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Larry Gatlin

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LarryG&Cal&BobBorn Larry Wayne Gatlin May 2, 1948, in Seminole, Texas.

Larry Gatlin, lead singer and songwriter for the Gatlin Brothers, has enjoyed a phenomenal country music career spanning more than four decades, but his heart has always been in gospel music. Larry began performing gospel songs with his younger brothers for a radio station in Abilene, Texas, at age seven. (He says his heroes were James Blackwood and Jake Hess.) With many number one country music hits written by Larry and multiple Grammy awards, the Gatlins are a household name in country music.

When Bill Gaither gathered the first little band of Homecoming Friends in a Nashville recording studio a few years ago, Larry Gatlin was there stirring up the excitement, singing with his gospel heroes. Later, “The Gatlin Brothers Come Home” produced by Bill Gaither, became a best seller in the Gaither Hall of Honor Series.

In the nineties, Larry starred in the Broadway hit “The Will Rogers Follies.” He followed that by headlining a major theatrical production “Civil War.” His life story – All The Gold In California – was released by Thomas Nelson Publishers in 1998, named for one of Larry’s best known hit songs.

When this famous country star shows up at a Gaither video taping with his Homecoming Friends (which is often) everyone in the studio listens in quiet awe at the vocal beauty and depth of expression of Larry Gatlin. Lou Wills Hildreth says, “These moments make me glad that we made the Gatlinís first recordings on Sword & Shield Records, owned by the Wills Family, years ago in Texas.” Larry was inducted into the Texas Gospel Music Hall Of Fame in 1997. Rudy, Steve, and sister LaDonna were inducted in 2003.

Johnnie High

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JHigh&Cal IND3

From the farmlands outside of Waco, Johnnie High began his music career as a teenager hosting his own radio program. In those early days of strumming his guitar and recording many popular songs of the 40s and 50s, his love for music, and support for Texas artists began to grow. When he made his way to the Dallas/Fort Worth area, Johnnie was producing recordings and music shows all over town, beginning with the Grapevine Opry! Before his death, for over four decades, the Johnnie High Country Music Revue was the longest running, most successful weekly music show in the entire Southwest! Most every program through those many years has included all kinds of Gospel Music – and usually featured his own “regular” Gospel Quartet utilizing lots of great Texas talent!

Lee Gann

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Lee Gann Lee Gann received the special Calvin Wills “Southern Gospel Style” Award at the 2005 TGMHF Induction Ceremony. Like most of the great “quartet men” to come out of Texas, Lee was very influenced by the Stamps Quartet of Dallas and those early days of gospel music on live radio! Lee joined his first quartet when he was only 12 years old. As a native of Fort Worth, Lee has continued pursue his love for music that began with his parents; Lee Roy and mother, Willie.

His singing career has a varied past including the original Foggy River Boys.
He was instrumental in starting the Ron Blackwood Quartet. He worked with James Blackwood in Memphis when he had his RCA record distribution service. He sang for time with the Stamps Trio with Donnie Sumner and Art Bain. There have been several Texas quartets in the line-up of Lee distinguished music career. For many years a local favorite was The Sons Of Calvary. He started his own quartet twenty-five years ago – Lee and his talented wife, Bonnie, are still singing today with The Lee Gann Quartet.

Walt Mills

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WaltM&Lou INDNationally known evangelist, singer, and songwriter, Walt Mills, still calls Arlington, Texas, home. Walt and his wife, Betty, have been mainstays of Trinity Broadcasting Network, and have hosted their own TV show on TBN for years. Walt published his first songs with Sword & Shield Music in the fifties. He is a highly respected songwriter, musician and recording artist. His recorded projects are available on Homeland Records, Nashville, Tennessee. Walt’s tenure as a TBN “regular” has made this Texas artist and his talent known all over the world. Walt Mills is a credit to the worldwide Christian family and especially to the people of Texas.

Gary McSpadden

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Gary McSpadden & LouGary McSpadden began his gospel music ministry in Lubbock, Texas, as son of the pastors of the Assembly Of God Church, Reverend and Mrs. Boyd McSpadden. His first professional singing was with Bob Wills & The Inspirationals of Fort Worth, a popular Texas male quartet. Gary’s next move up the gospel quartet ladder was as a member of the famous Statesmen Quartet. Gary married his Texas sweetheart, Carol,on the stage of the National Quartet Convention with Reverend Hovie Lister officiating. Gary was a member of the Oak Ridge Boys for a few years. When Jake Hess formed his “all-star” Imperials in 1963, Gary McSpadden was part of this legendary quartet.

Gary had returned to Fort Worth to co-pastor a church with his father, when the call came from Bill Gaither to join the Gaither Trio. In the years Gary sang with Bill and Gloria Gaither, and also as an original member of the Gaither Vocal Band, this Texas gentleman’s popularity rose to enormous new heights in Christian music. Later in life, Gary hosted television shows seen on TBN, FamilyNet, and other networks. He died on April 15, 2020.

