Southern Gospel music is a popular American form of Christian music. The birth of the genre is generally considered to be 1910, which is the year the first professional quartet was formed for the purpose of selling songbooks for the James D. Vaughan Music Publishing Company. Sacred Harp singing is a tradition of sacred choral music that took root in the Southern region of the United States. ... Shape notes are a system of music notation designed to facilitate congregational singing. ... A hymn is a type of song, usually religious, specifically written for the purpose of praise, adoration or prayer, and typically addressed to a god or other religiously significant figure. ... Alternative meaning: Nineteenth Century (periodical) (18th century — 19th century — 20th century — more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 19th century was that century which lasted from 1801-1900 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar. ... A musical instrument is a device constructed or modified with the purpose of making music. ... Elvis Aron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977), often known simply as Elvis and also called The King of Rock n Roll or simply The King, was an American singer, musician and actor. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Jimmy Lee Swaggart (born March 15, 1935 in Ferriday, Louisiana) is a Pentecostal preacher and pioneer of televangelism who reached the height of his popularity in the 1980s. ... Bluegrass music is considered a form of American roots music which has its own roots in Irish, African, Scottish and English traditional music. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Contemporary Christian Music (or CCM) is a genre of popular music which is lyrically focused on matters concerned with the Christian faith. ... The Gospel Music Association (GMA) was founded in 1964 for the purpose of supporting and promoting the development of all forms of Gospel music. ... This article or section is in need of attention from an expert on the subject. ... The National Gospel Singing Convention is an annual Southern Gospel music event, and has played a significant part in the development of Gospel music. ... 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. ...

Origins

Southern Gospel is sometimes called "quartet music" by fans due to the original all male, tenor-lead-baritone-bass quartet make-up. Early quartets were typically accompanied only by organ or guitar. Over time, full bands were added and even later, pre-record accompaniments were introduced. A typical modern Southern Gospel group performs with pre-recorded tracks augmented by a piano player and possibly a few other musicians.

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 songs, country gospel, bluegrass, and the difficult 'convention songs'. Aldine Silliman Kieffer (August 1, 1840 – November 30, 1904) was a leading 19th century proponent of shape note musical notation, music teacher and publisher. ... Ephraim Ruebush (September 26, 1833 – September 26, 1924) was a music teacher and publisher. ... A singing school is a school for teaching vocal music. ... Shape notes are a system of music notation designed to facilitate congregational singing. ... 1879 (MDCCCLXXIX) was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... The Stamps-Baxter Music Company was an influential southern music publishing company in the shape note gospel field. ...

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 The Speer Family, The Blackwood Family, The Lefevre Trio and The Carter Family achieved wide popularity through their recordings and radio performances in the 1920s, 1930s, 1940s and 1950s. Others such as Homer Rodeheaver and the Cathedral Quartet, became well-known through their association with popular evangelists such as Billy Sunday and Rex Humbard. The Holiness movement is composed of people who believe and propagate the belief that the carnal nature of man can be cleansed through faith and by the power of the Holy Spirit if one has had his sins forgiven through faith in Jesus. ... Maybelle, A.P. and Sara The Carter Family was a rural country music group that performed between 1927 and 1943. ... The 1920s is a decade that is sometimes referred to as the Jazz Age or the Roaring Twenties, usually applied to America. ... The 1930s (years from 1930–1939) were described as an abrupt shift to more radical and conservative lifestyles, as countries were struggling to find a solution to the Great Depression, also known in Europe as the World Depression. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... This does not cite its references or sources. ... Homer Alvan Rodeheaver (October 4, 1880 – December 18, 1955) was an American evangelistic music director, music publisher, composer of gospel songs, and pioneer in the recording of sacred music. ... The Cathedral Quartet, often known as simply The Cathedrals, was formed in 1964 by bass singer George Younce, lead singer Glen Payne, tenor Bobby Clark, and baritone Danny Koker. ... Evangelism is the proclaiming of the Christian Gospel. ... Billy Sunday William Ashley Sunday (November 19, 1862 – November 6, 1935) was an American athlete and religious figure who, after being a popular outfielder in baseballs National League during the 1880s, became the most celebrated and influential American evangelist during the first two decades of the 20th century. ... Starting in Akron, Ohio, Rex Humbard was one of the first evangelists (1952) to build a ministry that incorporated radio and television programming. ...

Representative Artists

Some of the best known southern gospel male quartets from various decades include the Blackwood Brothers, the Cathedral Quartet, Legacy Five, The Stamps Quartet, the Statesmen Quartet, the Imperials, Gold City, the Kingsmen, the Triumphant Quartet, The Kingdom Heirs, the Gaither Vocal Band, Brian Free and Assurance, the Florida Boys, the Masters V, The Inspirations and the Oak Ridge Boys. The Blackwood Brothers Quartet is a famous American gospel music singing group. ... The Cathedral Quartet, often known as simply The Cathedrals, was formed in 1964 by bass singer George Younce, lead singer Glen Payne, tenor Bobby Clark, and baritone Danny Koker. ... (1924-present) // A series of significant events in the 1920s launched a legendary name in United States in gospel music. ... // Formed in 1948 in Atlanta, GA, by piano player Hovie Lister, a Baptist minister and convention-style piano player with a flair for showmanship, Brother Hovie envisioned the group as a hand-picked cream-of-the crop grouping. ... The Imperials are a fictional race that hail from the province of Cyrodiil in the video game series The Elder Scrolls. ... // 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 Dallas Gilliland singing bass, tenor Bob Oliver, lead singer Jerry Ritchie, and baritone Ken Trussell. ... An editor has expressed a concern that the subject of the article does not satisfy the notability guideline or one of the following guidelines for inclusion on Wikipedia: Biographies, Books, Companies, Fiction, Music, Neologisms, Numbers, Web content, or several proposals for new guidelines. ... The Kingdom Heirs are a Southern Gospel quartet based at Dollywood in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. ... Gaither Vocal Band (1980-present) is a Southern Gospel Music group. ... Florida Boys is a southern gospel vocal quartet founded in about 1946 by J.G. Whitfield. ... The Inspirations are a professional Southern Gospel quartet from Bryson City, NC. 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. ... The Oak Ridge Boys are one of the best-known country and gospel bands in United States. ...

