Gloria Gaither | |
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![]() Gloria in Sept. 2016 | |
Background information | |
Birth name | Gloria Lee Sickal |
Born | Battle Creek, Michigan, U.S. | March 4, 1942
Genres | Christian music, Southern gospel, contemporary Christian |
Occupation(s) | Songwriter (lyricist), author, screenwriter, speaker |
Instrument(s) | Vocals |
Years active | 1962–present |
Website | www.gaither.com |
Gloria Gaither (born March 4, 1942) is a Christian singer-songwriter, author, speaker, editor, and academic. She is married to Bill Gaither and together they have written more than 700 songs. In 2000, ASCAP (American Society of Composers, Authors, & Publishers) named them Christian Songwriters of the Century.. She performed, traveled and recorded with the Bill Gaither Trio from 1965 through 1991. Since 1991, she has served as a performer, recording artist, songwriter, scriptwriter and narrator for the Gaither Homecoming series of television broadcasts, video and DVD releases, and audio recordings.
She was born Gloria Lee Sickal in 1942 in Michigan, a daughter of Pastor Lee Sickal and Dorothy Sickal. She spent some of her childhood and high school years in the Battle Creek area of Michigan, working a brief time for the Kellogg Company.
When Gloria graduated from Clare High School in Clare, Michigan, [1] she attended Anderson University in Anderson, Indiana. There, she triple majored in English, French, and Sociology. Her extracurricular activities at the college included participation in the Drama Club, [2] Alpha Chi National College Honor Society [3] and Sigma Tau Delta honor society. [1]
Upon her graduation, she took a job at Alexandria Monroe High School as a French teacher. There, she met Bill Gaither, who was teaching English at the time. She married Gaither in 1962, and they began writing songs recreationally.
In 1991, she attended Ball State University and received a Master of Arts in British and American Literature.
Bill and Gloria Gaither began writing songs in the 1960s, and many those songs (including "Because He Lives", "I Am Loved", "Something Beautiful") would go on to become church hymn book standards across North America and around the world. By the end of the 1960s, Gloria, Bill, and Bill's brother Danny Gaither were touring steadily as the Bill Gaither Trio, singing and recording songs Bill and Gloria had written. After touring with the Bill Gaither Trio for nearly thirty years, Gaither drew her focus to the Gaither Homecoming series. She has been an active presence in every video production.
In 1996, she spearheaded the creation of Gaither Family Resources [4] in Alexandria, Indiana, and currently serves as co-owner and managing director. In 2002, Gaither launched Homecoming: The Magazine, [5] and she currently acts as writer, interviewer, and contributing editor.
In 2000, Bill and Gloria were named Christian Songwriters of the Century by the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP), [6] an award based on the songwriters who have had the most songs recorded over the past 100 years. Gloria is the recipient of seven honorary doctorate degrees, and she is the author of more than 40 books including 20 children's books.
William James Gaither is an American singer and songwriter of Southern gospel and contemporary Christian music. He has written numerous popular Christian songs with his wife Gloria; he is also known for performing as part of the Bill Gaither Trio and the Gaither Vocal Band. In the 1990s, his career gained a resurgence, as popularity grew for the Gaither Homecoming series. In 2023 he released a secular music album with the Gaither Vocal Band entitled “Love Songs”.
The Bill Gaither Trio, originally simply The Gaither Trio, was an American gospel music group, last consisting of Bill, his wife Gloria Gaither, and Michael English.
The Gaither Vocal Band is an American southern gospel vocal group, named after its founder and leader Bill Gaither. On March 1, 2017, it was announced that the Gaither Vocal Band lineup consisted of Reggie Smith, Wes Hampton, Adam Crabb, Todd Suttles, and Bill Gaither. Although the group started out recording contemporary Christian music in the 1980s, it became known for southern gospel after the popularity of the Gaither Homecoming videos.
George Wilson Younce was a Southern gospel bass vocalist, known for performing with Southern gospel quartets, especially The Cathedral Quartet.
Danny Gaither, was a gospel music singer from Alexandria, Indiana, and an original member of the Bill Gaither Trio.
James Webre Blackwood was an American gospel singer and one of the founding members of legendary Southern gospel quartet The Blackwood Brothers. He is the only person in any field of music to have been nominated for a Grammy Award for 28 consecutive years. He received 31 nominations and won nine Grammy Awards.
