Southern Gospel Music Association - SGMA

10/21/2026

https://gcmaconcertscom.ticketspice.com/oct-24-sgma-benefit

This Saturday !! GMCA Concerts
Featuring:
Heart 2 Heart
Sound Street
Ivan Parker
Emcee Arthur Rice
Saturday, October 24, 2026
Biblical Times Theater
2391 Parkway
Pigeon Forge, TN 37863
2:00pm

10/21/2026

This Saturday !! GMCA Concerts
Featuring:
Heart 2 Heart
Sound Street
Ivan Parker
Emcee Arthur Rice
Saturday, October 24, 2026
Biblical Times Theater
2391 Parkway
Pigeon Forge, TN 37863
2:00pm

10/20/2026

Carl Stuart Hamblen was born on this day in 1908. Born in Kellyville, TX, the son of a traveling Methodist preacher and founder of the Evangelical Methodist Church, Dr. J.H. Hamblen. His career as a Country Western Gospel singer, composer, and radio-movie personality all began in 1926, on radio station WBAP in Fort Worth, TX, where he became radio broadcasting’s first singing cowboy.

In 1949, Stuart and his wife Suzy attended a prayer meeting where a young man named Billy Graham was there to speak to the group. Stuart ended up promoting Billy’s tent crusade on his popular radio show, and when Stuart became a Christian at one of the meetings, the L.A. Examiner posted the front-page headline, Singer Stuart Hamblen Hits Sawdust Trail at Revival. Stuart Hamblen’s songs include such hits as: It Is No Secret, This Ole House, Texas Plains, How Big Is God, Blue Bonnets, My Mary, Until Then, Teach Me Lord To Wait, Your First Day In Heaven, Dear Lord, Be My Shepherd, He Bought My Soul At Calvary, I’ve Got So Many Million Years, Open Up Your Heart (And Let The Sunshine In) , Remember Me, These Things Shall Pass, Known Only To Him. See this link to read of the many other achievements he was recognized for. https://sgma.org/2012-inductees #:~:text=Carl%20Stuart%20Hamblen%20(1908%2D1989)

Mr. Hamblen passed away March 8, 1989, and was posthumously inducted into the SGMA Hall of Fame in 2012.

10/20/2026

Glen Weldon Payne was born on this day in 1926 in Royce City, Texas. Glen Payne developed a love for gospel music at an early age. As a teenager, he attended the Stamps-Baxter School of Music and secured a job both working in the company printing office and singing in the Stamps-Baxter Quartet.

After serving in the U.S. Army, Glen went to work for the Stamps Quartet Music Company in 1946, singing with the legendary Frank Stamps Quartet. In 1951, Glen moved to the Stamps-Ozark Quartet, remaining there until January 1957 when he joined the Weatherfords. For the next six years, Glen was a key figure in that successful group.

In August of 1963, Glen, along with Bobby Clark and Danny Coker, organized a trio to sing for evangelist Rex Humbard in his Cathedral of Tomorrow in Akron, Ohio. The following year, the trio added bass singer George Younce to form the Cathedral Quartet. Through the partnership and leadership of Payne and Younce, the Cathedral Quartet soon emerged as one of the premier groups in Southern Gospel Music over the next thirty years.

In 1999, Payne and Younce decided to retire the Cathedrals due to their age as well as Younce’s declining health. During their farewell tour that year, Payne was diagnosed with liver cancer and had to leave the road. Many fans remember the final performance by the Cathedrals at the National Quartet Convention in September when Payne called in from the hospital and sang a song from his bed. Payne passed away on October 15, 1999 just six weeks after his diagnosis. The Cathedrals opted not to bring in another singer to fill-in for Payne for their final few months. Instead, Roger Bennett sang Payne's part. Bennett later wrote a tribute song titled "Heroes Of The Faith" in honor of Payne.

Glen Payne was inducted into the SGMA Hall of Fame in the original class of 1997.

