About
The most amazing musical instrument is the human voice.
It requires no string, no reed, no mouthpiece, no electricity, no wood or brass and no cartage.
It is the one instrument made by the Creator of all things…not fashioned or formed by human hands, but by the hand of God.
When four human voices join in song, it is a sound like no other.
4Runner is proud and thankful to carry forward the tradition of 4-part, quartet harmony with an edgy twist.
It sure is good to be, “Back Runnin’”!
In the mid-90’s, 4 veteran singer/songwriters combined their talents to create the vocal quartet, 4Runner.
Individually, they have toured with artists as varied as Loretta Lynn, Steven Curtis Chapman, Donny and Marie Osmond, Craig Morgan and Dobie Gray, written songs for Ray Charles, Reba McEntire and The Oak Ridge Boys and added their voices, songs and arrangements to the films, My Cousin Vinnie, 8 Seconds and The Eyes of Tammy Faye.
Their smash hit, Cain’s Blood, raced up the charts and secured tours with Tim McGraw, Faith Hill and Kenny Rogers and a guest spot on The Tonight Show.
4Runner consists of…
The “Baron of Bass”, Jim Chapman.
The man on top, Sam Morris.
Baritone, Herbie Chapman and…
Craig Morris on lead.
The boys retooled and returned in 2023 with the album Back Runnin’!
Their newest offering is loaded with harmony-forward songs that speak honestly about life, love and “pushin’ on through”.
Now as 4Runner relaunches, there’s a major difference in what they have to offer the world. Time has provided a wealth of experience and a depth of emotion that just isn’t available to a band of young musicians. “We’ve been gone for 20 years. Now we’re back, and boy, we’ve got some stories to tell,” Morris says. “We’ve done a lot of living, so we know what we’re talking about. We talk about love and life and all those things. We’ve lived and so when we sing these songs, everybody has a lifetime of experience now.”
On Back Runnin’ the group delivers updated versions of fan favorites such as “Cain’s Blood” and “House At The End Of The Road” as well as offering up powerful new songs that resonate with life experience such as the gospel flavored “Gritted Teeth,” a song penned by Morris as a tribute to his late mother’s strength and resiliency. Though it came from a deeply personal well of emotion, the song delivers a universal message for everyone in these troubled times. “It’s always darkest before the dawn,” Morris says. “Hang in there. It’s going to get better. Just grit your teeth, smile and push on through. That’s what we need to do as individuals and as a country right now.”
4Runner explores the complexities of relationships on “Love Survivors,” an intriguing story song that follows four couples struggling to make their marriages survive. “That song has a little Muscle Shoals in it and I love the combination of rhythm and blues and country,” says Morris, noting that lyrically the song was inspired by a game night he and a former girlfriend used to share with other couples. “There may have been five couples around that table and I think only two survived.”
Back Runnin’ is rich with stories about life, love and the challenges inherent in navigating the world today, but the common thread that solidifies the project is the powerful vocals that have long been a hallmark of the 4Runner sound. “When we got together at my house back in 1993, we got around the piano and sang through some familiar songs together just to see what we sounded like,” Morris recalls. “We realized very quickly that the combination of voices was something special, and it’s the combination of those voices together that is 4Runner. When we all sing together, that’s our stamp right there, and Sam fits right in. It doesn’t hurt to have a youngster in his age group because it expands the potential of people his age also giving our music a chance.”
This new chance to take 4Runner’s music to the fans is something Morris and the other group members don’t take for granted. “I never expected to have another go at it, not that I didn’t want to, it’s just that I never expected to, so this comes as a bit of a surprise to all of us,” Morris admits. “It’s a dream come true. It’s like a dream you didn’t know you had, but when it starts happening you’re going, ‘Man, this IS a dream come true because I’m singing with guys I already love.’
“I’ve got my son in the group who is an adult now and is incredibly talented. It’s like passing the torch. We get to make all these memories and all this music together and we were never more prepared to do this than we are right now. We are seasoned, experienced, world wise. We have deeper faith and strong families. We know what love is now. We know what’s important in life. For this to happen right now is a big ’ol tanker truck full of gravy on a life that is already been full. All of our lives have been good and very gratifying—way over what we deserve,” Morris continues with a smile. “So here we are and this shower of blessings has happened. We are truly thankful!”