March 2003 ~ Featuring Glenn Dustin
A little over a year after I joined the Dixie Echoes, a new group came onto the Southern Gospel Music scene called Legacy Five. Since the Cathedral Quartet retired in 1999, their pianist Roger Bennett and baritone vocalist Scott Fowler teamed up to begin a new ministry. I remember when they began looking to fill the other three positions in their new group. I was in Franklin, Tennessee, working on a new instrumental recording with Roger Bennett as producer. While driving around town, we listened to a few demo tapes that he had received from singers looking to join the new group. They had already chosen their friend Scott Howard to sing baritone. For the bass position, they looked to my home state of Louisiana to find Glenn Dustin. As a matter of fact, both Glenn Dustin and Scott Howard are from West Monroe, Louisiana.

Glenn was born on October 9, 1969, as the second child of Terry and Linda Dustin. His older sister is LaVonne, and he has one younger sister, Lydia. Glenn and his wife Kristi were married on June 9, 1990. They have a seven-year-old son named Garrett. His hometown is West Monroe, Louisiana, but he now resides in Spring Hill, Tennessee.

He was saved in 1979 at Bethel Baptist Church in Louisiana. When at home in Tennessee, his family attends the Peoples Church in Franklin, TN. Glenn enjoys playing golf and most all outdoor activities. He really enjoys hunting. I asked about his influences and he told me that his mom was his biggest spiritual influence. As far as musical influences, he has three and they are all bass singers. They are the legendary George Younce, Tim Riley, and Richard Sterban. Since he has been with Legacy Five, he has had the opportunity to get to know and spend time with all three of these great singers.

Legacy Five started traveling in January of 2000, and Glenn has been there from the beginning. He joined them when he was thirty years old. When he found out that Roger and Scott were starting a group he called and inquired about the job. He states that after two auditions and a lot of begging, he was hired. Since he is from the same hometown as Scott Howard, I asked if they had ever sung together. Glenn told me that they were never in the same group, but they worked together often with their separate local groups. Besides singing bass for the group, his other road job includes keeping the bus stocked with drinks and snacks. When they get to a concert he and Scott Howard set up the sound system, then when the concert is over, it is his job to load everything into the bus.

The first year that Legacy Five was at the National Quartet Convention, the Singing News had a booth where folks could have a photo taken and put on a mock cover of the Singing News Magazine. That year Glenn Dustin, Scott Howard, and myself had one made. In the photo, we had our Gilligan hats on and each had a funny face to display. We each had a copy of the photo made and I have mine framed and in my house, I also have it scanned and on my website. If you ever have the time and want to check it out, go to www.stewartvarnado.com and go to my photos page, and to a page called Scrapbook Photos. When I talked to Glenn about this article, he told me that he keeps his on their bus.

If you have internet access, be sure to visit www.legacyfive.com for more information on Legacy Five and Glenn Dustin. I think that Roger Bennett and Scott Fowler have put together an excellent group and have surrounded themselves with not only great singers but also great personalities. Singing tenor for Legacy Five is Tony Jarman. I have been a fan of Tony's singing since I first heard him with Poet Voices. I knew Scott Howard before I even knew that he could sing. The first time I heard him sing was at a showcase at the National Quartet Convention, and I was amazed. Scott Fowler has always had a good strong voice and delivers a song very well. In a way, Glenn Dustin had some big shoes to fill. I'm sure that most people tried to measure his abilities to George Younce, since Legacy Five carries on the Cathedral legacy. However, I think that Glenn is making his mark in Southern Gospel as a vocalist with his own style and sound. If you have ever read anything about me, you would have read a lot about Roger Bennett. I have always made it very clear that Roger is my all time favorite pianist and has been my biggest influence. I only get to see these guys a few times each year, but always look forward to spending time with them and listening to them sing. I am looking forward to getting my copy of their London recording. My favorite recordings of theirs so far are the Heritage series, which features old hymns and quartet standards. Check their website and concert schedule to see when they will be in your area.