Southern Gospel
Encyclopedia
Southern Gospel music—at one time also known as "quartet music"—is music whose lyrics are written to express either personal or a communal faith regarding biblical teachings and Christian
life, as well as (in terms of the varying music styles) to give a Christian alternative to mainstream secular music. Southern Gospel is a genre of Christian music
, and its name comes from its origins in the southeastern United States.
Like other forms of music the creation, performance, significance, and even the definition of Southern Gospel varies according to culture and social context. It is composed and performed for many purposes, ranging from aesthetic pleasure, religious or ceremonial purposes, or as an entertainment product for the marketplace.
Music Publishing Company. Nonetheless the style of the music itself had existed for at least 35 years prior although the traditional wisdom that Southern Gospel music was "invented" in the 1870s by circuit preacher Everett Beverly is spurious. The existence of the genre prior to 1910 is evident in the work of Charles Davis Tillman
(1861–1943), who popularized "The Old Time Religion", wrote "Life's Railway to Heaven" and published 22 songbooks.
Southern Gospel is sometimes called "quartet music" by fans because of the originally all-male, tenor-lead-baritone-bass quartet make-up. Early quartets were typically either a cappella
or accompanied only by piano or guitar, and in some cases a piano and banjo. Over time, full bands were added and even later, pre-record accompaniments were introduced.
Some of the genre's roots can be found in the publishing work and "normal schools" of Aldine S. Kieffer
and Ephraim Ruebush
. Southern Gospel was promoted by traveling singing school
teachers, quartets, and shape note
music publishing companies such as the A. J. Showalter Company (1879) and the Stamps-Baxter Music and Printing Company
. Over time, Southern Gospel came to be an eclectic musical form with groups singing black gospel-influenced songs, traditional hymns, a capella (jazz-style singing with no instruments) songs, country gospel, bluegrass, and "convention songs" (which were more difficult). Because it grew out of the musical traditions of rural white people in the South, it is sometimes called "white gospel", to differentiate it from black gospel.
Convention songs typically have contrasting homophonic and contrapuntal sections. In the homophonic sections, the four parts sing the same words and rhythms. In the contrapuntal sections, each group member has a unique lyric and rhythm. These songs are called "convention songs" because various conventions were organized across the United States for the purpose of getting together regularly and singing songs in this style. Convention songs were employed by training centers like the Stamps-Baxter School Of Music as a way to teach quartet members how to concentrate on singing their own part. Examples of convention songs include "Heavenly Parade," "I'm Living In Canaan Now," "Give the World a Smile
," and "Heaven's Jubilee."
In the first decades of the twentieth century, Southern Gospel drew much of its creative energy from the Holiness movement
churches that arose throughout the south. Early gospel artists such as Smith's Sacred Singers, The Speer Family, The Stamps Quartet, The Blackwood Family, and The Lefevre Trio achieved wide popularity through their recordings and radio performances in the 1920s, 1930s, 1940s and 1950s. On October 20, 1927, The Stamps Quartet recorded its early hit "Give The World A Smile" for Victor, which become the Quartet's theme song. The Stamps Quartet was heard on the radio throughout Texas and the South.
Others such as Homer Rodeheaver
and the Cathedral Quartet
became well-known through their association with popular evangelist
s such as Billy Sunday
and Rex Humbard
.
, Brian Free and Assurance, The Cathedral Quartet
, Ernie Haase & Signature Sound
, The Florida Boys
, The Gaither Vocal Band
, Gold City
, The Inspirations
, Jake Hess
and the Imperials
, The Kingdom Heirs
Quartet, The Kingsmen Quartet
, Legacy Five
, The Oak Ridge Boys
, The Stamps Quartet, The Statesmen Quartet
, and The Triumphant Quartet
.
Although the genre has been known for its all-male quartets, trios and duos have been a vital element of Southern Gospel for most of the genre's history. From decades past, pioneer groups like The Booth Brothers, Chuck Wagon Gang
, The Cook Family Singers
, The Happy Goodman Family
, The LeFevres, The Lesters, Speer Family
, The Rambos
, and The Bill Gaither Trio paved the way for modern mixed quartets and family-based lineups such as The Crabb Family
, Greater Vision
, The Hinsons
, The Hoppers
, The Isaacs
, Jeff and Sheri Easter, The Lewis Family
, The Martins
, The McKameys
, The Perrys
, The Ruppes
, The Talley Trio
.
