The Dunaways
What is the history of The Dunaways?
In the early 1980's Randall only sang in the shower, Kanah wasn't born and I began writing and recording as a solo artist, but dreaming and praying of having a family Southern Gospel group like the Rambo's.
How did you get started in SG music?
The first recordings of a Dunaway in this family date back to 1982. Later Randall Dunaway, (my husband), Kanah our 11 year old daughter and myself began singing and recording as a family group in 1996. We followed up with another family album in 1997. We began to get a lot of regional airplay, and then we had 3 national radio releases after that. Our music ministry outside a local assembly came to a sudden halt in 1999 when we became pastor of a church in Philadelphia, MS. Almost 3 years passed before we recorded again, and Born Again Experience is our current project.
Is there an artist or group in the past or present who has inspired you in some way or another? If so,how?
The Rambo's gave us the music fever to begin with. We also fell in love with The Hinsons. Both of these groups just gave us such a strong spiritual foundation in our ideas about songwriting and Christian music. We have tried to stick to messages that are plainly put with our own music. The Isaacs are incredible and their style has rubbed off on Kanah because we wore their cassettes out during here growing up years. Bill Gaither and The Gaither Homecoming friends did us all a favor when they put out "Bloopers". They are a lot of fun and they allow us to see their human side. They all come across as just folks that are having a good time. That inspires us to have fun and enjoy this.
What are you doing now in SG music?
Right now we are just so thankful that people seem to be accepting our music. We are amazed at the opportunities and doors that the Lord has opened up for us and we are just very appreciative of it. We are just simply making ourselves, our ministry, and our music available to radio and in person and trying to reach people with our message.
What is your current single, project, schedule, website?
We have two singles that have been airing on national and network radio. He Kissed My Heartache was picked up by Solid Gospel in May and a few days later I'll Still Be Loving You was released on Daywind's radio comp #43 cut #4. The project is called "Born Again Experience" It is available through New Day Christian Distributors. Our schedule is posted on our website at http://www.dunawaymusic.com. Right now we are just easing into all of this traveling. We do pastor a church full time. We plan to travel Thursdays, Fridays, and somewhere on the way home on Saturdays. We are taking all of this a step at a time. Radio is our music ministry focus at this point.We are just trusting God to lead us to whatever is next.
What do you see for your future in SG music?
We are so amazed at the positive response we have experienced with this album so far that sometimes we really think this is just too good to be true. We keep thinking that surely it will all end tomorrow. But if God will give us the privilege and grace to see this continue then we hope to be active in Southern Gospel for the long haul.
What is your goal/calling?
God had mercy on us when we were no good for anybody, not even ourselves. When he set us free from a life of sin and gave us hope for a future and a life filled with his joy the only thing we wanted to do was tell it. We have been telling people what God did for us ever since. We always thought we would be traveling and singing. It was a complete surprise to us when Randall became an ordained minister. In fact if I can be honest, I really had a hard time dealing with that because God began doing something that I really didn't understand and something that didn't fit into my picture just the way I had pre-painted it. But in his time he has brought it all together to fit so perfectly in his plan. Our goal and calling is to be able to go as far as the Lord will lead us. We don't really know where that will wind up and we have learned that only he "really" knows.
Share your heart a little. Tell us about your life on the road.
Tammy loves it and will love it even better in a big ol bus. Randall doesn't like to drive too much� Kanah is 17, the life of the party. Sometimes we take our youngest Boston Terrier "Millie".
What are some battles you struggle with?
Well, I think the live performance has been our biggest struggle. It is a different ministry and we are so accustomed to a local church ministry that we have really had to work to develop our concert ministry. It is beginning to come together and we are getting much more comfortable in that mode now I think. We have recently purchased a new Mackie system and we have the equipment for multimedia presentations to be added to our program. The struggle there is we have one soundperson/multimedia person that is also a singer and keyboard player for the group. God is working it all out though..
What moments while ministering do you cherish most?
