Karen Peck & New River

Karen Peck & New River is a Southern Gospel music ensemble formed in January 1991 by Karen Peck Gooch, her husband Rickey Gooch, and her sister Susan Peck Jackson. Based in Gainesville, Georgia, the group grew out of Karen’s previous tenure as a soprano for the Rex Nelon Singers, a role she held for ten years. From the start, the group has been a multi-generational family endeavor, with members over the years including Kari Gooch, Matthew Gooch, and Grant Gibson.

The group has been a frequent presence on the Gaither Homecoming video series and has built a catalog that includes songs such as “Four Days Late,” “Hope For All Nations,” “Pray Now,” “I Know I’ll Be There,” “Mighty High,” “On the Banks of the Promised Land,” “Mighty Big God,” and “Good Things Are Happening.” “Four Days Late” was named Song of the Decade (2000–2010) by The Singing News Magazine. The group has achieved over twenty number-one hits on Southern Gospel music charts and has received multiple GMA Dove Awards.

Karen Peck Gooch has also been recognized personally for her contributions to the genre. She was inducted into the Gospel Music Association Hall of Fame in 2018 and into the Southern Gospel Music Hall of Fame in 2021. In 2016 she received an Honorary Doctorate Degree in Divinity from Toccoa Falls College. She has served as President of the Southern Gospel Music Association and has received eleven Singing News Fan Awards for Favorite Soprano.