The genre also has a growing number of popular soloists. Many of these gained their initial popularity with a group before launching out on their own as soloists. Some of the most popular of these have been Jimmie Davis
, Mark Bishop
, Jason Crabb
, Ivan Parker
, Squire Parsons
, and Janet Paschal
. Southern Gospel was an early influence on popular secular performers such as Patsy Cline
, Tennessee Ernie Ford
, and Elvis Presley
.
tours and videos, which began as a reunion of many of the best known and loved SGM individuals in 1991. Thanks in part to the Homecoming series, Southern Gospel music now has fans across the United States and in a number of foreign countries like Ireland and Australia.
and Southwest
, but it had a nationwide audience. The music remained "more country than city, more down-home than pretentious".
In 2005, The Radio Book, a broadcast yearbook published by M Street Publications, reported 285 radio stations in the USA with a primary format designation as "Southern Gospel," including 175 AM stations and 110 FM stations. In fact, "Southern Gospel" was the 9th most popular format for AM stations and the 21st most popular for FM. Southern Gospel radio promoters routinely service more than a thousand radio stations which play at least some Southern Gospel music each week. Recent years have also seen the advent of a number of internet-only Southern Gospel "radio" stations.
Two popular satellite stations that feature Southern Gospel are channel 34 on XM Satellite Radio and Channel 67 On Sirius Satellite Radio. Both play the same feed entitled, "Enlighten on SiriusXm". Enlighten plays Southern Gospel and has several featured programs which air weekly including Paul Heil's Gospel Greats and Bill Gaither's Homecoming Radio.
Over the last decade, a newer version of Southern Gospel has grown in popularity. This style is called Progressive Southern Gospel
and is characterized by a blend of traditional Southern Gospel, Bluegrass, modern country, contemporary Christian and pop music elements. Progressive Southern Gospel generally features artists who push their voices to produce a sound with an edge to it. The traditional style Southern Gospel singers employ a more classical singing style.
Lyrically, most Progressive Southern Gospel songs are patterned after traditional Southern Gospel in that they maintain a clear evangelistic and/or testimonial slant. Southern Gospel purists view lyrical content and the underlying musical style as the key determining factors for applying the Southern Gospel label to a song.
Although there are some exceptions, most Southern Gospel songs would not be classified as Praise and Worship
. Few Southern Gospel songs are sung "to" God as opposed to "about" God. On the other hand, Southern Gospel lyrics are typically overt in their Christian message unlike Contemporary Christian music
(CCM) which sometimes has "double entendre" lyrics which could be interpreted as being about a devout love for God or an earthly love for a man or woman. Southern Gospel fans have been among the most vocal critics of such CCM songs particularly if they "cross over" and receive recognition through airplay on mainstream radio.
of Dayton, Tennessee
, Southern Gospel was and is one of the few genres to use recordings, radio, and television technologies from the very beginning for the advancements of promoting the genre.
One of the longest running print magazines for Southern Gospel music has been the Singing News
. They started in the early 1970s supplying radio airplay charts and conducting annual fan based awards. They also supply popular topic forums for Southern Gospel fans to meet and discuss the genre. The move to internet services has brought along companies such as SoGospelNews.com
which has become a noted e-zine forum for Southern Gospel and has remained a supporter for the past twelve years. It too contains the music charts with forums and chat rooms available to the fans.
Internet Radio has broadened the Southern Gospel Music fanbase by using computer technologies and continual streaming. Some of these media outlets are: Sunlite Radio which features many of the Southern Gospel programs likewise heard on traditional radio. This list includes The Gospel Greats with Paul Heil, which recently celebrated 30 years on the air, Southern Gospel USA, a weekly half hour countdown show hosted by Gary Wilson, Classic radio programs such as The Old Gospel Ship and Heaven's Jubilee with Jim Loudermilk. Another online station is "The Gospel Station."
