First Baptist gets "contemporary" By COBY LaRUE Staff Things are getting more "contemporary" at the First Baptist Church of Sparta lately. The church has added an 8:45 a.m. service that includes contemporary Christian music by a group that formed within the church. The group named themselves "CrossTies" and they perform every Sunday morning at the church. The very large "rock style" setup band boasts the sounds of three guitar players, a bassist, a keyboardist, a drummer and several singers. In fact, every member of the group, with the exception of one guitarist, sings.

CROSSTIES - Practicing Monday night were (from left) Caleb Smith, Brian Galyean, B.J. Alexander (on keyboards), Marcie Galyean, Ricky Tucker (on drums), Sharon Tucker, Kevin Brooks and Terry Tucker.

The group's style is known as praise and worship in Christian music circles.

The band performs along the same lines as a church choir, providing music for the service, which is pastored by the Rev. Jim Pollard. One of the group's organizer's, drummer Ricky Tucker, said the group was formed shortly after he joined the church this past July.

"There's been a real need for a long time for the more up-tempo style Christian music," Tucker commented. "We wanted to reach out to the young people in the county."

The group obviously enjoys what it is doing - trying to blend numerous instruments and voices into the smooth riffs and melodies of gospel rock.

Tucker is a veteran musician who traces his musical career back to local bands in the 1980s.
 
 

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