Russell Taff is an American gospel singer and songwriter who grew up in Farmersville, California. He has sung a variety of musical styles throughout his career including: pop rock, traditional Southern gospel, contemporary country music, and rhythm and blues. He first gained recognition as lead vocalist for the Imperials (1976–81). One of his best-known performances is the song "Praise the Lord". He has also been a member of the Gaither Vocal Band, and occasionally tours with Bill Gaither in the Gaither Homecoming concerts. As a solo artist and songwriter, Taff is known for the 1980s anthem "We Will Stand". Taff has received various Dove and Grammy awards either as a solo artist or part of a larger musical group, most notably the Imperials.
The Martins are a Christian music vocal trio composed of three siblings: Joyce Martin Sanders, Jonathan Martin, and Judy Martin Hess.
Dottie Rambo was an American gospel singer and songwriter. She was a Grammy winning solo artist and multiple Dove award-winning artist. Along with ex-husband Buck and daughter Reba, she formed the award-winning southern Gospel group, The Rambos. She wrote more than 2,500 songs, including her most notable, "The Holy Hills of Heaven Call Me", "He Looked Beyond My Fault and Saw My Need", "We Shall Behold Him", and "I Go To the Rock".
Ernie Haase & Signature Sound is an American Southern Gospel quartet founded in 2002 by Ernie Haase, former Cathedral Quartet tenor and Garry Jones, former Gold City pianist. As of November 2021, the group consists of Dustin Doyle (lead/baritone), Doug Anderson (lead/baritone), Paul Harkey (bass) and Ernie Haase (tenor). The group has released 33 albums and 16 DVDs, many of which feature other Christian and Gospel artists.
Janet Paschal is an inspirational gospel vocalist. She has released numerous albums in that genre and has received multiple fan awards and Grammy and Dove Award nominations. She is also a songwriter and published author. In May 2019, she was inducted into the Gospel Music Association Hall of Fame in Nashville, Tennessee. Paschal was inducted into the North Carolina Music Hall of Fame in October 2022.
The 32nd Annual GMA Dove Awards were held on April 26, 2001 recognizing accomplishments of musicians for the year 2000. The show was held at the Grand Ole Opry House in Nashville, Tennessee, and was hosted by Michael W. Smith.
The 40th Annual GMA Dove Awards presentation was held on April 23, 2009 recognizing accomplishments of musicians for the year 2008. The show was held at the Grand Ole Opry House in Nashville, Tennessee, and was hosted by Rebecca St. James, Matthew West, and Lisa Kimmey.
Doug Oldham was an American Southern Gospel singer and a member of the Gospel Music Hall of Fame.
The 42nd Annual GMA Dove Awards presentation was held on April 20, 2011, at the Fox Theatre in Atlanta, Georgia. The show was broadcast on GMC on April 24, 2011, hosted by Sherri Shepherd from The Newlywed Game.
The 17th Annual GMA Dove Awards were held on 1986 recognizing accomplishments of musicians for the year 1985. The show was held in Nashville, Tennessee.
The 16th Annual GMA Dove Awards were held on 1985 recognizing accomplishments of musicians for the year 1984. The show was held in Nashville, Tennessee.
The Booth Brothers is an American southern gospel vocal trio. It was originally formed in 1957 by four brothers but disbanded in 1963. It was reformed in 1990 by one of the original members, Ron Booth, with two of his sons, Michael and Ronnie Booth. Ron Booth retired in 1995, and was replaced by Joseph Smith, who was in turn replaced by Jim Brady, followed by Paul Lancaster. In June 2021, it was announced that Ronnie Booth would be leaving the group and be succeeded by former Gaither Vocal Band lead singer Buddy Mullins.
Give It Away is an album from Contemporary Christian, Southern Gospel group Gaither Vocal Band. The album was released on January 24, 2006.
The 43rd Annual GMA Dove Awards presentation ceremony was held on Thursday, April 19, 2012, at 7:30 P.M. EST at the Fox Theatre in Atlanta, Georgia. The ceremony recognized the accomplishments of musicians and other figures within the Christian music industry for the year 2011. The ceremony was produced by the Gospel Music Association and was hosted by actor David Mann and comedian Chonda Pierce. The awards show was broadcast on the Gospel Music Channel on April 24, 2012.