How to Get Good Tone on the Hammond Organ with Ralph Lofton

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Ralph Lofton shares his journey from playing at Sunday school to collaborating with renowned artists such as Aretha Franklin and BeBe & CeCe Winans. He offers insights on mastering the Hammond B3 organ, emphasizes the importance of dynamics, and provides advice to aspiring musicians. Ralph also discusses his upcoming projects and shares personal stories about his musical influences and career challenges. Tune in to hear Ralph's expert tips and experience his incredible talent firsthand.

Ralph Lofton

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Welcome to the Worship Keys YouTube channel. My name is Carson Bruce, so glad you're here. We talk all things music theory, gear, industry and ministry for your worship keys playing. If this episode is beneficial for you or you have any questions as you continue to watch, feel free to comment below and I'd love to hear any feedback that you have along the way. So let's get into today's episode. So glad you're here today and ending the whole month. For the organ specific episodes, I have Mr. Ralph Lofton. Welcome to the podcast, sir. Thank you, Carson. It is a pleasure and an honor to be here. I'm glad and excited for you inviting me. I am literally in the presence of greatness and so thankful to God that you've come onto the podcast to share your knowledge on the Hammond Be three organ. You've been a legend in Nashville for a long time and really just, nationally and on many projects over the years. Yes. But I think you were saying you, you've been featured on over 500 projects. Yeah. We just found a count from all music.com, how they track. Yes, sir. Different artists, musicians and different things that you do on any project that you work on. They have laid out that. If you produced it, you played organ on it, you played piano, any keyboard instrument whatever it is that you did on it, they label it out. And turns out we have played on the last I checked, and that's been several months ago. And I've done so much stuff since then that it was like 500 and counting crazy. Yeah. And so you've been on projects with Aretha Franklin? Yeah, I toured with Aretha Franklin. You toured with Aretha Franklin? Yeah. Tell us a little bit about that. 'cause that's really cool. A producer friend of mine introduced she was looking for organist at the time. Before she had passed away. And I was on my way to choir rehearsal one evening and get a phone call from an unknown number. And usually I don't answer. Yeah. But. Some in my spirit said, just answer the phone and answered the phone and it was her. Wow. And said who she was and said she had gotten my number and name from Sanchez Harley, who's a great producer and wanted to know would I be available to do some dates with her. And you say Aretha Franklin, you're like, yeah. It was about three years before she passed away. Okay. Okay. Gotcha. Yes, sir. I can't remember exactly what year, but it was about three years before she passed away. That's amazing. And you've worked with CC and BB Winans? Yeah, BB and CC Winans. I toured with them back in the late. Ear the late eighties into the early nineties. Awesome. From the project they did heaven. Okay. I did that tour with them. That's amazing. So cool. And lots of others. You mentioned Kirk Whale. Kirk. Kirk Whale, yeah. Kirk, you, yeah. That's my buddy. Yeah. Yeah. We've been knowing each other for years and we worked on each other's projects. One of the most fun people that I like to work with. Serious player knows what he wants and he gets it. And I just love working with him. And we've been friends for years. That's amazing. Guys, you're about to hear Mr. Ralph Lofton play. You've probably heard him before on albums and singles that you just didn't know it was him. But now we get to, you'll see his hands here. Got a overhead shot on camera so you can see him play and hope you enjoy him. And then he's gonna give some of his best tips, best advice for organists. It's gonna be incredible episode. If you enjoyed it, please let us know in the comments and if you've been here since the beginning of April, following along, thank you for taking the time to do this. I hope it's been beneficial for you. Let us knowCarson@theworshipkeys.com. Email me. But Mr. Ralph Lofton has tons of music that's out and available. We're gonna link everything we can of yours, Ralph, here in the description and on the show notes of podcasts. Great. So that people can check that out. You're gonna hear later on about some music he's working on. So let's get into the episode. Uh, this next song is another hymn of course. It's something that I'm actually working on. I'm working on a new hymn project that I'm gathering songs putting pretty much different. List of hymns that I'm gonna be doing on. This one's a little different than some of the other hymn projects that I've done. This one is going to be more kind of traditional ish what we're doing with this one. And this is one called Blessed Quietness. We kinda tease our grandkids when they sneeze as opposed to saying, bless you. We'll say Blessed quietness. And they just think that's the funniest thing. And it I always have fun when I play this