What was the Most Significant Personnel Change in Southern Gospel music’s history?
It’s time to vote and find out! We need your input to determine which group member addition made the greatest impact on the entire Southern Gospel music industry (not just the group they joined)!
We received a total of 36 nominations. These are divided into six sets for the first round of voting.
To vote, choose TWO from each SET and leave a comment with your vote on the first line of the comment. List the set number followed by the letter A, B, C, D, E, or F (for example, 1A, 1B, 2C, 2D, 3E, 3F, 4A, 4B, 5C, 5D, 6E, 6F).
If you have any comments you’d like to make after your vote, please skip a line and make those below your vote. This helps us tabulate the votes accurately.
Voting Rules: You MUST submit a total of TWELVE votes, with no more or less than TWO selections from each set. Your vote will NOT be counted if you submit more or less than two from each set or more or less than twelve total votes. Submit only one comment with all twelve votes on the first line of that comment.
Voting ends at midnight (EDT) on Monday, August 7.
SET 1
A. 1963 – Gloria Sickel Gaither joins the Bill Gaither Trio
B. 1952 – Bill Shaw joins the Blackwood Brothers
C. 1954 – J D Sumner joins the Blackwood Brothers
D. 1954 – Cecil Blackwood joins the Blackwood Brothers
E. 2002 – Jim Brady joins the Booth Brothers
F. 1945 – Lily Fern Goble Weatherford joins the Weatherfords
SET 2
A. 1979 – Roger Bennett joins the Cathedrals
B. 1964 – George Younce joins the Cathedrals
C. 1980 – Mark Trammell joins the Cathedrals
D. 1957 – Neil Enloe joins the Couriers
E. 1963 – Dale Shelnut joins the Dixie Echoes
F. 1965 – Ed O’Neal joins the Dixie Melody Boys
SET 3
A. 1985 – Michael English joins the Gaither Vocal Band
B. 1988 – Mark Lowry joins the Gaither Vocal Band
C. 1995 – Guy Penrod joins the Gaither Vocal Band
D. 1993 – Rodney Griffin joins Greater Vision
E. 1963 – Vestal Freeman Goodman joins the Happy Goodmans
F. 1989 – Kim Greene Hopper joins the Hoppers
SET 4
A. 1980 – Tim Riley joins Gold City
B. 1982 – Brian Free joins Gold City
C. 1983 – Ivan Parker joins Gold City
D. 1994 – Mark Trammell joins Gold City
E. 1972 – Mike Holcomb joins the Inspirations
F. 2010 – Luke Vaught joins the Inspirations
SET 5
A. 1997 – Charlotte Ritchie joins Jeff & Sheri Easter
B. 1995 – Arthur Rice joins the Kingdom Heirs
C. 1967 – Ray Dean Reese joins the Kingsmen
D. 1971 – Jim Hamill joins the Kingsmen
E. 1957 – Rex Nelon joins the LeFevres
F. 1981 – Karen Peck joins the Nelons
SET 6
A. 1965 – William Lee Golden joins the Oak Ridge Boys
B. 2003 – Joseph Habedank joins the Perrys
C. 1962 – Jay Berry joins the Rebels
D. 1965 – J D Sumner joins the Stamps
E. 1948 – Jake Hess joins the Statesmen
F. 1996 – Lauren Talley joins the Talleys
The dates listed are the years each person joined their respective groups. If an individual pulled more than one stint with the same group, only the first year of the first stint is listed.
1A, 1C, 2B, 2F, 3A, 3E, 4A, 4B, 5C, 5D, 6D, 6F
1A, 1E, 2B, 2F, 3A, 3D, 4A, 4B, 5B, 5E, 6A, 6B
1A, 1B, 2B, 2C, 3A, 3F, 4A, 4D, 5E, 5F, 6E, 6D
Some of these were way before my time so not sure how valid my opinion is…just had to randomly choose someone.
1C, 1F
2B, 2E
3E, 3F
4A, 4C
5D, 5E
6D, 6E
1A, 1C (I wish I could do 1F as well)
2A, 2B (good grief, how can you put 2A-C all in the same set?!) :)
3C, 3E (I wish I could do 3D as well, and 3A also deserves to go forward)
4A, 4D (good grief, how can you put 4A-D all in the same set!) :)
5B, 5D
6B, 6E
Hmm…I see that three of our wonderful readers can follow directions, but it’s one of our own wonderful contributing writers who can’t. :)
(I’m giving James Hales a 1/2 mark. He had no additional comments, but couldn’t understand the concept of “on the first line.”)
1A, 1E, 2B, 2F, 3D, 3E, 4A, 4C, 5B, 5D, 6B, 6F
1A, 1E, 2D, 2F, 3A, 3E, 4A, 4C, 5B, 5F, 6A, 6E
1A, 1F, 2B, 2E, 3D, 3E, 4A, 4B, 5D, 5F, 6D, 6E
1A, 1C, 2B, 2F, 3A, 3E, 4A, 4C, 5B, 5F, 6B, 6E
1A, 1C, 2B, 2C, 3A, 3E, 4A, 4B, 5C, 5F, 6B, 6E
1C, 1F, 2B, 2E, 3C, 3E, 4C, 4E, 5C, 5E, 6C, 6E
1A, 1E, 2B, 2F, 3A, 3D, 4A, 4B, 5C, 5E, 6D, 6E
1B 1C 2B 2E 3A 3D 4D 4E 5B 5E 6D 6E
1A,1E,2B,2F,3E,3F,4A,4C,5E,5F,6B,6D
1C, 1D, 2B, 2F, 3A.3E, 4A,4C, 5D, 5E, 6D, 6E
1C, 1F, 2B, 2F, 3B, 3E, 4A, 4C, 5D, 5E, 6D, 6E
1B, 1C, 2B, 2E, 3B, 3E, 4A, 4D, 5B, 5D, 6D, 6E
1C, 1E, 2B, 2C, 3B, 3E, 4A, 4F, 5B, 5D, 6E, 6F