other digital music providers. Tracy and Sharon have 4 children, Donald, Florence, Forrest, & Stone; Don Dartt, the oldest, is a producer at TBN Nashville, and has a wife and 2 children. Florence McLain, has a husband and 4 children. She and her husband, Steve, a Major in the U.S. Army, are currently serving in Norway. Forrest Dartt, works for the Triton Boat Company in the Nashville area, and has a wife and 4 children. Stone Dartt, a partner in The Dartts, not only sings with the family group, but is also the sound man, graphic design artist, and bus driver. The Dartts have their own website at www.DarttMusic.com. The Dartts invite you to visit www.Darttmusic.com and to sign their guestbook as well as join their e-mail list. You are also invited to attend The Dartts’ home church, Napa Valley Baptist Church in Napa, California.
Faith Baptist Church 