 | This article includes a list of general references, but it lacks sufficient corresponding inline citations .(July 2010) |
| Established | 1987-present |
|---|---|
| Location | |
| Website | www |
The Western States Gospel Music Association (WSGMA) is an organization based out of California, formed in the late 1980s to extend the acceptance, influence and use of traditional gospel music in churches throughout California, Oregon, Washington, Nevada and Arizona. [1]
The WSGMA hosts two or more concerts a Year. Two of these events celebrate Armed Forces Day (3rd Saturday of May in Orange County) and Labor Day (1st Monday of September in Stanislaus County). Each of these concerts showcase the artist groups individually along with a Gaither Style band and all artists gathered together to sing classic Southern Gospel hits and Patriotic Songs. [2]
In 1994, the WSGMA released a Various Artists Cassette 10 Artists, 20 Songs with the Artist roster of that era. In 1997 the charter members at that time recorded a Live CD Live Reunion Recording which was produced by Dennis Zimmerman.
The Oak Ridge Boys is 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. Their name was changed to the Oak Ridge Boys in the early 1960s, and they remained a gospel group until the mid-1970s, when they changed their image and concentrated on country music.
Canaan Records is a Christian record label and is a subsidiary of Word Entertainment.
Southern gospel music is a genre of Christian music. Its name comes from its origins in the southeastern United States whose lyrics are written to express either personal or a communal faith regarding biblical teachings and Christian life, as well as to give a Christian alternative to mainstream secular music. Sometimes known as "quartet music" for its traditional "four men and a piano" set up, southern gospel has evolved over the years into a popular form of music across the United States and overseas, especially among baby boomers and those living in the Southern 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.
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 (GVB). In the 1990s, his career gained a resurgence, as popularity grew for the Gaither Homecoming series.
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.
The Happy Goodman Family is a Southern gospel group that was founded in the 1940s by Howard "Happy" Goodman and performed together for several decades. The Happy Goodmans achieved significant popularity in the 1960s. In 1968, they won the first Grammy Award to be awarded for a gospel album by a gospel group.
The Lighthouse Boys are an American Southern Gospel band from Bakersfield, California, and progenitors of "The Bakersfield Sound". The group began in 1974 by brothers Mark and Bill Underwood and Bill's brother in-law Steve Johnson. In 1976, the trio expanded from a vocal ensemble to a full band with the addition of Frank McNinch, Garry Miller, and Kenny Knight. The band recorded their self-titled debut album in the late 1970s and released it in 1980. The band has undergone many line-up changes throughout their recording and touring careers, but the core trio has remained at the helm during their history.
Guy Allen Penrod is a gospel music singer. He is known for his work as the lead singer of the Gaither Vocal Band, a position he held from 1994 to 2008.
The Cathedral Quartet, also known as the Cathedrals, was an American southern gospel quartet who performed from 1964 to December 1999. The group's final lineup consisted of Glen Payne (lead), George Younce (bass), Ernie Haase (tenor), Scott Fowler, and Roger Bennett.
The Klaudt Indian Family was a professional southern gospel group. They were noted as being one of the most diverse groups to ever travel the gospel music circuits.
First Call is an American contemporary Christian music (CCM) group, consisting of Mel Tunney, Marty McCall, and Bonnie Keen. During their career spanning more than 30 years, the group worked with many noted producers and arrangers including David Maddux, Steven Tayler, Dan Keen, Greg Nelson, Keith Thomas, Neal Joseph, Wayne Kirkpatrick, Phil Naish and Darrell Brown.
The Crownsmen is an American Christian band.
Johnny Minick is an American gospel singer, songwriter, arranger, recording artist, record producer, and pastor.
Gary McSpadden was an American pastor, singer, songwriter, record producer, television host and motivational speaker. He had musical roots in quartet music and Southern gospel with The Statesmen, The Oak Ridge Boys, The Imperials, The Bill Gaither Trio, and The Gaither Vocal Band. McSpadden's songs include "Jesus Lord To Me", "Hallelujah Praise The Lamb", and "No Other Name But Jesus". He has produced albums for numerous groups. In 1987, he co-hosted PTL Today after Jim Bakker resigned. McSpadden went on to produce television programs, including the "Jubilee" concert series filmed at Silver Dollar City in Branson, Missouri. He also produced and starred in several live music shows in the Branson area during the 1990s and 2000s.
Bryan Hutson is a gospel musician who has performed with The New Generation, The Heartland Quartet, The Kingsmen Quartet, and is currently partnered with his wife, Yvonne, in Rescue Me Ministries.
Kevin Kwan Loucks is a Korean–American classical pianist, arts entrepreneur, and nonprofit executive. In September 2021, he was appointed Chief Executive Officer of Chamber Music America in New York City. He previously served as Director of Business Development and Strategic Partnerships at the Philharmonic Society of Orange County, a presenting organization in residence at the Segerstrom Center for the Arts in Costa Mesa, CA, and also served as Director of Innovation and Program Development at Music Academy of the West in Santa Barbara, California. He co-founded Chamber Music | OC, an arts organization headquartered in Lake Forest, California, and is a founding member and current pianist of the award-winning piano trio, Trio Céleste.
James W. Reno is an American Christian country music singer from North Alabama. He was initially a member of his family's singing group, and later of The Mystery Men Quartet and then Mark209. He subsequently sang baritone with the Florida Boys before returning to Mark209 in 2016.
Black gospel music is a genre of African-American Christian music. It is rooted in the conversion of enslaved Africans to Christianity, both during and after the trans-atlantic slave trade, starting with work songs sung in the fields and, later, with religious songs sung in various church settings, later classified as Negro Spirituals.
The Mercy River Boys were an American Christian country music band who performed from 1979 to 1985. They were nominated for a Grammy Award for their first album, Breakout. The album was also a finalist for the Gospel Music Association's Dove Award for Album of the Year, 1979–80, and won a Dove Award for backliner notes, written by Merlin Littlefield.
The Singing Christians were a Southern gospel music band. They released five albums on the Canaan Records label and charted in the Southern gospel radio markets.