FRANKLIN—Receiving the 2013 Retro Artist of the Year Award was an unexpected experience for The Scotts on Nov. 9. The honor was presented during the American Music Guild Heritage Award ceremony in The Barn at Regent Park in Ft. Mill, S.C.

Terry Scott of Franklin said he was as surprised by the honor as the other members, which includes twin brother, Jerry, and his wife, Schulyer; brother Randolph; sisters Ginger Scott and Jeannie Foreman-Square; nephew Carl Foreman; niece Lisa Scott Smith; and cousin, Jermaine McClenny.

“I was floored. I only knew we were nominated, but didn’t know who we were up against,” said Terry Scott.

“Honestly, the award was not really anything I thought would happen,” said Jerry Scott. “We had won an award earlier in 1996 in Canada, when we did a tour then. I didn’t know who we were against.”

Indeed, the family was in good company that evening. The competition included Barbara Mandrell, Dino Kartsonakis, Terry Gibbs, Lynn Anderson and Betty Jean Robinson.

Jerry explained that the award is for any entertainer who’s making a comeback, be it gospel, secular or country. He added that when he saw the other nominees, he figured, “OK, we’re just here.”

“It’s an honor just to be nominated. We have this on our resume,” Terry said. “I never expected us to win. Awards are not why we do it.”

After the announcement that The Scotts had won, their dad, the late Bishop Clinton Scott, came to mind when he called on them to reunite.

“It reminded me immediately of my father, who said, ‘It’ll be different this time.’ And he was right,” said Jerry. “Out of obeying him, we’re in the direction we’re headed now.”

Terry explained that one of the major differences between the Grammy awards and AMG honors is the former is based on different categories on genres, and the latter on popularity.

He believes The Scotts won because for the past three years they had been in the top 100 for 35 out of 36 months with two top 10 songs and six in the top 20.

“In It for the Love” is the group’s signature song.

Adding to the event was host Chubby Checker of “The Twist” fame, a popular song and dance style in the early 1960s.

The happy occasion was tempered by the absence of the gospel singing family’s founder, Bernice Scott, who died in September 2012; she had started the group in 1962.

“My mother, she’s the reason for the music,” said Terry.

But above all, The Scotts credit their Lord.

“We always thank God for what He’s doing for our ministry,” he said. “I can’t give God enough praise.”

“He’s faithful concerning his promises,” said Jerry.

Terry added that he’s amazed at how far the family has come, going from singing in Franklin churches to national and worldwide recognition. One source for the latter two has been Faithful Friends Ministries in Pueblo, Colo., which he said kept The Scotts’ songs playing frequently enough to be artist of the week at one time.

As an aside, Terry mentioned that although the family sings around the country, curiously they aren’t in demand locally.

“We would love to sing here,” he said, and directed interested people to the website, www.thescottsmusic.com.

Airplay Radio Promotions, which can be found at www.facebook.com/pages/Airplay-Radio-Promotions, will become another venue for the public to hear The Scotts, said Terry, and explained the group signed a contract with the promoters. They had been recommended by Karen Peck, who initially discovered the family and helped with their comeback in 2010.

The family is also working on a deal for overseas distribution of its music by Dalvin DeGreat, formerly of Jodiec.

Meanwhile, The Scotts will debut a new up-tempo song on Monday, “Nobody Can Do it Like the Lord,” which was written by Jerry.

“That was the very first song I wrote in my life. I was 19 years old, and there was always something about that particular song that I knew would work” he said.

Jerry added that the timing of the award and song release could not have been any better, and he believes that award will “boost that song a lot.”

“I already know we’ll be on the charts,” said Terry.