one. It's a uptempo that I made it a uptempo rhythm. So that's the title of it. Blessed Quietness. So when it comes to the organ, what are some go-to things that you think every organist. Should know whenever they begin to approach the organ. Tone for one is always very important with me. And I stress that a lot in some of my online posts when I do, talk about certain things regarding Oregon especially to a lot of younger players even some seasoned players as well. Um, everybody has their own way of setting draw bars and setting what they deem to be good for them as far as the sound, the tones the highs and the lows. But I'm more of a warm player. I always like for my settings to be more warmer than, as opposed to a lot of high end stuff it, over the years, it's just worked better for me. But that's one of the keys that I think is very important is to, hear your tones match, especially if you are accompanying singers or other musicians. Match your tone with the song, match your tone with with, uh, the vibe of the song. And definitely when you're dealing with singers match that tone so that you're not out playing them or you're not out sounding them with so much high end stuff that people won't enjoy the vocalists for instance. And a intro. I could start an intro with a more aggressive. There, and then we'll drop it to mellow it out a little more. And you can make adjustments as you're playing. Bring a little high end in and fatten it or thicken it if you want it a little bit more. And as it rises up, uh, though, that just those two, maybe three different sounds that you were hearing are usually a lot of my go-to. Are a lot of players, that pull every drawbar out. Now, I not said this to people before. That's one thing you would never, ever hear me do. I just think that is just, I know it works for, for different people, for different songs. But for me, I just think that is just too much of an aggression for instance. See, that's all gritty and not a good grit, if you would. That may not make sense to some people, but it's just too, what is the word I'm looking for? I guess gritty would be a good terminology. Distorted, gritty, distorted. Distorted, yeah. Would be a good terminology for that. I'm just always one that's under, under that. And if I'm gonna be in, at aggressive at any point with that, mine won't be no further. Something like that. How important is the left hand technique with the organ and how have you developed that over the years with your left hand specifically? Very important, especially if you're playing by yourself. Left hand plays a great part in. Chord movement. If there's a point where you want to do a solo line or something in a song, and you need to have that left hand to approach with some type of chord structure to back that right hand up. I've over the years, because now I've been playing for 60 years I developed early on in my growing how to operate my left hand. And it's all in practice. A lot of times you practice double hand scales, so that your left hand can be just as aggressive as your right hand can be. Your left hand should not be kinda left to the side. And good terminology left not left to the side, but be just as efficient as your right hand can be. And that way in your chord movements your left hand can play just as many notes as your right hand can be, which fattens up the sound of any chord or any part of the song that you're doing. So left hand is very important. That's awesome. When did you start playing organ? Tell us a little bit about your beginning days on the organ. I started playing my, of course piano was the first instrument I started playing at age nine. And the story of that is we were in Sunday school at at church church that I attended in Memphis Tennessee. And wasn't even, interested in instruments or playing or just the thought of music itself, even though I like to listen to music. But six years old, nine years old, you don't really think about those kind of things. And the superintendent of the Sunday school, just all out of the blue size, she's going to call. And they used to call me Little Ralph when I was younger. 'cause my dad's name was Ralph. And so they called me Little Ralph and she said, why don't you come up to the piano and we are getting ready to close the service, so come up to the piano and play. And I was looking around no, I don't play. And she said, yeah, we know. But anyway, just come on up. And being obedient as children, we were, always told to obey your adults. And so I said, okay. And she said, we're just gonna sing. And if you feel led just start playing. Yeah. And so I'm saying myself, no, I don't know what to do with this. And so they started singing Jesus Keep Me Near the cross. Yeah. And as they were singing, I just put my hands on the keys and went, and from that point Okay, not understanding God's anointing and what was happening. Yes. And I realized then, wow. Okay. And since, that's where it all started. And since then, and I actually have that, that that testimony on a project that I have from my heart to yours. Wow. And it's a piano project, and I recaptured that moment Wow. On the project. And gave the the lady, the the thanks for seeing the vision Wow. That was being placed in me and being anointed to do what I'm