The Crimestoppers

Written by Eddie Huffman

When Anthony “Amp” Daniels needed a couple of female singers to join him in the recording studio on a session singing background vocals, he didn’t have to look far.

“I could have called any of my daughters or nieces,” Amp says. “They have a really fast ear – they can catch on to something real quick, find the harmony notes.”

Amp is part of the Vines family, legendary sacred soul singers from eastern North Carolina. He ended up recruiting his daughter, KeAmber Daniels, and his niece, Christy Moody. They quickly transitioned from backup singers for Music Maker Foundation artists to a full-fledged group in their own right, the Crimestoppers.

Their debut album, On the Case, finds the group members branching out from their gospel roots. Its nine songs evoke classic soul music through a batch of contemporary numbers
written and co-produced by Jimbo Mathus, a Music Maker partner who rose to fame in the Squirrel Nut Zippers.

“Keep my name out your mouth, keep my number on your phone,” Christy sings on “I Ain’t Feelin’ It,” a slinky, sexy blues track.

All three members of the Crimestoppers bring a lifetime of experience to the group. Amp first sang in church at age seven and joined his parents’ group, the Glorifying Vines Sisters, when he was a young teenager. Christy and KeAmber likewise grew up singing in church before joining another sacred soul group, Faith and Harmony.

“My cousins and I grew up together and were raised together in the church,” KeAmber says. “It was a very big part of our lives. Singing is a big family thing – it goes back many generations.”

Amp, KeAmber, and Christy all live near Music Maker’s recording studio in Fountain, N.C. After singing backup on several sessions there, they got invited to join Music
Maker artists performing at the 2024 Telluride Blues and Brews Festival in Colorado. Their combination of soul-drenched vocals, flashy dance steps, and eye-popping stage costumes made it obvious that they needed to expand beyond backup singing.

They returned to Music Maker Studios to make On the Case, backed by Mathus and a group of crack Mississippi musicians. The players serve as the Fountain house band, carrying on a tradition familiar to fans of classic soul music from Memphis and Muscle Shoals. Co-producer for the Crimestoppers’ album was Bruce Watson, who cut his teeth producing artists like R.L. Burnside and T-Model Ford for Fat Possum Records. Watson has also produced albums for the Dedicated Men of Zion, Amp’s sacred soul group.

The members of the trio back each other when they aren’t taking turns singing lead. On their debut album, Christy also helms “Shackled and Chained,” splitting the difference between Aretha Franklin and Shemekia Copeland over swampy guitar. KeAmber steps to the mike for three songs, including the blues-drenched, show-stopping closing number, “I Got a Love.” Amp covers the rest, from the funky double entendre of “Body Shop” to the moody, haunting “God Knows I Tried.”

It’s no surprise that Amp spent years in Atlanta recording studios, singing backup for artists like Toni Braxton and Bebe Winans. He learned from the best: his mother, Dorothy Vines Daniels.

“Her job was to make sure we knew how to sing, and she really did it,” Amp says.