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
life, as well as (in terms of the varying music styles) to give a Christian alternative to mainstream secular music. Southern Gospel is a genre of Christian music
Christian music
Christian music is music that has been written to express either personal or a communal belief regarding Christian life and faith. Common themes of Christian music include praise, worship, penitence, and lament, and its forms vary widely across the world....
, and its name comes from its origins in the southeastern United States.
Like other forms of music the creation, performance, significance, and even the definition of Southern Gospel varies according to culture and social context. It is composed and performed for many purposes, ranging from aesthetic pleasure, religious or ceremonial purposes, or as an entertainment product for the marketplace.
Origins
The date of Southern Gospel's establishment as a distinct genre is generally considered to be 1910, the year the first professional quartet was formed for the purpose of selling songbooks for the James D. VaughanJames David Vaughan
James David Vaughan was a music teacher, composer, song book publisher, the founder of the Vaughan Conservatory of Music and the James D. Vaughan Publishing Company.-Biography:...
Music Publishing Company. Nonetheless the style of the music itself had existed for at least 35 years prior although the traditional wisdom that Southern Gospel music was "invented" in the 1870s by circuit preacher Everett Beverly is spurious. The existence of the genre prior to 1910 is evident in the work of Charles Davis Tillman
Charles Davis Tillman
Charles Davis Tillman —also known as Charlie D. Tillman, Charles Tillman, Charlie Tillman, and C. D. Tillman—was a popularizer of the gospel song...
(1861–1943), who popularized "The Old Time Religion", wrote "Life's Railway to Heaven" and published 22 songbooks.
Southern Gospel is sometimes called "quartet music" by fans because of the originally all-male, tenor-lead-baritone-bass quartet make-up. Early quartets were typically either a cappella
A cappella
A cappella music is specifically solo or group singing without instrumental sound, or a piece intended to be performed in this way. It is the opposite of cantata, which is accompanied singing. A cappella was originally intended to differentiate between Renaissance polyphony and Baroque concertato...
or accompanied only by piano or guitar, and in some cases a piano and banjo. Over time, full bands were added and even later, pre-record accompaniments were introduced.
Some of the genre's roots can be found in the publishing work and "normal schools" of Aldine S. Kieffer
Aldine Silliman Kieffer
Aldine Silliman Kieffer was a leading 19th century proponent of shape note musical notation, music teacher and publisher....
and Ephraim Ruebush
Ephraim Ruebush
Ephraim Ruebush was a music teacher and publisher.Ephraim Ruebush was born in Churchville, Virginia, the son of John Ruebush and Mary Huffman. In September 1853, Ruebush traveled to Singers Glen, Virginia, to study music and printing under Joseph Funk. He married Lucille Virginia Kieffer on March...
. Southern Gospel was promoted by traveling singing school
Singing school
Historically, singing schools have been strongly affiliated with Protestant Christianity. Some are held under the auspices of particular Protestant denominations that maintain a tradition of a cappella singing, such as the Church of Christ and the Primitive Baptists...
teachers, quartets, and shape note
Shape note
Shape notes are a music notation designed to facilitate congregational and community singing. The notation, introduced in 1801, became a popular teaching device in American singing schools...
music publishing companies such as the A. J. Showalter Company (1879) and the Stamps-Baxter Music and Printing Company
Stamps-Baxter Music Company
The Stamps-Baxter Music Company was an influential southern music publishing company in the shape note gospel field. Virgil Oliver Stamps founded the company in 1924 and J. R. Baxter Jr. joined him to form the Stamps-Baxter Music Company, which was based in Dallas, Texas, with offices in...
. Over time, Southern Gospel came to be an eclectic musical form with groups singing black gospel-influenced songs, traditional hymns, a capella (jazz-style singing with no instruments) songs, country gospel, bluegrass, and "convention songs" (which were more difficult). Because it grew out of the musical traditions of rural white people in the South, it is sometimes called "white gospel", to differentiate it from black gospel.