10/19/2026

Today we honor the memory of Faye Ihrig Speer, who was born on this day in 1928. She was born in Augusta, Kentucky to Nazarene pastors Rev. & Mrs. R.L. Ihrig. She attended Trevecca Nazarene University in Nashville before marrying her beloved Brock Speer on August 31, 1948. They were married for 51 years and raised three children. Brock passed away in 1999 at age 79. Once they were married, Faye joined her husband's family, the Speer Family, as their alto singer. She traveled the country with the group, leaving only briefly to be home with her young children. Upon the high school graduation of their youngest child, Faye rejoined the group, at that time under Brock's management following the passing of Dad and Mom Speer.

When Brock and Faye married, she dropped out of college after two years to be a housewife. In the 1970's, she re-enrolled and received her B.A. degree from Trevecca Nazarene University. In 2015, she was presented with an honorary doctorate from Trevecca in recognition of her years of Christian service and support of the university.

Throughout the ’60's and ’70's, the Speer Family was seen on televisions across the nation as part of the "Gospel Singing Jubilee" program, as well as shows such as the "Gospel Singing Caravan." They enjoyed success on the Singing News radio chart with songs such as "What Sins Are You Talking About," "Saved To the Uttermost" and "He's Still in the Fire."
The Speer Family was awarded several Grammy nominations and nine GMA Dove Awards. The group was inducted into the Gospel Music Association Hall of Fame in 1998. They were the first to receive GMA's Lifetime Achievement Award. They performed for President Jimmy Carter at the White House during his presidency and were recognized in the Congressional Record honoring the group's 60th anniversary. At the Grand Ole Gospel Reunion in 1999, Faye was given the Lifetime Achievement Award. Following the group's retirement in 1998, and Brock's death the next year, Faye continued to make occasional appearances on the Gaither Homecoming stage and videos with the remaining members of the family. She enjoyed being with her family, her church friends, and acquaintances from her water aerobics class, and volunteered at Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital until her death on October 13, 2015.

She was inducted into the SGMA Hall of Fame in 2014.
See this link for her induction video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w2Xo-NOD_Lk

10/18/2026

Benjamin Carl Unseld was born on this day in 1843. Prior to teaching Gospel Music, he was an instructor at the prestigious New England Conservatory of Music in Boston. Unseld taught at Fisk University in Nashville, Tennessee, and helped train Fisk’s Jubilee Singers for their European trip.

He also was the first principal of the Virginia Normal School of Music and insisted that round notes be taught there in addition to traditional gospel shaped notes. Through this, the graduates of the school had a well-rounded music education. At the time of his death, he was known as Uncle Ben and the musical father of nearly all the successful normal teachers of the South.

He put music to the writings of such greats as James Rowe and F***y Crosby; his most popular musical piece was written by A.S. Kieffer titled “Twilight Is Falling.”

From 1913 until his death on November 19,1923, he was editor of the “Musical Visitor” published by the Vaughan Music Company and Principal of the Vaughan School of Music as well. He was posthumously inducted into the SGMA Hall of Fame in 2004.

10/17/2026

Two of our SGMA Hall of Fame inductees were born on this day:

(1) Kenneth Duane "Kenny" Hinson was born in 1953. Considered to be one of Southern Gospel Music’s most gifted vocalists, Kenny Hinson has become an icon to the genre’s followers. His trademark vocal stylings have prompted countless imitators, supplying evidence that Hinson was a major influence on rising singers.

Featured on the classic song, “The Lighthouse” and many other top charting songs, Kenny Hinson was a dominating vocal force in Southern Gospel Music for over 20 years as he, his brothers and sister would travel the country as one of Southern Gospel Music’s favorite groups.

Kenny was named Singing News Fan Awards Lead Singer of the Year in 1976, 1978 and 1980. The Hinsons were named Singing News Fan Awards Group of the Year in 1979.

