The Better Way Quartet

Bluegrass Gospel Quartet Union County gospel group that started jamming about 1978, which included Jerry Cole, Sr., Bill Turner, Neal Walker, and Dannie Peters. Then they became known as Union Grass, a bluegrass and bluegrass gospel band. As Union Grass started singing southern gospel songs, their first singing engagement was at Oak Grove Church in Sharps Chapel, Tennessee. Nancy Cole came up with a new name for Union Grass, that would cover bluegrass, bluegrass gospel, southern gospel and country gospel. The new name was The Betterway Quartet. Expanded its booking area from East Tennessee to eventually include 10 states. Betterway now was booking larger churches and festivals, and appearing on Mull’s TV Show on Channel 10 in Knoxville, Tennessee. In 1982, Mull’s Gospel Show featuring Betterway played to a packed crowd at Horace Maynard High School at Maynardville, Tennessee, their home county. At this time, Shannon Walker became Betterway’s manager and their bookings greatly increased. They were performing at concerts with The Primitive Quartet, The Paynes, The Spencers, The Inspirations and The Cooks. They also performed regularly on WJBZ 96.3 that was Mull’s radio station. They performed on television in Indiana, Ohio and Bristol, Tennessee. They were also featured on Grant Turner’s Early Bird Show that aired at 5:45 a.m. Monday - Friday on WSM 650 AM radio station that was the home of the Grand Ole Opry on Friday and Saturday nights. They made videos with Eddie Crook Gospel Music Productions. They recorded albums, eight track tapes and later cassettes and CDs in Nashville. They performed at an Amish Festival in Pennsylvania along with The Primitive Quartet and others. Stuart Wyrick joined as singer, musician and bus driver around 1984 or 1985. The Betterway Quartet entertained for over 30 years. Here is a partial list of members of Betterway from 1978- 2014: Jerry Cole, Sr., Bill Turner, Neal Walker, Dannie Peters, Gale Lee, Stuart Wyrick, Shannon Walker- Manager, Paul Carter, Darrell Williams, Arnold Branton, Scott Payne, Vic Graves, Wade Brantley, Ronnie Kitts, Johnny Raley, Jonathan Brogan, Kenny Dryer, Jerry Cole, Jr., Savannah Cole Brogan (daughter of Jerry Cole, Sr.).D. Sumner and the Stamps, The Primitive Quartet, The Inspirations, The Sego Brothers and Naomi, The Cathedrals, The Isaacs, and The McCameys. For the three remaining original members there are good memories. For the rest of the living members of Betterway, there are dreams to resurrect the group and go forward.