Convention songs typically have contrasting homophonic and contrapuntal sections. In the homophonic sections, the four parts sing the same words and rhythms. In the contrapuntal sections, each group member has a unique lyric and rhythm. These songs are called "convention songs" because various conventions were organized across the United States for the purpose of getting together regularly and singing songs in this style. Convention songs were employed by training centers like the Stamps-Baxter School Of Music as a way to teach quartet members how to concentrate on singing their own part. Examples of convention songs include "Heavenly Parade," "I'm Living In Canaan Now," "Give the World a Smile
Give the World a Smile
“Give the World a Smile” was the theme song for the Stamps Quartet, and probably the first Gospel song to become a “gold record.”According to Otis Deaton , in November 1924, he and M. L. Yandell were students at the Stamps School of Music in Jacksonville, Texas. Yandell wrote a tune and asked James...
," and "Heaven's Jubilee."
In the first decades of the twentieth century, Southern Gospel drew much of its creative energy from the Holiness movement
Holiness movement
The holiness movement refers to a set of beliefs and practices emerging from the Methodist Christian church in the mid 19th century. The movement is distinguished by its emphasis on John Wesley's doctrine of "Christian perfection" - the belief that it is possible to live free of voluntary sin - and...
churches that arose throughout the south. Early gospel artists such as Smith's Sacred Singers, The Speer Family, The Stamps Quartet, The Blackwood Family, and The Lefevre Trio achieved wide popularity through their recordings and radio performances in the 1920s, 1930s, 1940s and 1950s. On October 20, 1927, The Stamps Quartet recorded its early hit "Give The World A Smile" for Victor, which become the Quartet's theme song. The Stamps Quartet was heard on the radio throughout Texas and the South.
Others such as Homer Rodeheaver
Homer Rodeheaver
Homer Alvan Rodeheaver was an American evangelist, music director, music publisher, composer of gospel songs, and pioneer in the recording of sacred music.- Early career :...
and the Cathedral Quartet
Cathedral Quartet
The Cathedral Quartet, often known as simply The Cathedrals, was an American southern gospel quartet that lasted from 1964 until their retirement in 1999....
became well-known through their association with popular evangelist
Evangelism
Evangelism refers to the practice of relaying information about a particular set of beliefs to others who do not hold those beliefs. The term is often used in reference to Christianity....
s such as Billy Sunday
Billy Sunday
William Ashley "Billy" Sunday was an American athlete who, after being a popular outfielder in baseball's National League during the 1880s, became the most celebrated and influential American evangelist during the first two decades of the 20th century.Born into poverty in Iowa, Sunday spent some...
and Rex Humbard
Rex Humbard
Alpha Rex Emmanuel Humbard was a well-known American television evangelist whose Cathedral of Tomorrow show was shown on over 600 stations at the peak of its popularity....
.
Representative Artists
Some of the best known Southern Gospel male quartets from various decades include The Blackwood BrothersThe Blackwood Brothers
The Blackwood Brothers Quartet are an eight-time Grammy award-winning American Southern Gospel group. They have been around for 76 years, and were pioneers in the Christian music industry.-Musical career:...
, Brian Free and Assurance, The Cathedral Quartet
Cathedral Quartet
The Cathedral Quartet, often known as simply The Cathedrals, was an American southern gospel quartet that lasted from 1964 until their retirement in 1999....
, Ernie Haase & Signature Sound
Ernie Haase & Signature Sound
Ernie Haase & Signature Sound is a Southern Gospel vocal quartet founded in 2002 by Ernie Haase, former Cathedral Quartet tenor, and Garry Jones, former Gold City pianist.-Musical career:...
, The Florida Boys
Florida Boys
The Florida Boys Quartet is a Southern Gospel vocal quartet founded in about 1946 by J. G. Whitfield. Originally named The Gospel Melody Quartet, the group was re-named in 1954.- History :...
, The Gaither Vocal Band
Gaither Vocal Band
The Gaither Vocal Band is a Grammy award-winning Christian music vocal group, headed by Bill Gaither. They originally recorded contemporary Christian music, but after the popularity of the Gaither Homecoming videos, the group has become known for southern gospel.-Group history:The Gaither Vocal...
, Gold City
Gold City
Gold City is an American Christian music group that is based in Gadsden, Alabama.-Early years:The Mississippi-based Christianairs were renamed Gold City in Dahlonega, Georgia at the stroke of midnight on New Year’s Eve to begin the year 1980 with bass Dallas Gilliland, tenor Bob Oliver, lead singer...