doing now. That's incredible. That's so good. Who, as a child, who were the people you were listening to the most? What music were you consuming? Who were your inspirations musicians that were in Memphis. That were older than I was of course. And they church was all we did, that's all we knew. During the week there, there was Tuesday service, or Wednesday service, or Bible study or prayer meeting. And Sundays, we would leave for Sunday school in the morning and wouldn't come home until after eight o'clock at night because we had been in church all day on Sundays. But these musicians that, would listen to in Memphis one name is Sherman Hilton. He's a pastor in Memphis now. Him this other guy who's deceased, his name is David Flagg. He was like a take six player. Oh yeah. That kind of vibe. And listening at the kinda stuff that he did, it would just blow my mind to hear somebody play chord like that. And another fellow who's also passed away name is Jesse Butler. He was an albino and he used to call him spooky and but he was a jazz player. Okay. And, but he played gospel. Yeah. Played in church and would play in the clubs on Saturdays, Uhhuh, but he was one of those cats and him and David played together. And to hear the two of them playing and meshing those styles together was incredible. And so I would just sit and watch and listen to them. And Sherman introduced me to these musicians and so as a few others, but those were the type of, those were the people that I listened to growing up and they. Instilled in me the insight of how to be created with your own way of playing. That's good. And just take on own your own self and take on your own style and not necessarily want to play like somebody else. And so those, there was several others. I can't think of their names right off the top of my head. And then once I, got into music, I started listening to, of course Stevie Wonder. Oscar Peterson. Yeah. Names like that. And, earth, wind and fire. Those kind of, I was just always amazed at their creations and how, they approach creating music and would just sit and listen to that stuff and try to play it and learn it the way I was hearing it. Yeah. And then just put my own touch to it. That's amazing. That's amazing. What was your first professional project that you worked on that you remember that you were paid to be a part of as a musician? Right off the top of my head I'm sure I'm skipping something, but right off the top of my head when I moved to Nashville I started working with Bobby Jones. TV show, Bobby Jones Gospel, Bobby Jones and his group knew life and there was so many opportunities. That was when I first moved to Nashville and was trying to find my way through who was doing what, how can I become a part of this professional community? And I got the opportunity to meet the music director who was then Derrick Lee. He's also deceased now, but he was the one that, saw something in me that matched his style of playing and wanted me to become a part of them. And so I was hired to be the second keyboard player for Bobby Jones Gospel. And from that part, I I was able to start getting sessions to actually make a living off of so I would have to say Bobby Jones would be one of the first, because this was a television production. And it was one of the things that really opened up the doors for me to start becoming more of a professional. That's amazing. Who has been what artist has been maybe one of your favorites to work with over the years? What project really, you've worked with so many artists and different projects, we wouldn't even have the time to talk about all of them on the podcast here, but what are some memories that you have that are some of your favorite over the years? Kirk Whale. Kirk, Willem and I, we've been knowing each other since we were teenagers. He's also from Memphis. That's awesome. And we used to play together in Memphis. His dad was pastor of back then, wasn't called a mega church, but it was one of the bigger churches in Memphis. Yeah. And I would always like to go over and just visit them when I wasn't doing anything and his dad would never allow me to come. And not just come and sit and enjoy the service. He'd see me come in and he's I don't know why you're sitting back there. You need to come on up here, Uhhuh. And so with that, Kirk and I would play together during the services and we lost touch because he moved away. And somewhere after that I moved away. And in the midst of working so much, we reconnected and we've been working on each other's projects. But I love working with him. He's one of the greatest human beings that, that I know on this planet. Wow. And I just love working with him. So he works on my stuff and I'll work on his stuff. Yeah. And we trade back and forth. But him is definitely one that I would pinpoint. That is awesome. So you are known for being the Hammond B three organ guy, especially here in town. You've been known. For that for a while. And of course you love piano. Can you tell us a little bit like your love between piano and organ and how you tell us how you became known for doing the organ work. There's a lot of guys that can play keys and organ. But tell us a little bit about how you became known for specifically doing the Hammond B three organ parts for a lot of these projects. Okay. A lot of it stems from me being seen on Bobby Jones gospel. 