The Gaithers-living Legends
Gospel music artists want to spread the word of God with their music and this isn't always an easy feat, what with marketing ploys of musical artists these days including everything from scantily clad bodies, alcohol and drugs to lyrics promoting racism and other prejudices and hatred. Yet, with the popularity and success of the Gaither gospel music, the Gaithers have had no trouble at all spreading God's word.
Bill Gaither formed The Gaither Vocal Band, one of the gospel music world's most popular groups, in 1963, one year after he, then a high school English teacher, married his fellow colleague Gloria Sickal. The Gaither Vocal Band is recognized for their inspiring and beautiful voices with songs written by Bill himself, such as "He Touched Me," "Let Freedom Ring," and so many more. Since then, Bill and Gloria Gaither have written over 500 songs together and recorded over 40 albums. In 1995, The Nashville Network aired an hour long special based on the videos Bill had produced covering the history of southern gospel music. It wasn't long before The Gaither Gospel Hour was born.
But the success of the Gaithers doesn't stop there. Sell-out tours seem to be never-ending for the Gaithers, who not only visit various locations throughout the United States, but also stop at spots all over the world including Toronto, London, Israel, and Jerusalem, just to name a few. The Homecoming Tours are not only notorious for hours of great music and humor, but they are also known for their surprisingly inexpensive tickets. Along with the Gaither Vocal Band, the Homecoming Tours feature artists, musicians, and comedians such as the Easters, the Isaacs, Ivan Parker, Lynda Randle and Jeff Alan. As if that's not enough, video sales continue to be through the roof-how does 11 million copies worldwide sound? Plus, each new release seems to be found at the top of Billboard's video charts! The Gaither's and The Homecoming Friends became and remain household names in gospel music loving homes around the world.
Rather than say that Gaither gospel music is taking the gospel music world by storm, it's probably a safer bet to say that the Gaithers have already taken that world and are now dominating it. The Gaithers have become living legends in the gospel music world who continue to give good quality and emotional gospel music that lifts listeners' spirits high toward Heaven.