, The Inspirations
The Inspirations
The Inspirations are a professional Southern gospel quartet from Bryson City, North Carolina.-Career:The quartet began in 1964 when Martin Cook, a teacher at Swain County High School, invited several young men to his home for evenings of singing. Later they began traveling around the area and...
, Jake Hess
Jake Hess
Jake Hess was an American Grammy Award-winning southern gospel singer.-Life:Hess was born Manchild Hess December 24, 1927, in Limestone County, Alabama...
and the Imperials
The Imperials
The Imperials are an American Christian music group that has been around for over 45 years. Originating as a southern gospel quartet, the innovative group would become pioneers of contemporary Christian music in the 1960s. There have been many changes for the band in membership and musical styles...
, The Kingdom Heirs
Kingdom Heirs
The Kingdom Heirs Quartet are a Southern Gospel quartet based at Dollywood in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee.-Musical career:The Kingdom Heirs perform multiple shows daily at Dollywood during the months that the park is open. While the park is closed, they tour just like any other group. The group has...
Quartet, The Kingsmen Quartet
Kingsmen Quartet
The Kingsmen Quartet is an American Christian music group.-Musical career:The Kingsmen are a Southern Gospel vocal quartet based out of Asheville, North Carolina. Many legends of Southern Gospel have been members of The Kingsmen...
, Legacy Five
Legacy Five
Legacy Five is a Southern Gospel Quartet founded by former Cathedral Quartet members Roger Bennett and Scott Fowler after the owners of the Cathedral Quartet, Glen Payne and George Younce, decided to retire in 1999. Group members attribute their success to the changing face of gospel music and...
, The Oak Ridge Boys
The Oak Ridge Boys
The Oak Ridge Boys are an American country and gospel vocal quartet.The group was founded in the 1940s as the Oak Ridge Quartet. They became popular in southern gospel during the 1950s...
, The Stamps Quartet, The Statesmen Quartet
Statesmen quartet
The Statesmen Quartet was a Southern Gospel Music group founded in 1948 by Hovie Lister. Along with the Blackwood Brothers, the Statesmen Quartet was considered the most successful and influential gospel quartet of the 1950s....
, and The Triumphant Quartet
Triumphant Quartet
The Triumphant Quartet is a United States Southern Gospel group that performed at the The Miracle Theater in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. They sang at the theater from 2003–2005, when it was known as The Louise Mandrell Theater...
.
Although the genre has been known for its all-male quartets, trios and duos have been a vital element of Southern Gospel for most of the genre's history. From decades past, pioneer groups like The Booth Brothers, Chuck Wagon Gang
The Chuck Wagon Gang
The Chuck Wagon Gang is a multi-award–winning Southern Gospel musical group that was formed in 1936 by founding member D.P. Carter with his son Jim and daughters Rose and Anna...
, The Cook Family Singers
The Cook Family Singers
The Cook Family Singers were originally formed in 1885, by David J Cook and his wife, Martha. The family hailed from Lucedale, Mississippi. Cook and his wife had six children and on Sunday afternoons after church, they would pass the time by perfecting their singing of harmonies and old gospel blends...
, The Happy Goodman Family
The Happy Goodman Family
The Happy Goodman Family was a Southern Gospel group founded in the 1940s by Howard "Happy" Goodman.The Happy Goodman Family began to be known for their singing around 1950. During the 1940s and 1950s there were various combinations of all eight brothers and sisters, with Howard being constant...
, The LeFevres, The Lesters, Speer Family
Speer Family
The Speer Family, a Southern Gospel family group, was founded in 1921 by George Thomas Speer , his wife Lena Speer, and his sister and brother-in-law Pearl and Logan Claborn.-Early years:...
, The Rambos
Dottie Rambo
Dottie Rambo was an American gospel singer and songwriter. She was a Grammy and multiple Dove Award-winning artist. Rambo, along with husband Buck and daughter Reba, formed the award-winning southern Gospel group, The Rambos...
