TGMHF&M Board of Directors


Tom Ellis, Chairman of the Board Tom Ellis, Chairman of the Board
Tom is one of the original founders of the TGMHF, leader of the Ellis Family Gospel singing group for over 25 years, past President of the Southern Gospel Music Association of Texas, and current Chairman of the Board for that organization. As a life-long fan and promoter of Gospel Music, Tom, Calvin Wills, and James Fudge, along with Lou Wills Hildreth, had the vision for our not-for-profit organization in the early 1980s.
Randy C. Wills, President Randy C. Wills, President
Randy took over the role as President in 2002 following Calvin´s passing. He is a music producer, professional musician, Contemporary worship leader and member of the Gospel group, SpokenFor. He worked for many years with his father at Sword and Shield Record Company, has a Gospel Music diploma from The Frank Stamps Conservatory of Music and is a graduate of Dallas Baptist University.
Ben Pegues Ben Pegues, Executive Director
Ben is a graduate of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and has spent the past 35 years in church work and serving as an adjunct professor at a local Bible college. He taught at Stamps School of Music and currently sings with his Gospel group, Thorns & Roses. Ben´s love for Gospel Music and the unique history of Gospel Music has made him a nationally recognized historian and contributor to a number of publications. He serves as the Executive Director for the Texas Gospel Music Hall of Fame and Museum.
Darrell Bledsoe, Director Darrell Bledsoe, Director
Darrell is the most recent member of on the Board. He is a noted church musician, publisher and producer. He is a popular speaker at church music clinics and seminars; many of his music arrangements are sung in churches all across the country. Since Darrell and his family live in Amarillo, he has become the West Texas connection for the Texas Gospel Music Hall of Fame & Museum. Many of our fans know him as a producer of new Texas talent and have attended the numerous programs and concerts that he has promoted.
Charlie Campbell, Director Charlie Campbell, Director
Charlie has been broadcasting gospel and traditional church music on KCBI-FM, in Dallas, Texas, for more than thirty years.  He received his music education at Louisiana College and East Texas Baptist University.  Charlie has performed as a soloist and emcee throughout his career in Texas and Louisiana, as well as serving as music minister in several Baptist churches after finishing college.
Gail Fikes, Director Gail Fikes, Director
Gail has served on the TGMHF Board as Secretary-Treasurer since 2006. Her years of experience as a mortgage finance officer have been an important part of our organization. She grew up in Arlington with Randy and Cindi and has been a good friend to all the Wills Family and loyal supporter of Texas Music since childhood.
Rudy Gatlin, Director Rudy Gatlin, Director
Youngest brother of the award winning Gatlin Brothers, promoter and producer of a variety of concerts and corporate events, Rudy is also a popular personality and soloist in the Texas area. As part of the Gatlin Brothers, Larry, Steve and Rudy still perform all across the country and during the Fall show season in Branson, Missouri. Before their very successful career in country music, the Gatlin Family recorded their first three gospel albums with Calvin and Lou for Sword and Shield Records.
Lou Wills Hildreth, Executive Director Lou Wills Hildreth, Director
Lou celebrated 65 years of marriage to Howard Hildreth in 2011.  They live in Houston, Texas, near their son, Dr. David Hildreth, and daughter, Kathryn Mumaw, and four grandchildren.  Lou has served on the Texas Gospel Music Hall of Fame Board since it's inception.  She consistently gives God the glory for the blessings listed here: She is one of the original members of the Singing Wills Family and hosted the pioneer television series Wills Family Inspirational Time in the 60s. Lou currently appears as a member of the Gaither Homecoming Friends on the Gaither videos. She was inducted into the Texas Gospel Music Hall of Fame in 1998. Lou is the recipient of an honorary Doctor Of Sacred Music from Liberty Baptist University in 2004. She was inducted into the Gospel Music Association Hall of Fame, Nashville, in 2005, and the Southern Gospel Music Association Hall of Fame, Dollywood, in 2007. Lou was also inducted into the Christian Music Hall Of Fame in 2008, and is the recipient of the Southern Gospel Music Guild's "Lifetime Achievement Award" at the National Quartet Convention in 2010, and was also chosen for the Gaither Homecoming "Hall of Honor" in 2010. 
Joe Willis, Director Joe Willis, Director
Joe has spent over 36 years in Christian broadcasting both in ownership and general management of radio stations.  He served as President of the Southwest Chapter of National Religious Broadcasters. He began his career back in the late fifties with a radio program called Gospel Singing Time in Longview, Texas, attended the Stamps School of Music, helped to promote gospel singing with the late W. B. Nowlin and currently volunteers to promote Lake Country Jubilee in East Texas.
Cindy Wills, Museum Curator Cindi Wills, Museum Curator
Calvin Will´s daughter has served on the Board of the North Texas Potters Guild. She and her husband Roy are gifted artists and potters who own their own company: SoulFlame Pottery. During the 60 year history of the Singing Wills Family, Cindi sang with the family group during most of the 60s and much of the 1970s. As the curator for the Texas Gospel Music Hall of Fame & Museum, she has used her artistic talents and love for music to enhance all of the display designs and artifacts preservation for the Gospel Music Museum since the very beginning.



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