'cause I did that show for about 10 years or so. And, that was like, national, international visibility. And that's how people started to recognize me because I played Oregon on the show. Plus I had keyboard set up. On organ and on my right. Okay. And but it was the organ that most people listened to and they would tell me that, man, I saw you on Bobby Jones playing that organ. And so from that, people would see me record companies would see me, and producers would see me and heard the sound. And the sound was just recognizable. And from that point, is where I started just getting sessions to play organ for a lot of choirs, a lot of vocal groups, solo artists, and that's where it all stemmed from. That's awesome. With your technique, I want to go back to the organ here a little bit. Okay. With the technique. So you play so dynamically. There are other people that. Almost overplay. To a degree. Which there's a time and place to, to really go at it, but talk us through why you're so intentional with your dynamics. And I know you already talked about you don't, you hardly ever have all the draw barss out. But talk about for people that are learning the organ or want to learn the organ, how important dynamics is for your playing. It is very important. And the key word you used there was intentional. I I'm very intentional especially when it comes to accompanying. It's a difference in playing by yourself as opposed to accompanying somebody, whether it be an instrumental person or a vocal person. You have to. Put your mindset on making sure first it's not about you. It's about being intentional to make sure what that vocal person or instrumental person is singing or playing to accompany that and make sure that you are the bed that they sit on. Yeah. Yeah. And not making it about you and how well you can sound, or people can recognize what you are doing. 'cause if you're doing the right thing with that, you will be recognized. So it's all about being intentional. That's good. Tell us a little bit of some of your favorite rifts to do on the organ. I know there's some fills and whatnot, and we talked about placement, so it's not all about the rifts and whatnot, but what are some of the favorite fun. Little organ rifts that you like to throw in there? Maybe between like right before a chorus or a bridge or some moment if you're called to solo or do something fun. What are some go-to things that you normally grab for on the organ? The top row of the organ, there's a percussion unit. And this one is of course is not as effective as it would normally be, but in, finding. Spots and placements areas where you want to add something. I would use something like that. As opposed to just adding chords, find notes that would accompany somebody singing a particular line and be dynamic in adding something to that to make their movement be more noticeable. There are other little things on the lower register in the preset where I became known for using, and one producers, uh, started labeling it as, call it the birdies. And it's a little thing that. That kind of thing or something like that. And just finding spots, to put it in and just little notes, not always big chords that, unless it's necessary to add that in. But it is always, fun to be creative enough to, find spots to get in and get out. Not necessarily always playing the big chords to, hold up because if there's so much other stuff, if there's a piano, there's electric piano, if there's horn parts, or if there's some string parts going, you wanna make sure that you're not fighting against all of that and just finding little areas to go, stuff like that. Little things like that. Yeah. How difficult is it when you're going from piano to organ when you don't have a sustained pedal? Does that have any difference when you started to play a lot of organ? Not well, for me it didn't. Yeah. Because I understood the process that, definitely piano and organ are two different instruments, right? You figure out that, you don't have a sustained pedal, so you have to lay on the chords, unless it's something rhythmic. Like that. And knowing how to and when to hold onto a court and knowing when to be a little more percussive with it. Absolutely. What's piano's definitely different though. Yes. What are some of your favorite percussive techniques? Like when you're really getting into it and going back and forth, how do you get those eighth notes, 16th notes really working for you? What are some tips there for people? Here's one. Uh. Yeah. Yeah. I love that. So let's talk about a little bit of church world for a minute. So you're now playing back in, you've been playing back at church here in Nashville, you said. Juliet, right? Talk about when you are playing at church, the role that the organ plays specifically at your church, and maybe others can relate to this. When are you playing during the service? Are you playing under the pastor as well? When do you guys how often do you play all throughout the service? You find the moments. One of the things I like to always implement is, or to make sure people understand musicians. You have to read the room and have to understand the flow of what's