, and The Bill Gaither Trio paved the way for modern mixed quartets and family-based lineups such as The Crabb Family
The Crabb Family
The Crabb Family was a Grammy-nominated, Dove Award-winning Southern Gospel group from Beaver Dam, Kentucky. They had sixteen No. 1 songs on the national radio charts.-Members:...
, Greater Vision
Greater Vision
Greater Vision is a Southern Gospel trio founded in 1990 by Gerald Wolfe, Mark Trammell, and Chris Allman, and often accompanied by pianist Stan Whitmire . Over the last several years, this trio has consistently been named Southern Gospel's favorite trio of the year in the Singing News Fan Awards...
, The Hinsons
The Hinsons
The Hinsons were a multi-award winning Southern Gospel group that was formed in 1967. There is a current group by the same name, headed by Ronny's son, Bo. This article addresses the original group....
, The Hoppers
The Hoppers
The Hoppers are a Southern Gospel group from North Carolina.The Hoppers are a family ensemble which first began performing together in 1957. They appeared at the inauguration ceremony for Ronald Reagan in 1981...
, The Isaacs
The Isaacs
The Isaacs are a country and bluegrass gospel music group consisting of mother Lily Isaacs, and daughters Becky and Sonya Isaacs and son Ben Isaacs, along with John Bowman as an instrumentalist and songwriter. Joe Isaacs, formerly a singer and banjo player in the group, has left since his 1998...
, Jeff and Sheri Easter, The Lewis Family
The Lewis Family
The Lewis Family is a family of gospel and bluegrass musicians from Lincolnton, Georgia. They are known as the "First Family of Bluegrass Gospel"....
, The Martins
The Martins
The Martins are a Christian music vocal trio composed of three siblings: Joyce Martin Sanders, Jonathan Martin, and Judy Martin Hess.-Music career:...
, The McKameys
The McKameys
The McKameys are a professional Southern Gospel group based in Clinton, Tennessee, who record on the Horizon Records label.The McKameys are Ruben and Peg Bean, Sheryl Farris, Connie Fortner, Roger Fortner, Eli Fortner...
, The Perrys
The Perrys
The Perrys are a professional Southern Gospel quartet based in Gallatin, Tennessee. The group formed on December 25, 1970 with Randy Perry and his sisters Debbie and Libbi in Georgia. In the mid 1980s, the group signed with former pianist for the Happy Goodman Family, Eddie Crook on his Morning...
, The Ruppes
Ruppes
Ruppes is a commune in the Vosges department in Lorraine in northeastern France....
, The Talley Trio
Talley Trio
The Talleys are a progressive southern gospel group composed of Roger and Debra Talley, their daughter Lauren, and her husband Brian Alvey.- Group History :...
.
The genre also has a growing number of popular soloists. Many of these gained their initial popularity with a group before launching out on their own as soloists. Some of the most popular of these have been Jimmie Davis
Jimmie Davis
James Houston Davis , better known as Jimmie Davis, was a noted singer of both sacred and popular songs who served two nonconsecutive terms as the 47th Governor of Louisiana...
, Mark Bishop
Mark Bishop
Thomas Mark Bishop , has been an Australian Labor Party member of the Australian Senate representing the state of Western Australia since July 1996. He was born in Adelaide, South Australia and was educated at the University of Adelaide and Harvard University...
, Jason Crabb
Jason Crabb
Jason Crabb is the oldest of the Crabb sons and the lead male vocalist for the group The Crabb Family. His debut solo album, Jason Crabb, won a 2010 Grammy...
, Ivan Parker
Ivan Parker
-Musical career:Ivan Parker was raised in Sanford, North Carolina, where his father was a pastor in a Pentecostal church. In 1982, Parker joined the Singing Americans, and in 1983 he became lead vocalist of the Dove Award-winning group the Gold City Quartet...
, Squire Parsons
Squire Parsons
Squire Enos Parsons, Jr. , is a Southern Gospel singer and songwriter. He was born in Newton, West Virginia, to Squire and Maysel Parsons, and was introduced to music by his father, who was a choir director and deacon at Newton Baptist Church...
, and Janet Paschal
Janet Paschal
Janet Paschal is a Contemporary Christian and southern gospel vocalist and performer, often associated with Bill Gaither's Homecoming events.- Background :...
