Shaye Smith

Shaye Smith, Chuck Wagon GangThe group's owner, manager, and alto singer, Shaye Smith is the granddaughter of the Gang's original alto, Anna Carter Gordon Davis, and Howard Gordon, who was the group's guitarist for many years. Shaye was born in Nashville, TN and grew up in Baton Rouge, LA. She is married to Andy Smith, and they make their home in Hertford, NC. They have three children, Ben, Noah, and Chloe.

Shaye holds two Bachelor's degrees in music (Bachelor of Arts in Vocal Performance and Bachelor of Music in Choral Conducting), and she helps to arrange many of the Chuck Wagon Gang's songs. Her background in musicals, operas, and choral and theater projects makes the stage a place of comfort and familiarity.

When Shaye first joined the Chuck Wagon Gang in 1993, she sang soprano alongside her great-Uncle Roy Carter. Leading the Chuck Wagon Gang allows her to continue the legacy her grandmother and family began over eighty years ago.

Melissa Kemper

Melissa Kemper, Chuck Wagon GangSoprano Melissa Kemper is a native of Groveton, TX, and she still resides there today, with her husband, Jamie, and children Weston, Brandon, and Alysse. Melissa sang soprano with the Chuck Wagon Gang between 2001 and 2006, then left the group to be with her children during their formative years. She re-joined the quartet in 2015.

"I am very happy that God has brought me back into the group after all these years," she says. "I am truly blessed."

Josh Garner

For over 25 years, Josh Garner has been a staple in the world of Gospel music ministry. Having been the lead singer for such legendary groups like the Florida Boys, the Blackwood Quartet, and the Dixie Melody Boys, Josh has ministered in all 48 continental states, every province of Canada, and several Central American countries. Garner has been featured on the Bill Gaither Homecoming videos, the National Quartet Convention, the Jubilee Conferences, the Grand Ole Opry, and Willie Nelson's Farm Aid among countless other major events.

With a growing family, Josh decided to take a sabbatical from full time performing and focused his sights on ministering in the local east Tennessee and southwest Virginia areas. However, the opportunity to sing tenor for the most iconic name in all of Gospel music proved to be too difficult to resist and Josh is humbled and honored to join the historic ranks of the Chuck Wagon Gang. Josh's amazing musical versatility and good, clean humor are a very welcome addition to the Gang. Josh and Alison Garner and their precious daughters, Olivia and Caroline, reside in the appropriately named town of Chuckey, TN.

Nick Poe

At age 13, Nick Poe began his musical career by taking banjo lessons with his grandpa. After a year of banjo, Nick decided to branch out and began playing guitar. He started out playing at his local church then became interested in bluegrass, old time, and traditional country music. At the age of 15, he joined a local bluegrass band, Firebox, and traveled with them for nearly 15 years. He has also been a guitar player for Philip Steinmetz and the Sunny Tennesseans since 2016 and for David Davis and the Warrior River Boys since 2022. Nick was born and raised near Effingham, IL and continues to reside in his hometown. His daughter, Rosalie Maybelle Poe, is his biggest fan.

"In my opinion, there are three main staples for early recorded country music: The Carter Family, The Stoneman Family, and The Chuck Wagon Gang. It is a great honor to perform and travel with such an extraordinary group of musicians"

Roger Newman

Roger is a native of Phenix City, Alabama. He was raised in a Christian home where music was introduced at an early age and became a large part of his life. His dad would play guitar and accompany his mother singing. This sparked a desire to learn guitar and sing. Throughout the years, Roger was intrigued with other instruments including mandolin, banjo, bass, and piano. At the age of fourteen Roger began working with a local country-gospel ensemble known as The Joyful Hearts. Between his parents and The Joyful Hearts, many songs from The Chuck Wagon Gang were introduced. "There was never a shortage of Chuck Wagon Gang, Flatt & Scruggs, Roy Acuff, or Carl Story Albums in our home."

Over the last forty-five years, Roger has played with various southern gospel quartets and bluegrass bands. This includes the Eastwind Bluegrass Band for the last twenty-five years.

In addition to music, Roger is a retired police captain and remains a servant of the people as a School Resource Officer. Along with his wife Donna, they make their home in Crawford, Alabama. Roger and Donna have two grown children and six grandchildren.

"The Chuckwagon Gang sound is not comparable to any other musical group. It is a pure, wholesome distinct sound like no other. I am honored to be a part of this legendary musical group and the impact it has made on musical history."