Sometimes you know that you know�you are really ministering to people. The tears fall, the hands raise, and sometimes the altars fill with hungry souls. I think I can tell this: We recently had a concert where a family attended. They had lost their son (a murder victim) a week or so before. As we sang the last song they came to the front and people just gathered around them and prayed that God would give them strength. We received an email from them later telling us that they were strengthened and ministered to through our music. We love to know that we are really making a difference.
Is there a difficult circumstance that you have faced in your life that has impacted your ministry?
Oh yes, do you really want to know? Ha ha. I have already shared a little about Randall becoming an ordained minister and when we discontinued our music ministry for a time to adjust to the pastorate etc� That was around 1999. We also have two recording labels and we had just built a small recording studio which was a big dream come true for me. We had a song that was doing pretty well at the time. I had some really great friends and singing buddies that lived close by too.
Well, God just said move and leave it all. We did it. Then the rain came. I wasn't prepared for what I was about to go through but I experienced a terrible depression for a year and seven months. I thought all hope was gone. It was a hard time for every member of our family.
One day I was going through an old notebook and I found some lyrics that were over 30 years old.
Take away the things that bring me pleasure, take every friend I ever knew, take away the things I fondly treasure, but through it all I'll Still Be Loving You�
I finally saw daylight and realized that God just wanted me to trust him and to love him no matter what he did with my life it was his. From that point on I began to heal and accept God's will for my life no matter what it was. Through all of this God gave me his dream which was so much bigger and deeper than my own!
Leonard Barrier was the writer of those lyrics by the way. He attends our church and was a past winner of the Solid Gospel national songwriting contest.
Can you share an experience or two in your life/ministry, where God has changed your way of thinking, blessed you abundantly, etc.
We have learned that we DO NOT have this all figured out. We have to simply trust and obey. When God opens a door we just walk through it. We have learned that if you try and force these things it doesn't work, only God can do it we just have to learn to wait and follow, wait and follow, etc�
He has blessed us abundantly by allowing us to do this. He blesses us in so many way that we can't begin to name them all!
What is God teaching you right now in your ministry?
Trust Me�
Is there a specific moment, while traveling on the road that is forever etched in your mind? (i.e. something extremely funny, scary, a blessing)
We have definitely had our share of experiences, and when we are more established and do not run the risk of being forever banned from Southern Gospel Music industry I will share�
When I say Southern Gospel Music, what comes to your mind?
The Kingsmen/Shake Hands with a Poor Boy
The Singing News Magazine
Watching Kenny Hinson sing Call Me Gone at NQC in Nashville
Diesel Fumes and chilly weather�
A lot of fun and excitement
What can we do as an industry to expand our borders?
To understand that God's ways are higher than our ways.
To have an open mind enough to give God liberty to work.
Does the image of SG need to be changed?
We are not only representing Southern Gospel as an industry but we are representing God. I think the industry has held a standard that we look clean and that we look like ministers of the "gospel". This is a noble view in our opinion.
If so, what are you/your group specifically doing to change the image of SG?
We try our best to look nice. My husband wears a suit and Kanah and I try to wear nice dresses or suits. We are just being ourselves really, this is what we wear to church, and we try to bear in mind what we look like while we are trying to tell somebody about Jesus. It does make a difference!
Are we seeing a change in the audience members at SG concerts?
Yes I think there is an increase in young appeal. There are also some strong young artists taking the lead in Southern Gospel this should be a welcomed sight to all!
What can we do to expand our music to a younger generation?
We need to do everything we can to encourage participation from young people! If it takes getting behind the traditional sound let's do it! If your granddaughter likes the sound of Lauren Talley�let's buy the tickets etc! Get them involved, help them establish relationships with other young people that come out to the concerts or sing in groups, whatever it takes it is better than what this old world has to offer!
And finally, what would you tell a young aspiring artist?
Hold on to your dreams and never let go until the day God himself requires that you let go. Then believe him for a much bigger dream!
Amy Marie
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Written: 07/31/2002 
Author: Amy Marie Unthank
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