. Southern Gospel was an early influence on popular secular performers such as Patsy Cline
Patsy Cline
Patsy Cline , born Virginia Patterson Hensley in Gore, Virginia, was an American country music singer who enjoyed pop music crossover success during the era of the Nashville sound in the early 1960s...
, Tennessee Ernie Ford
Tennessee Ernie Ford
Ernest Jennings Ford , better known as Tennessee Ernie Ford, was an American recording artist and television host who enjoyed success in the country and Western, pop, and gospel musical genres...
, and Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King"....
.
- Articles on individual Southern Gospel artists can be found at Southern Gospel performers.
Gaither Homecoming Series
Traditional Southern Gospel music underwent a tremendous surge in popularity during the 1990s thanks to the efforts of Bill and Gloria Gaither and their Gaither HomecomingGaither Homecoming
Gaither Homecoming is the name applied to a series of videos, music recordings and concerts, which are organized, promoted and usually presented by Christian music songwriter and impresario Bill Gaither...
tours and videos, which began as a reunion of many of the best known and loved SGM individuals in 1991. Thanks in part to the Homecoming series, Southern Gospel music now has fans across the United States and in a number of foreign countries like Ireland and Australia.
Today's Southern Gospel
Although still primarily "old-timey quartet singing," Southern Gospel was evolving by the 1990s to include more soloists and duos. It was most popular in the SoutheastSoutheastern United States
The Southeastern United States, colloquially referred to as the Southeast, is the eastern portion of the Southern United States. It is one of the most populous regions in the United States of America....
and Southwest
Southwestern United States
The Southwestern United States is a region defined in different ways by different sources. Broad definitions include nearly a quarter of the United States, including Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas and Utah...
, but it had a nationwide audience. The music remained "more country than city, more down-home than pretentious".
In 2005, The Radio Book, a broadcast yearbook published by M Street Publications, reported 285 radio stations in the USA with a primary format designation as "Southern Gospel," including 175 AM stations and 110 FM stations. In fact, "Southern Gospel" was the 9th most popular format for AM stations and the 21st most popular for FM. Southern Gospel radio promoters routinely service more than a thousand radio stations which play at least some Southern Gospel music each week. Recent years have also seen the advent of a number of internet-only Southern Gospel "radio" stations.
Two popular satellite stations that feature Southern Gospel are channel 34 on XM Satellite Radio and Channel 67 On Sirius Satellite Radio. Both play the same feed entitled, "Enlighten on SiriusXm". Enlighten plays Southern Gospel and has several featured programs which air weekly including Paul Heil's Gospel Greats and Bill Gaither's Homecoming Radio.
Over the last decade, a newer version of Southern Gospel has grown in popularity. This style is called Progressive Southern Gospel
Progressive Southern Gospel
Progressive Southern gospel music is music that is written to express either personal or a communal belief regarding Christian life, as well as to give a Christian alternative to mainstream secular music...
and is characterized by a blend of traditional Southern Gospel, Bluegrass, modern country, contemporary Christian and pop music elements. Progressive Southern Gospel generally features artists who push their voices to produce a sound with an edge to it. The traditional style Southern Gospel singers employ a more classical singing style.
Lyrically, most Progressive Southern Gospel songs are patterned after traditional Southern Gospel in that they maintain a clear evangelistic and/or testimonial slant. Southern Gospel purists view lyrical content and the underlying musical style as the key determining factors for applying the Southern Gospel label to a song.
Although there are some exceptions, most Southern Gospel songs would not be classified as Praise and Worship
Worship Music
Worship Music is the tenth studio album by American heavy metal band Anthrax. It is their first album of original material since 2003's We've Come for You All and the first to feature original singer Joey Belladonna since 1990's Persistence of Time...
. Few Southern Gospel songs are sung "to" God as opposed to "about" God. On the other hand, Southern Gospel lyrics are typically overt in their Christian message unlike Contemporary Christian music
Contemporary Christian music
Contemporary Christian music is a genre of modern popular music which is lyrically focused on matters concerned with the Christian faith...
