Mikki Denice Johnson Pelfrey (alto) Mikki brings an international flair to the group, having been born and lived in Germany until she was seven years old. Her parents – Mickey and Cookie Johnson – are missionaries, and Mikki is the third of four children, along with older sisters Rachel and Robin and younger brother Michael. She started singing as a child. “When we were little, we were all in the choir,” remembers Mikki. “That's how I learned to sing harmony. I remember singing on the alto side and learning from the ladies around me how to sing harmony. That's where my love for singing began.” It was through that missionary work that Mikki began to perform. “I would go around with my dad and sing before he preached,” shares Mikki. “I also sang in a few little groups.” Southern Gospel Music was always influential in Mikki's life. In fact, the group's “Glimpses of Red” project – which consists of songs out of the red-back church hymnal – contains many songs that Mikki grew up singing, songs such as “I'm Living In Canaan Now,” “Blessed Assurance,” “At the Cross,” “Will You Meet Me Over Yonder,” “I Must Tell Jesus,” “Land Where Living Waters Flow,” and “The Love of God.” “That was probably my main influence growing up,” says Mikki. “We sang some good ole Southern Gospel songs. We sang a lot out of the red book.” She was a member of the performance choir throughout high school and college, while she majored in vocal performance. She also performed with the Chattanooga Opera Chorus during her college years. She is now the husband to the group's manager and lead singer – Jerry “Punkin” Pelfrey – and the mother to seven-year-old son P.J. Mikki married Punkin in December of 2005, which is also when she joined the Pelfreys. The family performed together from 2002-2008, and following Punkin's two-year stint as a member of the award-winning Gold City Quartet, the Pelfreys were reborn. “I was excited for him being able to live his dream,” notes Mikki. “I'm glad he got the opportunity to experience that. “I remember the first Saturday that he was home and I knew he wasn't going out again. It was awesome to be able to sit down as a family together. P.J. is loving having his dad home.” Mikki's goal for the group is a simple – yet influential – one. “I hope they would leave encouraged,” explains Mikki. “Sometimes, you go into a service beat down or whatever. I hope that something we say might encourage them and have them feeling a little bit better about things.”