going on in the service. Who's of saying what? Particular thing. Sometimes someone can be talking and it is not necessary to play anything. But when you are really in tune with what's going on in service, enough to know to stay out, um, you don't ever really want to have a rhythm thing going on. Specifically just say there's someone of given announcements and you might not have to play anything. Or if it feels like it needs a little undertone, then you just add some things. Uh, and if they are speaking and then there's something that goes on where their tone maybe goes up, you can just kinda lift up with him and then find your way back down. How do you know when to play in the top or the bottom? It's a feel, just a feel for it. Yeah. It's a feel. And you again, you're being in tune with the mood of what's going on and you never want to overshadow, it's just that you're being a bed. For, someone to, to stand on top of and do what they're doing without you making it known that your presence is here too. Uhhuh, it is the key word is for me is always read the room. That's good. Do you ever use that reverb knob over there? I don't. I I think most times Oregon has enough reverb. I think reverb only works for me in the studio. I wouldn't want it in a live setting because if say in this room particularly it's a big size sanctuary and it's enough echo in this room to give you the reverb sound that you need without adding extra. Yeah I think it's safe to say I don't know any organist who is using the reverb knob. Regularly. Yeah. 'cause all of them's funny there. Yeah. All of them don't have 'em for one. Okay. Yeah. These are just, these are like specific add-ons that people would do when they do but the organ itself, the B three the normal B three or C3 or a 100 don't always have, uh. Reverb units and for those things are usually modifications. That's good. You talked a little bit about when you were younger that you kinda learned how to play creatively. And that's when you, it really gave, it really launched you into playing creatively. How do other people approach building their own personal style on the Hammond B three? So like you have over the years. How would someone else go and approach that as well to finding out that? I think that it's all in the mindset, that you have the unction to want to create something from yourself. It is never nothing wrong with, learning from others and picking up. Tips and things from other people, how they play. But you, I think it benefits you as an individual to try to be different, than I, I don't want to sound like somebody else. I don't want to sound like somebody playing something specific. Even if it's something that I like when I hear it, I wanna still be able to be who I am so that when you hear me, you recognize what I'm doing as opposed to saying he sounds like somebody else. So I think it's always best for any keyboard is organist to make sure that you are working on what works for you and how things can better what you are doing as opposed to just wanting to sound like somebody else. That's good. Yeah, that's good. Now, you've been a musician for 60 years. You've been an organist for 50, is that right? No organist organist for about, I started playing organ about. A year, a half, maybe two years after I learned piano. Oh, okay. Okay. So I've been playing organ since I was a kid. Gotcha. Wow. Okay. Yeah, I started out on piano and once, because we had to organ at church, but, I didn't know anything about it, so I wasn't gonna go messing around with it at the time. But yeah, about a year and a half or so after I had started playing piano enough it interest me to see how it, this thing works. 'cause I knew it was different from a piano. And I just took on, took it on myself to just start messing around with it and figuring out what all of these little things were and how I can make it work to be able to play it. Yeah. Yeah. That's good. So over the years, the many decades, what. What have you seen changed over the years as far as style, technique, the way people are playing, maybe even mindsets of other musicians, what have you. From your perspective, what have you seen kind of change and what have you seen all stay the same over the years? All stay the same pretty much over the years. For me, I've been doing what I do now. Once I really learned the organ my drawbar settings haven't changed. There are players do a lot of different things. There are some players will make, uh, adjustments when they play. Just say for instance, like this, you got this going. Know this wrong one. They can around and just do little different things like that. But for the most part, there has not been any major changes with organ players and how the organ is treated. It, 'cause once you do you have a certain amount of drawbar on each platform, so there's not a lot that you can do, but it's all about your creativity. Yeah. And how you take an approach to a song which you wanted to sound like throughout a song. That's awesome. Now, you were recently featured at the Nashville Jazz workshop. How was that? Tell us about that. Oh, wow. That was that was my second time actually being featured as a solo artist. Organist. That's awesome. I went last year did one in May with just myself Marcus Finney on