Inducted 2007
Dallas grew up in Minnesota but gladly proclaims, “Like the bumper sticker says: I wasn’t born in Texas, but I got here as fast as I could”. That fun spirit and amazing talent were on display at DBU in 2007 when Dallas and his wife, Linda were on hand for his induction into the Texas Gospel Music Hall of Fame.
The special gift that Dallas has as a singer and songwriter has blessed tens of thousands of people for over four decades. He is still considered one of the early pioneers of what became known as Contemporary Christian Music (CCM). In 1970 he began working with David Wilkerson in his youth crusade ministry and during that time he formed Dallas Holm and Praise. They became the first CCM group to receive an RIAA certified Gold Album for their “live” album that contained the song: Rise Again. That band toured for eleven years and included another TGMHF inductee, Ladonna Gatlin Johnson.
Dallas has been featured on many of Bill Gaither’s Homecoming Videos in recent years. His original music and arrangements are as varied as the many styles in the great State of Texas: blues, country, pop and even reggae. His musical influence on younger generations and full-time music ministry with Linda carries on even today all across the U. S. and several foreign countries.
When the Stamps Quartet began their live radio program on KRLD out of Dallas, Texas, there was a famously recognized piano arpeggio that started every show: Marion Snider rolled an ascending F7 chord that introduced “Give The World A Smile”! That opening signature song was heard all across the country for many years as southern style gospel quartet music was growing in popularity. Marion had established himself as a talented pianist in his teens and following those early days with several of the Stamps-Baxter groups in the 40’s and 50’s he continued to work with a number of nationally known quartets. He also performed with his own group on a Sunday morning television program in Dallas and has been a strong supporter and promoter of southern gospel music for his entire life.
Glenn Sessions was born in the little country town of Kerans, Texas. Like many of our Texas music heroes, his love for music began in childhood, so in his teenage years he started singing with a male quartet from Weatherford. Then around 1939 he joined the Smile A While Quartet with a man named Deacon Utley from Macon, Georgia. In 1942 he moved to Detroit, Michigan to sing in a family group with his future father-in-law, Kelly Campbell. His involvement there was short, because that same year he joined the Air Force and served until 1944.
Frank Stamps, one of gospel music’s foremost singers, recording artists, music publishers, broadcasters, masters of ceremony, and through the Stamps Quartet School of Music, educators. In 1936, he was a founding father of the National Singing Convention, an organization which has convened annually ever since. “Mister Frank”, as he was affectionately called, traveled the length and breadth of the United States promoting gospel music, participating in gospel singings – local, county, state, and on the national level. Truly the Lord’s ambassador whose heart and voice had wings.
Bob L. Wills was born November 24, 1938, in Hall County, Texas. Bob and his twin sister, Betty, were destined to sing gospel music as 1938 was the year Pop Wills founded the Wills Family Quartet with the older brothers and sisters – Rene, Calvin, and Lou. Bob & Betty (the twins) began singing as part of the Wills Family in 1948 with Pop, Calvin, Lou, and Bill. Baby sister, Norma Jo, joined the family in the early fifties, and the brothers and sisters became nationally known as the Singing Wills Family.
Aaron Burr “Pop” Wills [1899 – 1971] was already involved in Gospel Music during the 1920’s and 30’s when he and his dear wife Leah began having children. By the time the first three siblings were old enough: Eva Rene, Calvin and Lou began to travel with A. B. and sing for Singing Conventions and churches throughout Texas.