After the group disbanded in 1988, Hinson pastored a church in Houston, TX, and continued to make an occasional singing appearance as time permitted. In 1993, as the Hinsons were embarking on a reunion tour, Hinson was diagnosed with the cancer that would claim his life July 27, 1995 at the age of 41. He was posthumously inducted in 2004;

(2) Anthony Elden "Tony" Greene was born in Boone, North Carolina in 1968. He was brother to Tim, Kim Greene (Hopper) and Ronnie Brookshire. At age nine, Tony, Tim and Kim recorded their first album. In 1979, “The Singing Greenes” began full-time in Southern Gospel music, and Tony continued until his death in 2010. Tony's heroes were Claude Hopper, Glen Payne, and George Younce; “people who owned quartets and made it work.”

Kim said Tony was always a prankster. Sometimes they would be in a store and he would whistle at a guy, then duck down, leaving her to answer his stare. She also recalls the time he was on stage and was going to tuck his shirttail into the back of his pants. He didn’t realize that he was up against an American flag, and accidently stuffed part of it into his pants. When he walked forward to sing, he brought down the flag as well as the house!

Tony met TaRanda Kiser after she won a talent contest. She later joined The Greenes. To avoid any appearance of impropriety, they kept their relationship low-key while traveling together, not even telling their family. In September 2000, Tony surprised her by proposing on the stage of the National Quartet Convention, and they were married five months later. Soon after, Tony was diagnosed with a renal disease of the kidney. Doctors said they would not be able to have children. However, the next year, the Lord blessed them with their first daughter, Isabella, followed by her sister, Jocelyn in 2008.

In 2009, TaRanda learned she was a perfect match and donated a kidney to Tony. His health improved, and he went on to help start Abraham Productions Inc., along with Ray Flynn, which presents premiere Southern Gospel concerts and Christian cruises. But his health began to decline after a year. TaRanda said, “Sometimes he could not bend over to tie his shoes, but he got off the bus to encourage someone.” He loved meeting people, whether the public contacts were good for him or not. During NQC in 2010, he contracted a bacteria that developed into a lung disease. He was not able to fight it off, and passed away on September 28, 2010, and was posthumously inducted in 2017.

10/15/2026

IMC Concerts
Triumphant Quartet
Brian Free & Assurance
Southern Gospel Music Association - SGMA

We’re less than TWO WEEKS away from the SGMA Benefit Concert in Lancaster, PA! Join Triumphant Quartet and Brian Free & Assurance for a great evening of Gospel music as we come together to support the SGMA and its mission to preserve and promote the music we all know and love!

We hope to see you there!

10/13/2026

GCMA Concerts

Don’t forget to mark your calendar 🗓️ for October 24 @ 2:00pm
GCMA Concerts brings an SGMA Benefit Concert with amazing performances by Heart 2 Heart, Sound Street & Ivan Parker !
They will be at the Biblical Times Theater in Pigeon Forge, TN
Tickets available now at WWW.GCMACONCERTS.COM or get them at the door!
See you at the show!!!! 🎶

10/10/2026

Earl Henderson Weatherford was born on this day in 1922 in Pauls Valley, Oklahoma. One of the truly influential quartet men in Southern gospel history, Earl Weatherford not only created one of the industry’s best-known groups, but also played a tremendous role in shaping the careers of several of the most outstanding performers to emerge in the second half of the 20th century.

Forming his first group in southern California in the mid-1940's, Weatherford worked tirelessly to create the smooth sound that ultimately came to define the quartet that Cathedrals of Tomorrow in Akron, Ohio, the Weatherfords perfected a sound that most in the industry envied but few could emulate. Partnered with his wife, Lily Fern, and joined by Glen Payne, Armond Morales, and Henry Slaughter, Earl built what was widely regarded as one of the finest quartets in Southern Gospel history.

Over a lifetime of song and service, Earl Weatherford achieved the respect of his peers as well as the admiration of his fans. His son, Steve and gradson, Skylar, continue the Weatherford musical legacy.

Earl Weatherford passed away June 17, 1992, and was posthumously inducted into the SGMA Hall of Fame the same year as Lily Fern , 2000.