drums, and Jay White on bass. And I. David Rogers, who is the director there the executive director we were talking after that and he was telling me the great response that they had gotten from the first show. And he said, man, we got to have you back. And so I said, okay. And then just studying what I had done the first time. I said, how can I make this better? So I made the band better. I built a bigger band and took on a full rhythm section this time. And but it was incredible. The musicians Lance Lucas was on Keys. Jay White was on bass. TJ Fuller was on guitar. And Ricky Dridge was on drums. And these guys, I gave them the music that I wanted to play. They studied and, I felt like I was recreating those projects all over again with these musicians. And we had a almost so out crowd. And the vibe was really good. The, uh, the interaction was real good with the audience and they seemed to really love what we did. And it was real fun. And I even created a name and gave the band. I told 'em I was gonna call them the RTL band from now on. And but it was fun. I really enjoyed it and hopefully not my last time. Yes sir. No, that's so great. When you're playing a lot of times and a lot of musicians as well, they don't even have music. You don't have sheet music, you don't have a lead sheet, you don't have charts a lot of times. 'cause it's just ingrained within you. When you were growing up learning the keys learning organ, how much did playing back ear come into play for what you did and how much did you. Learn the sheet music charts, lead sheets. Tell us a little bit about that journey for you. Learning keys for me a lot of it was by ear 'cause I initially started out I'm not the greatest of readers, but I do read, at a little bit enough to know how to chart read and some lead sheets that I can read through and still study in that area. But a lot of it, for the most part has been by ear and really being in tune to know when you're learning music, you have to duplicate what you're hearing and especially if you don't have charts. But of course having charts makes it easier because of that. But then you don't want to get stuck with the chart itself. So to the point that you don't. Have any type of feeling that's gonna be added to the music. Yeah. But it it plays a role both ways to have a good ear as well as to be able to read some. That's awesome. So I have a little bit of a personal question, but it's also relating to the organ as well. But in your professional music career, what has been the most challenging thing for you over the decades? What has been the most challenging thing and how did you overcome that? Huh. One of the most challenging things I think was once I had reached a certain point of playing on so much music and so many different artists and am I gonna continue this when the calls stop, when I'm not getting the calls like I used to as a younger musician. And you see so many other young guys coming up now and their technique and the things that they do and the way music changes has changed. You are wondering, okay, am I gonna still be able to continue doing what I do? That has been, I think one of the most challenging things that I've been faced with. And I'm learning that it just takes. Perseverance to, to figure out what you want to do, where you're gonna go, how you're gonna continue to keep your legacy going as a musician and a producer, songwriter, and are you just gonna get stuck and not be able to move? So I continue to trust in God to know that he has doors for me because I'm still alive. And I'm still doing what I'm able to do. And he's constantly showing me that there are some more things that I got laid out for you. So that's the overcoming of the challenge. Yes, sir. No, I love that. There's so much more still left. And that's the beauty about music. It just keeps on giving Yeah. Until the Lord calls us home. Yeah. So you shared this a little bit before we started recording, but your birthday's coming up here, just around the corner here in May. Yeah. Happy early birthday. Thank you. And you've been doing this for a long time. And but you're not slowing down. No. You're performing with full bands, you're going out gigging you're at church still playing a lot, and you're producing singles and albums still. Tell us about what you're currently doing now, what music you're working on currently as a solo artist. I have a new single that I'm working on right now, actually. It's a part of a full project Okay. That I've been messing around with for the past. Six, seven years. So now, and I've released several, excuse me, several singles from that that's gonna be a part of that project. And the title of it will be called I Still Believe I Like It. And the title song is, I Still Believe Then that's what we're working on right now to finish that and bring all of that full circle. And it's going to be somewhat of a EP that'll have about six songs included on it, and they will be singles that we've already released over the past several years. And now that we've gotten to the the closing part of finishing up this ti the title song. That's what we are about to get ready to release later on this year. It's gonna be, hopefully by the summer that is gonna be ready and then we'll be able to put the