(CCM) which sometimes has "double entendre" lyrics which could be interpreted as being about a devout love for God or an earthly love for a man or woman. Southern Gospel fans have been among the most vocal critics of such CCM songs particularly if they "cross over" and receive recognition through airplay on mainstream radio.
Southern Gospel Media
Becoming popular through songbooks, such as those published by R. E. WinsettR. E. Winsett
-Early years:Winsett was born in Bledsoe County, Tennessee, and graduated from the Bowman Normal School of Music in 1899.-Musical career:He founded his own publishing company in 1903, and his first publication, Winsett's Favorite Songs, quickly became popular among the Baptist and Pentecostal...
of Dayton, Tennessee
Dayton, Tennessee
Dayton is a city in Rhea County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 6,180 at the 2000 census. The Dayton, TN, Urban Cluster, which includes developed areas adjacent to the city and extends south to Graysville, Tennessee, had 9,050 people in 2000...
, Southern Gospel was and is one of the few genres to use recordings, radio, and television technologies from the very beginning for the advancements of promoting the genre.
One of the longest running print magazines for Southern Gospel music has been the Singing News
Singing News
The Singing News is an American magazine which focuses on the Southern Gospel music industry....
. They started in the early 1970s supplying radio airplay charts and conducting annual fan based awards. They also supply popular topic forums for Southern Gospel fans to meet and discuss the genre. The move to internet services has brought along companies such as SoGospelNews.com
SoGospelNews.com
SoGospelNews.com is the internet's largest e-zine based on Southern Gospel Music.-History:SoGospelNews.com - http://sogospelnews.com - was formed over 10 years ago by Deon & Susan Unthank, then of Southaven, Mississippi. The site was birthed from an email discussion group by the same name...
which has become a noted e-zine forum for Southern Gospel and has remained a supporter for the past twelve years. It too contains the music charts with forums and chat rooms available to the fans.
Internet Radio has broadened the Southern Gospel Music fanbase by using computer technologies and continual streaming. Some of these media outlets are: Sunlite Radio which features many of the Southern Gospel programs likewise heard on traditional radio. This list includes The Gospel Greats with Paul Heil, which recently celebrated 30 years on the air, Southern Gospel USA, a weekly half hour countdown show hosted by Gary Wilson, Classic radio programs such as The Old Gospel Ship and Heaven's Jubilee with Jim Loudermilk. Another online station is "The Gospel Station."
Suggested reading
- Beary , Shirley L. "The Stamps-Baxter Music and Printing Company: A Continuing Tradition, 1926–1976." D.M.A. dissertation, Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, 1977.
- Brobston, Stanley. “A Brief History of White Southern Gospel Music.” Ph.D. Dissertation, New York University, 1977.
- Downey, James C. “The Music of American Revivalism.” Ph.D. dissertation, Tulane University, 1968.
- Collins, Mike and Gaither, Bill "Hold On: The Authorized Biography of the Greenes, America's Southern Gospel Trio" Woodland Press LLC, 2004. ISBN 0-9724867-6-3.
- Eskew, Harry. “Shape-Note Hymnody in the Shenandoah Valley, 1816-60.” Ph.D. dissertation, Tulane University, 1966.
- Fleming, Jo Lee. “James D. Vaughan, Music Publisher.” S.M.D. dissertation, Union Theological Seminary (Richmond, VA), 1972.
- Goff, James R. Jr. "Close Harmony: A History Of Southern Gospel" University Of North Carolina Press, 2002. ISBN 0-8078-5346-1
- Graves, Michael P. and Fillingim , David "More than Precious Memories: The Rhetoric of Southern Gospel Music" Mercer University Press, 2004. ISBN 0-86554-857-9.
- Terrell, Bob "The Music Men: The Story of Professional Gospel Quartet Singing in America" B. Terrell, 1990. ISBN 1-878894-00-5.
External links
- www.sunlite-radio.com -- Sunlite Radio
- www.cjca.ca -- AM930 CJCA, Edmonton Alberta
- stampsbaxterschool.com -- The Stamps-Baxter School of Music
- www.hymnlyric.com -- Public domain Southern Gospel Hymn Lyrics
- www.enlighten34.com -- Enlighten34
- www.whoswhoingospelmusic.com -- Who's Who in Gospel Music]