NEW?GLASGOW – It’s an album that arises from heartbreak and grief.
Don Haggart lost his mother, Ruth, at a young age. It was a life-changing event that, looking back, he now believes was the stimulus for his music.
His loss prompted him to begin writing poetry – his earliest poems occurred around the same time he learned to write – and continued over the years, eventually translating into the music that made Haggart and his brother, Jim, famous in the 1970s.
“Music saved my life, in a lot of ways,” he said.
The duo landed a contract with RCA’s Arpeggio Records in 1971 and their first album was released in June 1972.
But Haggart didn’t enjoy all that came along with releasing a record through a recording label.
“You can get ahead in the music business if you spend a lot of money and associate with the right people,” Haggart said. “I hated that part of the music business.”
Labels typically picked the top two releases for the album, he added, and poured all the money and resources into those songs only.
“A lot of artists didn’t even want to put all their best songs on a record because the label wouldn’t do the best job with them,” Haggart added.
It’s those experiences that left Haggart with a burning desire to try doing things on his own. He’d always wanted to branch out and try his hand at gospel music as well.
Both those desires came to fruition with Prayers and Promise, a new CD he’ll launch this week.
Haggart was in charge of every aspect of the album and poured all of his efforts into making every song on the CD the best he could over the past year and a half.
“I may fail horribly at being independent, but if it doesn’t sell, I don’t care – I went to a lot of extra expense with this record, and I’d rather people buy one than charge an outrageous price to make the money back,” he said. “I just want people to hear these songs. I think songs should have depth, meaning and experience – it should take you to a place where it makes your heart flutter.”
Working with some of the top musicians in the province, Haggart created a CD of 10 songs that helped him move past the loss of his mother and his brother, who died three years ago.
“These songs reflect the grief I felt when my brother Jimmy passed away and from when my mother passed away,” he explained. “All of these songs were written for specific landmarks of my life. They’re songs you can cry, lament and grieve to – and heal to, that’s what it was born out of.”
But it’s not your typical gospel album, he said. It’s also a CD you can dance to.
“Gospel music doesn’t have to be sad and sacrificial and gloomy,” he explained. “Elvis used gospel beats to create rock and roll. People, at that time, were afraid to really enjoy gospel music. But I can’t see anything wrong with dancing to it – there’s a line in the Bible that refers to Jesus dancing on the Sabbath day.”
The tunes don’t sound like typical gospel songs either. Haggart’s songs have a strong Scottish element – and he admits to being as surprised as anyone else that it’s in there.
Copies of the CD will be available at the album launch event on Nov. 7 at First Presbyterian Church, New Glasgow, 2 to 4 p.m. They’ll also be available at Lolly’s, Big Al’s, the Christian Book Store, Blue C Music and Garrett’s by the Bridge.