2006

SG History 101 - A Celebration

This month, I thought I’d take a look back on the two-year anniversary of writing these articles that, with this month, I’m celebrating.

I know what some of you might be saying … a “filler” article, huh? What’s the matter, John, couldn’t think of anything or anyone to write about this month?

Honestly, not exactly. The truth is that I had an idea for a really interesting article this month, but I wasn’t able to acquire all the information necessary to make it a good one in time to meet the deadline to submit something for October. Since I’d rather do something right than just do something to do it (yes, really!), I decided to postpone that article for now, and write it later, when I get all the accurate information I need.

So knowing that I had to submit something that you would enjoy reading, I happened to notice the calendar, and then it occurred to me just how long I’ve been doing these articles now.

And seeing the fact that my first SG History 101 was in October 2004, it seemed as good a time as any to look back, and reflect on what has happened here since I took over this space from John Crenshaw.

By the way, John is still writing fine history articles at the Grand Old Gospel Reunion web site, and remains “the man” when it comes to chronicling gospel music history, and the recordings of it. Before I started writing here, I was an avid fan of his work.

But all things change with time, and in the fall of 2004, John felt led to move on from SG History 101 (which he started in 2002), and accepted an opportunity to write for Charlie Waller, himself quite the gospel music historian, and possibly, a subject for a future article here one day!

When John resigned, Susan Unthank decided to contact me to give me the opportunity to take over the articles. To this day, I’m unsure why she thought first of me to do it, since my writing resume was rather empty. Oh, sure, I had posted often on the Southern Gospel News message boards in connection with history related subjects, and I hope I contributed to the quality of those discussions, but I didn’t feel qualified at that time to take John’s place! I’m still not sure I have yet!

After a week of deliberation, I accepted Susan’s offer, because I love to discuss the history of gospel music, and I was flattered by the challenge to make a noteworthy contribution to the discussion of it through articles. However, since I only had a week before I had to submit my first article, I chose to introduce myself to all of you in my first article…so my first real article didn’t come out until December of 2004.

The subject of my first “real” article was a no-brainer for me! It has always seemed to me that the one group that has made a significant impact on gospel music as we know it, yet has never gotten the recognition that it deserves, is the Couriers! In the writing of that article two things happened to me that are a part of me to this day.
(1) A lot of you agreed with my premise. My Couriers article has gotten more comments (64) than any SG History 101 article yet written! Now I’m smart enough to know that it wasn’t because my article was that good (to this day, I maintain I can do it far better now than ever!), it was because many of you loved the Couriers, and recognized their importance in the history of gospel music! I am most grateful for all those comments, and for the response to my first “real” stab at writing about gospel music!
(2) In the process of gathering the information for that article, a pair of the most meaningful friendships in my life were made, Neil Enloe and Duane Nicholson of the Couriers have become two of my best friends to this very day. I can’t imagine two finer examples of what gospel singers ought to be, in talent and in countenance.

Talk about the fringe benefits of a gig, Susan never told me about those, but I began to see what beautiful blessings could come about as a result of writing about these fine people!

My attention turned to articles that were not always artist focused, but issue focused as well. Aside from writing about great artists of history such as the Weatherfords and the Downings (another situation where I acquired some great fringe benefits), I tried to point out the contributions of those individuals that were not necessarily stars, but whose contributions to the betterment of gospel music was every bit as important as those of the singers, such as the promoters and the bus drivers. In fact, I spent a lot of 2005 talking about the history of transportation in the gospel music business, not only the origin of bus travel (which is now an assumed must for aspiring groups), but the famous plane crash of 1954 which took the lives of R.W. Blackwood and Bill Lyles of the Blackwood Brothers, arguably the event which changed the history of gospel music for all time. Needless to say, I was grateful for the response to those articles as well.

I feel that examining issues from time to time rather than just spotlighting artists can teach us more about the overall history of the music, by giving us a perspective from those times on concerns that still affect us today. And it can also bring back fresh memories for the readers as well. I plan on continuing the examining of historical topics in the future in these articles.

The most personally gratifying articles I’ve written during these past two years have to do with people who may not have gotten the recognition they might have for their efforts, but who, in their own ways, have done much to further the cause of gospel music because of their contributions. The articles on Don Smith, “Little” David Young, Bob Jones, and Don Baldwin are especially meaningful to me, because these men did everything they could to make gospel music better, not because they would become rich or famous in doing so, but because they loved gospel music and wanted to make it a better place, for themselves, their peers, and their successors. No doubt I am just scratching the surface in recognizing people like that, for I’m sure there are many more like them that even I’m unaware of. Others may have become the “stars”, but these men did their part as well and deserve their days in the sun for it. It really gives me a lot of pleasure to celebrate the “unsung heroes” of gospel music and I think a lot of you like those kind of stories as well.

So come next month, it’ll begin my third year of telling the stories of the history of this great music and I couldn’t be happier to do it. This column is a source of personal joy and fulfillment to me, and I look forward to sharing more stories and lessons from gospel music’s past, to help us not only appreciate IT, but gospel music’s present and future in its’ light as well.

I wrap up this look back by thanking those who have made this experience a true labor of love for me, regular readers like Jim Duggan, Neil Enloe, Duane Nicholson, Cliff Cerce, Chris Becker, Doug Rogers, Dean Adkins, and the list could go on and on. Thank you all for your love for and contributions to the vast mosaic that is gospel music, and for your
insightful comments and support.

And to those of you I did not name specifically, thank you, too, you all help make this part of Southern Gospel News a joy to write for and to read.

And last but by no means least, thank you to Susan and Deon Unthank, and the whole Unthank family for giving me the privilege and opportunity to write these articles for the past two years, and beyond. It is an honor to be a part of the staff of the #1 southern gospel site on the world wide web.

Next month, we’ll have a “real” article again, and in the words of the late JD Sumner, ”I can’t wait!”