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He married Gloria Sickal, who became the best writing partner Bill could have found anywhere.

In 1962, Bill did one of the best things he has ever done. He began teaching English in 1959 because his musical aspirations couldn’t support him full-time… yet. Bill Gaither is just such an individual… an Indiana-born kid with an insatiable love for music who grew to become an industry leader who would change the course of gospel music history through the songs he has written and through his influence as a mentor for other artists.Īn avid fan of gospel quartets throughout his childhood, Bill founded his first group, The Bill Gaither Trio, in 1956, while he was a college student. “I think God loves us,” he added, “but I think he loves us in a special way when he sees us working together, in harmony.The pages of history have been written by ordinary people who had something extraordinary to say with their lives. “I believe we are singing stuff that can make a serious difference in people’s lives,” he said. When asked if he thinks of his work as art or ministry, he says he often replies, “Ask the person who bought the ticket.” Some will come to hear the music and appreciate the artistry others will come for the message. “What’s driven me from the beginning is a passion for the music, and the passion for a positive message,” he said. It happened as an outgrowth of his passion, he said. He never set out to be the “king of all media” for the Christian entertainment world. Then there’s the Gaither Homecoming tours, which have landed at such notable venues as the Kennedy Center and Carnegie Hall. is record label, concert promoter, television and video producer, copyright manager. Gaither’s job also is about more than the Gaither Vocal Band. “My job,” he said, “is to keep the quality up.” That’s where the coaching metaphor comes back into play. The current crop, he said, is right up there. In 30 years, the Gaither Vocal Band has sported some of the finest male singers in Christian music, he said, including Michael English, Guy Penrod and Mark Lowry. Really we’re about 4 1/2,” he added with a laugh. “Mainly because the old man was not getting any younger,” he said. For years, the GVB was a quartet it expanded to a quintet about five or six years ago, Gaither said.

The current incarnation of the Gaither Vocal Band – or the team, to use Gaither’s coaching metaphor – includes Wes Hampton, David Phelps, Adam Crabb and Todd Suttles. “From a selfish perspective, I’m really having way too much fun.” And I would brag a little bit on my ability to put together the ingredients like I’m a cook. I’m not out there because I’m the greatest keyboard player. “I’m certainly not out there because of my good looks. And then we look more carefully in the mirror and say, ‘Gaither, quit kidding yourself,’ ” he said in a recent phone call from his office in his hometown of Alexandria, Indiana. “I can’t speak for all 78-year-olds, but I think a lot of 78-year-olds in our heads really think we’re 40, 45. One could understand if the now 78-year-old Gaither decided to relax a little. ASCAP (American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers) in 2000 named Bill and Gloria Gaither the Christian Songwriters of the Century.Įlvis Presley even recorded a Gaither song, “He Touched Me,” and won a Grammy for the album of the same name. He’s won six Grammy Awards, more than 30 Dove Awards – including the five straight years (from 1972-77) he won Songwriter of the Year. He’s recorded dozens of albums with various groups, including the Bill Gaither Trio (which he first formed in 1956) and the Gaither Vocal Band. “Let’s Just Praise the Lord.” “The King is Coming.” “Because He Lives.” Many of the more than 700 songs he’s co-written with his wife of 52 years, Gloria, have gone on to be among the most cherished in the Christian hymnal. Since Bill Gaither decided to make music his life back in 1967, he’s become a driving force in contemporary gospel music.