full package together and put it out. But the just to give you a hint of who's playing. Yeah. Marcus Finney on drums. Actually, that's a, you can see that's a theme of mine, who I use. Marcus Finney is on drums. This bass player from Memphis. His name is Jackie Clark. He's playing bass on it. Al Willis from Chicago, he is playing guitar. Myself doing all of the keys in Oregon and some other things with it. We've added Roger Ryan doing strings that he's done and got finished. Hamilton Harding is doing background vocals and Jay White is gonna be doing lead vocals on the song. And this is one of the first songs that I've actually done where I have lead and background vocals on. I have one song that I did, on one of my projects, title I tell you Yes. That I did background vocals on but this is the first time that I'll actually have lead vocal and background vocals on a song or a project that I'm working on. Wow. So yeah, we are looking forward to that really excited. The song is sounding. Wow. It's just it's what they call one of those power ballots. Yeah. Yeah. Oh, and it's real big. And everything is working good on it. And we are excited about it. That's amazing. We're excited for you with that, and we know it's gonna be incredible, so thank you. I'm excited to hear it. Yeah. And know some of it's been out. I'll give you a sneak preview when we're done. Okay. Okay. Awesome. Awesome. Did you wanna play anything from it here? Oh. Probably not. No. Okay. No I want it all to be surprised for those that have the singles that have already been released. They know that. Yes, sir. But you ne not necessarily know what the songs are, but, I won't give any insight of the titles. Yes. But they have been singles that I've already released, and it's gonna be on that, that full spectrum. That's amazing. I appreciate you being on the podcast today. It's incredible to even talk to you being in the same room as you been on so many amazing projects and won so many Grammys and all these accolades over the years, which is incredible to pinpoint. Thank you. I appreciate it, man. It's been my pleasure. And I was honored when you called to have me be a part of this and we talked a little earlier. These, you're doing an incredible work because a lot of. Musicians, especially in gospel are not being recognized like they should be. And it is a lot of great musicians that, that that are around this country that, that have contributed so much to music as a whole and specifically gospel music. Yes, sir. So what you're doing is definitely something that I know and believe that God has placed you here to do. Thank you. And we are, we're just excited and again, I'm just excited to be a part of it. Thank you so much Mr. Ralph. We appreciate it. Do you have any final words of advice to any worship keys player specifically or any musician that you'd like to leave us with today? Yeah, I always like to say trust God. Yes, in everything that you're doing, trust him because he is the one that leads you. The song, old song says, order my steps. Let God order your steps as you navigate, and especially young musicians coming up, don't be just gung-ho to want to jump in and do this and do that. Listen to his voice, tune into him. Study his word to understand and know what it is he has for you to do. And not just you just deciding you want to jump in and do something. That takes you a long way and it provides you with longevity. I haven't been doing this for 60 years and just doing it on my own, that I've always allowed God to step up. In front of me and let me follow him to be able to accomplish what it is he has for my life. That's, and so that's the advice that I give and study what you do, understand what it is you're doing, know that you gonna be making a great contribution to an entity that has been going on for years and decades and allow yourself to be a part of that because God is leading you. Alright guys, I hope you enjoyed this full episode with Mr. Ralph Lofton, incredible Hammond B three player. Did you have fun today? I did, man. It was real fun and just excited to be here and to be able to share the things that I've been able to do. So it's been real fun and that's awesome. Pleasure meeting you. Pleasure meeting you as well. As I said earlier, I'm just grateful to God for what he is doing through you. Thank you. And your wife Holly this this platform is really great and I I think everybody that listens to this or sees this, please share it around because what he's doing, what Carson is doing is awesome, and I'm just grateful to be a part of it. Thank you Mr. Ralph. We'd love to have you back again sometime in the future. Sure. But blessings to you as you're working and finishing out your. Another project, another album, a solo album as an artist. And you're incredible. Again, happy early birthday. Thank you. So your birthday's in May. What day? 'cause my birthday's also in May. Okay. I'm the ninth. You're the ninth. Okay. I'm the 21st, so I was just curious. Yeah. Okay. Yeah. I am the ninth. Very nice. I'll be 70 years old. 70 years old. Yeah. The big seven zero. That's incredible. You didn't, you did not look 70. Oh, I appreciate that. All goes to God. Yes, sir. For that. And my wife taking care of me, that's awesome. Is it's a blessing.