Founding Members: Russ & Betty Brauneller
Jericho
Road, a Findlay, Ohio based southern gospel group, was founded in May 1998 by Russ and Betty Brauneller. The name
of the group was given to Russ by the Lord one day while he was at work. For two years it was just the two of them spreading
the Word through their music, but Betty always wanted the harmony of a quartet. In November of 2000 Jesse Davila (Findlay,
OH) joined the group. Originally, Jesse was to be the soundman for the group, but one night at practice he picked up a microphone
and from that point forward he has been singing the smooth bass for Jericho Road.
The group traveled as a trio
for about two years and then they discovered Joy and Daryl Walker. Joy joined the group to sing the alto
part while her husband Daryl ran the sound system. Four-part harmony at last! However, about a year later due to the commitment
of raising a family, Joy and Daryl stepped down from the group.
Sometime went by, but on the last Monday of the
2004 Hancock County Fair the Gospel Pavilion was holding its talent search contest. Ernie Pagal (originally from the
Philippines) entered and won the contest! Ernie caught the eye of Betty and it wasn't too long after that in January
2005 Ernie joined the group to sing the tenor part. Now Jericho Road was a quartet again!
Several months
later, while in the middle of recording their sixth project, on May 3rd, 2005 Betty unexpectedly fell ill and went
home to be with the Lord. With this tragic loss there was talk about the group disbanding, but a decision was made to push
onward as this is what Betty would have wanted the group to do.
Several months later the group invited Gail
Long (Findlay, OH) to join them. Gail traveled with the group for about a year before stepping down to be more active
in becoming a pastor and spending more time with his family.
It wasn't too long before the Lord stepped in and filled
the void with Dan Clark (Upper Sandusky, OH) in the fall of 2006. The group had seen Dan perform at several events before,
but one particular concert at Shoey's Cool Creation in Tiffin, OH was the deciding factor in asking him to join. The love
Dan had for the Lord, and his singing for His glory, was very evident.
In September 2007 Russ Brauneller announced
that he would be stepping down from Jericho Road. After nearly ten faithful years of serving the Lord in song Russ decided
that it was time for him to slow down and spend more time with his children, grandchildren and to pursue other interest
he had. On occasion, when Russ is in the audience at a Jericho Road concert, he'll be invited to come onto the stage
and sing a song or two with the boys!
From the time Russ left Jericho Road traveled as a trio for two years prayfully
awaiting the day when the Lord would bring their fourth member. As you might have guess the Lord did answer their prayer
and in September 2009 Chris Horne of Kenton, OH officially joined Jericho Road, singing the high tenor part. Chris, who was
a former member of the national group, The Skyline Boys, brings a lot of experince to Jericho Road.
So today Jericho
Road now travels as a quartet once again and it is Jesse, Dan, Ernie and Chris' mission to continue the rich
tradition of spreading the gospel through song that has been set by Russ and Betty. They make up today's members
of Jericho Road and it is their prayer, that through their singing, souls can be brought to know the Lord, Jesus Christ!