Although the genre is 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 the Sons Of Song, Wendy Bagwell & Sunliters, and the Happy Two in decades past to more modern groups like Greater Vision, the McRaes, the Crabb Family, the Isaacs the Hoppers and the Ruppes. Pioneer groups like the Speer Family, the Weatherfords, the Klaudt Indian Family, the Chuck Wagon Gang, The Happy Goodman Family, the LeFevres, and the Rambos paved the way for modern mixed quartets and family-based lineups. Other famous family groups from various decades include the Hinsons, the Hoppers, the Talleys, the Martins and the Bill Gaither Trio. Greater Vision is a Southern Gospel trio founded in 1990 by Gerald Wolfe, Mark Trammell, and Chris Allman. ... Isaacs may refer to: Sir Isaac Isaacs, Australian politician, jurist and Governor-General Isaacs, Australian Capital Territory, a suburb of Canberra, Australia named for him Division of Isaacs, a federal electorate in Victoria, Australia named for him This is a disambiguation page: a list of articles associated with the same... Look up hopper in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... The Speer Family, a Southern Gospel family group, was founded in 1921 by George Thomas (Dad) Speer, his wife Lena (Mom) Speer, and his sister and brother-in-law Pearl and Logan Claborn. ... The Klaudt Indian Family was a professional southern gospel group. ... The Happy Goodman Family was a Southern Gospel group founded in the 1940s by Howard Happy Goodman. ... Dottie Rambo (born Joyce Reba Rambo, Madisonville, KY, 1934) is a famous gospel singer. ... Look up hopper in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Bill and Gloria Gaither Bill Gaither (born March 28, 1936) is a singer and songwriter of Southern Gospel and Contemporary Christian music. ...

Unlike most forms of popular music where soloists (and/or soloists with background vocalists) generally outnumber vocally balanced groups, vocal groups thrive in Southern Gospel. However, the genre 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. The most popular of these being Squire Parsons, David L Cook, Mike Bowling, Ivan Parker, and Walt Mills. Squire Parsons, Jr. ... David L. Cook (b. ...

Articles on individual Southern Gospel artists can be found here.

Gaither Homecoming Series

Traditional Southern Gospel music underwent a tremendous revival in popularity during the 1990s thanks to the efforts of Bill and Gloria Gaither and their Gaither Homecoming 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. Bill and Gloria Gaither are Grammy award winning gospel singer/songwriters from Alexandria, Indiana. ... 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. ...

Today's Southern Gospel

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 like Rick Hendrix Company 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.

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, contermporary 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. // Origins Progressive Southern Gospel is an American music genre that has grown out of Southern Gospel over the past couple of decades. ... // Origins Progressive Southern Gospel is an American music genre that has grown out of Southern Gospel over the past couple of decades. ...

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 expectations, 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 rarely vague about the Christian message, which is a complaint many Southern Gospel fans have about non-P&W, but otherwise "Contemporary Christian music" (CCM), especially when those CCM songs "cross over" and receive recognition through airplay on mainstream radio. Worship music is a style of Christian music that is commonly used to denote songs that are used to worship God and set in a choral music style, usually with repeating, short, easily sung chorus parts. ... Contemporary Christian Music (or CCM) is a genre of popular music which is lyrically focused on matters concerned with the Christian faith. ...

Southern Gospel Media

Southern Gospel became popular initially through songbooks. Southern Gospel is one of the few surviving genres that was there to exploit recording, radio, and television technologies from the very beginning and use these advancements to further promote the genre.

The dominant print magazine for Southern Gospel since the 1970s has been the Singing News. Their radio airplay charts and annual Fan Awards presentations are always popular topics for Southern Gospel fans to discuss. The Singing News is an American magazine which focuses on the Southern Gospel music industry. ...

The biggest e-zine for today's Southern Gospel is SoGospelNews.com, which has been reporting on Southern Gospel for over 10 years. The site contains the most recognized weekly Southern Gospel chart as well as the internet's largest Southern Gospel community with forums and a chat room. Their Annual SGN Music Awards recognize accomplishments made within the industry over the past year. SoGospelNews. ...

A number of other internet media outlets have been formed in recent years as well. The modern Southern Gospel fan may still subscribe to a magazine, but most keep up with their favorite artists via a Southern Gospel news site on the internet.

Southern Gospel Music on Internet Radio is a rapidly growing new media arena with numerous internet radio stations broadcasting various flavors of Southern Gospel Online. One of the pioneers (ten years online as of 2007) is Sunlite Radio. This station at www.sunlite-radio.com features many Southern Gospel programs also heard on traditional radio. This list includes The Gospel Greats with Paul Heil, which recently celebrated 25 years on the air, Southern Gospel USA, a weekly half hour countdown show hosted by Gary Wilson, The Old Gospel Ship with Billy R. Douglas, and several others.

Also see

• List of Christian Music Videos

The following is a list of music videos by any artist involved in the Christian Music genre. ...

External link

• Southern Gospel at the Open Directory Project
• Sunlite Radio features many flavors of Southern Gospel Music along with Country Gospel, Hymns and other musical Genres.
• Canada's Only Full-Time Southern Gospel Station, AM930 CJCA in Edmonton Alberta. LISTEN ONLINE!