Larry Ford

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Larry Ford Ind2From Levelland, Texas, Larry Ford made his first recording at age fifteen on Sword & Shield Records owned by the Wills Family of Arlington. His fabulous tenor voice was already gaining him prominence in Texas circles. Gospel music legendary promoter, J. G. Whitfield, hired Larry to sing tenor with the Dixie Echoes of Pensacola, Florida. From the quartet circuit, Larry Ford, emerged as a nationally known evangelist, and was a church pastor for awhile. A few years ago, Larry sang tenor for the James Blackwood Quartet. When Bill Gaither began his Homecoming video series and concerts, he remembered the extraordinary tenor voice of Larry Ford. Larry is a featured soloist on many of the Gaither Homecoming videos, and his recorded projects are in demand worldwide. This Texas tenor has performed in more countries than perhaps any other singer of gospel music. Larry and his wife, Sherryl, are the parents of six children, and currently reside in Fort Myers, Florida.

Jane Ellis

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For over twenty-five years Jane Robin Ellis directed one of the most well-known high school choral departments in Texas. Her tenure at Arlington High School through three decades allowed for several members of the Wills family to sing under her direction in the award winning Choraliers Choir. As a gifted educator she went on to serve as Vice Principal for Bowie High School and in 1989, Ellis Elementary School was named in her honor. She directed her church choir for most of those years and was a big supporter of all styles of Gospel music. Miss Ellis happened to be the last Inductee that Calvin inducted in August 2002 before his passing in October.

J. R. “Pap” Baxter

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Inducted 1985

J. R. “Pap” Baxter [1887 – 1960] was truly a pioneer in the development of Southern Gospel Music. Individually and through his partnership with V.O. Stamps, his impact on the growth of gospel music was far reaching. After an early career with the A. J. Showalter Company, he joined forces with fellow entrepreneur V. O. Stamps in 1926 and the pair created one of the most successful companies in the gospel music: the Stamps-Baxter Music Company in Dallas (Oak Cliff) Texas. The annualStamps-Baxter School of Music trained several generations of young people throughout the South in the fundamentals of composing and performing gospel music. Baxter helped to popularize gospel music across the country through the publication of shaped-note songbooks and by sponsoring Stamps-Baxter Quartets in many Southern states.

Tom Ellis

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Tom Ellis receives his award from Lou Wills Hildreth and Randy Wills

The gospel music career of Founder, Tom Ellis will soon span five decades. His love for Southern Gospel Music began when he was ten years old. While other school mates were listening to so called modern “Rock & Roll”, Tom was being drawn to the smooth vocal stylings of the popular gospel quartets. His father and uncles started the first Ellis Family Gospel singing group in 1925. Because of their influence throughout his youth, Tom reformed as the younger Ellis Family group in 1970. They traveled on their custom touring bus for over two decades all across the Southwest singing in churches and Gospel Concerts and recorded seven albums during that time.

His passion for Southern Gospel Music lead him to the SGMA of Texas. He joined their Board of Directors in 1975 and was Vice President for six years. Then, served as President of the SGMA from 1987-1992; and continued to work with the organization as Executive Officer from 1993-2003. He is currently Chairman of the Board.

In the early 1980’s he and his long time partner, Calvin Wills, began to formulate plans for theTexas Music Hall of Fame, which was to include a performance hall, production facility, historic museum and other tourist attractions. Tom Ellis was a founding partner, along with Calvin and James Fudge, of the Texas Gospel Music Museum and Hall of Fame through a state-wide charter in 1987 and serves as the Chairman of the Board.

Lou Wills Hildreth

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Lou Wills Hildreth

Lou Wills Hildreth was a founding member of the Wills Family Singers along with older sister, Eva Rene, brother, Calvin, and father, Aaron Burr (Pop) Wills. Those gospel music roots grew deep in Texas and the Southwest, but Lou’s career eventually covered the entire nation by way of “Music City”, Nashville, Tennessee. From her singing days with her own family group, which included her husband, Howard, and their children, David and Kathryn, the Hildreth family moved to Nashville in the late 60’s where Lou and Howard would establish the Nashville Gospel Talent Agency. For over twenty years Lou was involved with most of the major artists in the gospel music industry, and is still on the board of theGospel Music Association (GMA), as well as the Southern Gospel Music Association of Texas.

Lou was the host of the Wills Family Inspirational Time television program that aired for most of the late 60’s and early 70’s, and continued her role as a spokesperson and TV host since. She is currently co-hosting Gospel Music Today with J. P. Miller on the Gospel Music Television (GMT) network. Throughout her long career, Lou has become one of the most highly respected people in the industry and very well known for her love and support of Gospel Music.