The Primitive Quartet

In the spring of 1973, two sets of brothers, Reagan and Larry Riddle and Norman and Furman Wilson, went for a weekend fishing trip on Fontana Lake in Graham County, North Carolina. Ragan and Norman took a guitar and mandolin along to make music around their campfire at night. Since the Riddle boys sang occasionally with their parents at church while they were growing up, and the Wilson boys did the same, they found they had all four parts to make up a quartet. That weekend they learned two songs well enough to sing at the home of the Riddle boys parents on Sunday afternoon following their trip. 
Their pastor, Rev. Lloyd Ponder, was there that day and requested they sing at church that evening. Visitors from the old North Asheville Baptist church were there that night. The visitors invited the group to sing at their monthly singing. Two of the songs that sang at that first singing were "Settle Down" and "It's Love." Both were recorded at a later time. From that first singing, they decided to continue their singing and were invited to many other churches in the Western North Carolina area. 
The quartet was first known locally as the Riddle-Wilson Quartet. Later, the Primitive Quartet was chosen because of their old-time mountain style singing. 

For five years the Primitives sang only in Western North Carolina and Eastern Tennessee. In 1978, and five albums later, the demand for their singing began to grow. They traveled for 18 months with the Inspirations Quartet from Bryson City, N.C. They were also managed by Martin Cook of the Inspirations. It was just prior to this move that one of the Wilson brothers, Furman, was called into the ministry and left the group. Mike Riddle, a brother to Reagan and Larry, replaced him, singing the baritone part. 

Becoming a full-time group was certainly not in the plans of the Riddle and Wilson brothers. They began singing because of their love for the Lord and the joy of singing Gospel music. Their outreach just continued to grow until they became busier singing. They could not meet those demands and hold down a regular job, so they started full-time in a singing ministry in 1978,  The Primitive Quartet has sung in over 25 states, Canada, and has been invited to the Netherlands and New Guinea. They have appeared on the Nashville Network, Southern Entertainment, Gospel Music TV. British Broadcasting did a documentary on the quartet in 1984. They are best known for songs such as - "Fallen Leaves, Flight Without An Airplane, Gloryland, 
Because He Loved Me, My Hope Is In The Blood, He's Still Passing By, I'm Changing Houses, We've Been So Blessed, and A Bright Home." 
Randy Fox, from Williamsburg, Indiana, joined the group in 1986. He sings three parts and plays banjo, mandolin, guitar, and bass guitar. Jeff Tolbert, from Mount Airy, N.C., joined the group in 1997. He plays banjo, fiddle, and also sings on several songs. 
The group fills approximately 150 to 180 engagements per year, traveling in a customized Prevost bus. 
They have been nominated for band of the year several consecutive years in the Singing News magazine, being in the top 5 nominee bands. They have also been nominated for "Gospel group of the year" as well, being in the top 5 nominee groups for two years and have had over 25 songs in the Singing News Top 40 charts. 
All the Primitives live in Candler, North Carolina, except for Jeff. They look forward each year to their Hominy Valley singings, which are held in Hominy Valley every 4th of July week. Also, they have their "fall color" singings over the second and third weekends in October. Groups from all over the country participate in these events. 
All the Primitives invite you to come and be with us when we come into your area of the country.