Starting Your Own Gospel Group Bio – Dan Keeton

At age 4, Dan Keeton would face his dad's alcoholism, the divorce of his parents, child abuse from a step-mother and a foster home.

At age 11, he moved to Kentucky where he found his Grandmother's box of gospel cassettes. On that first tape he heard Sister Vestal Goodman say that he could be one of God's children and be saved.

So when the tent was set up across the street from Grandma's house and they began playing some of this same music, Dan was compelled to go see. Not only did he see, but he found that Vestal was right; Dan gave his life to Christ that day.

For the rest of Dan’s bio: http://www.keetonsong.com/biography.cfm

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Attention to Detail

Usually, I would sign an agreement after scanning over it (yes, that's not smart). But lately, I've had to pay closer attention to these documents. As the economy gets worse (geeze, like we haven't heard that enough), people are grasping at straws and doing things they normally wouldn't, with hopes of more money. This is not in Gospel Music only. People's hidden agendas are coming to the forefront, so to speak.

An agreement from a promoter recently, had me agreeing to 15% of all future dates I book, within 100 miles of him. Whoa there Trigger! Am I reading this correctly?

"All future bookings you get for your group in this area must go thru "#############" With a 15% booking fee attached."

OK, read it again. Yes, that's what it says. If I sign this agreement and perform at this concert, all future bookings I get in this area, will have to go thru them and I must pay them 15% of all I make. After contacting them, I was assured, "this is not what that meant". After a "back and forth" I was told, "you do not have to sign it, but don't tell anyone".

Sometimes a promoter will stipulate that you cannot book a concert within a certain amount of miles, for a certain amount of time, prior to and after their concert. This is common practice. However, it is accompanied by a substantial flat, paid to the artist. The agreement I received from this promoter, only stipulated a "reasonable" amount of time and an uncertain honorarium, possibly up to $500 for two days performance. $500 doesn't even come close to covering my expenses to their area for two days. Do you think I agreed to this, uh NO and NO, oh wait, let me think about it...ahh, NO.

It is difficult enough, having to book dates and coordinate tours, getting from one place to another with money to spare. Only to have to deal with someone who sits in one location, trying to dictate where I can go and when I can go, only because I performed at their concert. And I didn't even come close to clearing my expenses.

There are drastic changes coming to The Dan Keeton Quartet. They are new and exciting changes! I am out to reach people. But, the same old stuff and the same old ways aren't, "compelling" anyone. My aim is a little off target. I have been aiming at the church and the Christian. A little more to the left, Dan. There, Dan, right down the middle, is the un-churched, hopeless and helpless man, woman and child going through hell in their life. While, here we are singing to and trying to impress each other. I am as guilty as anyone.

You don't have to be like them to reach them. We do however, have to be, "in the world" but not, "of the world". I have a plan to drop the nets on the other side of the boat.

We'll see what happens.

Dan Keeton
The Dan Keeton Quartet 

comments and suggestions
dan@dankeeton.com