July 2002 ~ Featuring Scott Inman
It's always been interesting to me how some families have an abundance of musical talent, whereas others may only have one person in the family that can sing or play an instrument. In Southern Gospel Music, many of our legendary names are groups in which two or more of the members were closely related. For example: the Speers, Goodmans, Hoppers, Greenes, and the list could go on and on. Even in the Dixie Echoes, there is the Shelnut family, in which Dale Shelnut was one of Gospel Music's premiere lead singers, and his sons (Randy and Andrew Shelnut) both sang, and now his grandson Randy Jr. is singing. Another great example of this tradition comes with a great young baritone vocalist by the name of Scott Inman.

Most all of you know Clayton Inman, lead vocalist of Won by One. Clayton is recognized as one of the best and classiest lead singers in Southern Gospel Music. Many remember Clayton from his years spent with the Singing Americans and the Kingdom Heirs. Well, this month I want to introduce you to one of my best friends, and Clayton's son, Scott Inman. Scott is currently the baritone vocalist and youngest member of the Poet Voices Quartet. He is a very talented singer and is following in his father's footsteps. However, I feel that once you hear this young man sing, you will realize that he is destined to become one of Southern Gospel's favorite baritones on his own merits.

Scott Inman was born on May 13, 1982, in Memphis, Tennessee. He is the son of Clayton and Michelle Inman. He has one younger sister, Jordan, who is 14 years old. He is currently 20 years old, and lives with his parents in Sevierville, Tennessee. In 1998, he was led to the Lord by a youth pastor at a youth event in Gatlinburg, TN. He is a member of the First Baptist Church of Sevierville, TN.

Scott really enjoys playing basketball and his favorite basketball team is the Dallas Mavericks. The first concert that he remembers ever attending was a Singing Americans concert, when his dad was singing with them. He says that his father has always been his biggest influence. He was also influenced by the Gold City quartet of the 1980's. He grew up in Southern Gospel music, and they were one of his favorite groups. Scott graduated high school in 2000, and then attended a Community College near his home for a year and a half, when he decided that college wasn't for him and he wanted to sing fulltime.

In October of 2001, at the age of 19, Scott joined Poet Voices. He states that Nic Holland, tenor vocalist of Won by One, had heard that Poet Voices were looking for a new baritone singer. So Nic told Poet Voices about Scott and after a few calls and an audition, he became their newest member. His jobs on the road with Poet Voices include setting up and working the product table, making sure that enough product is in stock, fueling and adding water to the bus, keeping the bus interior clean, and maintaining the groups website. I asked him if he drove the bus any, but he said that he was too young and the rest of the group didn't trust him behind the wheel. Since he still lives in Sevierville, TN, he has a two-hour drive to meet the group each week in Georgia.

He didn't sing in front of his first audience until he was seventeen years old. He said that he had stage fright. When he was seventeen, he felt God calling him to start singing, and then he was suddenly comfortable singing in front of others and on stage. He then sang in church with a church trio. His first professional opportunities included filling in with the Kingdom Heirs at Dollywood. On different occasions he sang lead and baritone with the group when members had to take off. Since Steve French, baritone for the Kingdom Heirs, is involved with the NQC board of directors and had to be gone for some concerts, Scott would step up and fill the position. He also filled in for Arthur Rice when he was out for back surgery.

Scott wants to thank all of the Southern Gospel fans for making his first year so enjoyable. He is very appreciative of the support given to him by his friends and family. He says that he has a very loving mother, who stays at home each weekend while he and his dad travel the country singing. She is a very important part of the success of both Clayton and Scott Inman. It is the prayers and love from the wives and mothers of Southern Gospel artists that makes it possible for these guys to do what they do.

As I said earlier, Scott is the webmaster for Poet Voices, so be sure to visit them online at www.poetvoices.com. There you can find their schedule for months to come, as well as photos and the latest news from the group. Even though I have only known Scott for a short while, he has really become one of my favorite baritone singers and people to be around. Phil Cross made a wise move when hiring this kid. This group is sounding better than ever, from having an awesome tenor singer like Dale Brock, and Tim Duncan taking care of the extremely low notes, to powerful songs and singing by Phil Cross. Scott really fits this group great, and he has already captured the hearts of fans everywhere that the group performs. Their latest recording entitled "Timeless 1" is available now and features the current group, including Scott Inman. I'm confident that you will enjoy Poet Voices in concert, so make your plans to see them soon.