Rotating solos and four-part vocal harmonies, the Echoaires are a contemporary gospel group from the small town of Moscow, Tennessee, just east of Memphis. Joseph Johnson and Charles Houston formed the group in 1993 with the goal of combining testimony, harmony, and expressive chord progressions to move listeners. They self-released their first album, It's a Miracle, in 1997. After finding regional success with their live performances, they were invited to participate in the Gospel Music Workshop of America artist showcase in 1998 and 1999. Recorded live, their follow-up album, Determined to Make It, arrived in 2001. Over the next several years, they won gospel vocal competitions on both the regional and national levels, and toured with acts like the Canton Spirituals, Lee Williams & the Spiritual QC's, LaShun Pace, and J Moss. The group also underwent multiple lineup changes, including a recommitment to the project following the deaths of two members in 2003. In 2008, the Echoaires signed with Memphis label Ecko Records, which released Transformation: Live in Memphis, TN in early 2009. Ol' Skool, Nu Flava followed in the second half of 2010. With Joseph Johnson still leading the group, they came back with their fifth LP, Stronger Than Ever, in 2016, also on Ecko Records. ~ Marcy Donelson