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46-695: The Nelons , formerly the Rex Nelon Singers , were an American southern gospel group based in Atlanta, Georgia . Group members included Kelly Nelon Clark , her husband Jason Clark, and Kelly's daughters Amber Nelon Kistler and Autumn Nelon Streetman . The Nelons were inducted into the Gospel Music Association ( GMA ) Hall of Fame in 2016. Three members of the quartet were killed in an airplane crash in July 2024. The surviving member, Autumn Nelon Streetman,

92-532: A Christian alternative to mainstream secular music . Sometimes known as " quartet music" for its traditional "four men and a piano" set up, southern gospel has evolved over the years into a popular form of music across the United States and overseas, especially among baby boomers and those living in the Southern United States . Like other forms of music, the creation, performance, significance, and even

138-464: A capella (jazz-style singing with no instruments) songs, country, bluegrass, spirituals, and "convention songs". Because it grew out of the musical traditions of white musicians from the American South, the name Southern gospel was used to differentiate it from the black gospel tradition. Convention songs typically have contrasting homophonic and contrapuntal sections. In the homophonic sections,

184-471: A capella music tradition. The tradition of having singing school masters who traveled between various towns where they held singing schools faded away in favor of holding annual schools in the same location. Primitive Baptists have established three permanently located singing schools in the state of Texas (Harmony Hill at Azle , Harmony Plains at Cone , and Melody Grove at Warren ). There are several non-denominational seven-shape singing schools throughout

230-547: A more classical singing style. Lyrically, most progressive southern gospel songs are patterned after traditional southern gospel in that they maintain a clear evangelistic and/or testimonial slant. Southern gospel purists view lyrical content and the underlying musical style as the key determining factors for applying the southern gospel label to a song. Although there are some exceptions, most southern gospel songs would not be classified as Praise and Worship . Few southern gospel songs are sung "to" God as opposed to "about" God. On

276-450: A number of internet-only southern gospel "radio" stations. Two popular satellite stations that feature southern gospel are channel 34 on XM Satellite Radio and Channel 65 (changed from 67). On Sirius Satellite Radio. Both play the same feed entitled, " enLighten on SiriusXm". Enlighten plays southern gospel and has several featured programs which air weekly including Paul Heil's Gospel Greats and Bill Gaither 's Homecoming Radio . Over

322-553: A piano and banjo in areas that were influenced by bluegrass music such as Appalachia . Over time, full bands were added and even later, pre-recorded accompaniments (soundtracks) were introduced. In the first decades of the twentieth century, southern gospel drew much of its creative energy from the holiness movement churches that arose throughout the south. Early gospel artists such as The Speer Family , The Stamps Quartet, The Blackwood Family, and The Lefevre Trio achieved wide popularity through their recordings and radio performances in

368-429: A plane crash on July 26, 2024. Albums: Compilations Kelly Nelon solo Southern gospel See also: Southern gospel music is a genre of Christian music . Its name comes from its origins in the southeastern United States . Its lyrics are written to express either personal or a communal faith regarding biblical teachings and Christian life, as well as (in terms of the varying music styles) to give

414-577: A tradition of a cappella singing, such as the Church of Christ and the Primitive Baptists . Others are associated with Sacred Harp , Southern Gospel , and similar singing traditions, whose music is religious in character but sung outside the context of church services. Often the music taught in singing schools uses shape note or "buckwheat" notation, in which the notes are assigned particular shapes to indicate their pitch. There are two main varieties:

460-461: A tremendous surge in popularity during the 1990s thanks to the efforts of Bill and Gloria Gaither and their Gaither Homecoming tours and videos, which began as a reunion of many of the best known and loved SGM individuals in 1991. Thanks in part to the Homecoming series, southern gospel music now has fans across the United States and in a number of foreign countries like Ireland and Australia. By

506-507: A way to teach quartet members how to concentrate on singing their own part. Examples of convention songs include "Heavenly Parade", "I'm Living In Canaan Now", " Give the World a Smile ", and "Heaven's Jubilee". Southern gospel is sometimes called "quartet music" by fans because of the originally all-male, tenor-lead-baritone-bass quartet makeup. Early quartets were typically either a cappella or accompanied only by piano or guitar, and in some cases

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552-417: Is a school in which students are taught to sightread vocal music . Singing schools are a long-standing cultural institution in the Southern United States . While some singing schools are offered for credit, most are informal programs. Historically, singing schools have been strongly affiliated with Protestant Christianity. Some are held under the auspices of particular Protestant denominations that maintain

598-552: The Psalms of David . This New England controversy centered around "regular singing" versus the "usual way". The "usual way" consisted of the entire congregation singing in unison tunes passed on by oral tradition , often by lining out . "Regular singing" consisted of singing by note or rule . Though intended for the entire congregation, "regular singing" sometimes divided the congregation into singers and non-singers . Massachusetts ministers John Tufts and Thomas Walter were among

644-601: The southern gospel music industry including Grammys , Dove Awards , Singing News Awards, Absolutely Gospel Awards, Diamond Awards, and Christian Voice Awards. In 2014, the Nelons were a trio made up of Kelly Nelon Clark , Jason Clark, and Amber Nelon Thompson. In 2014, Amber was chosen as Female Vocalist of the Year at the Absolutely Gospel Music Awards. Kelly Nelon Clark, Jason Clark, and Amber Nelon Kistler died in

690-485: The 1860s and are still seen in some denominational hymnals and in Southern Gospel music. By the 1820s, the "Yankee singing school" had become a nationwide phenomenon. However, advocates of European classical music like Lowell Mason sought to suppress the tradition in favor of a more cosmopolitan idiom, which came to be taught at public schools . Eventually, singing schools in the north faded to obscurity, while in

736-517: The 1920s, 1930s, 1940s and 1950s. On October 20, 1927, The Stamps Quartet recorded its early hit "Give The World A Smile" for RCA Victor, which become the Quartet's theme song. The Stamps Quartet was heard on the radio throughout Texas and the South. A handful of groups were considered pioneers in southern gospel music for a series of "firsts." The Blackwood Brothers, with James Blackwood and J.D. Sumner became

782-539: The 1950s and 1960s was the Statesmen Quartet , which set the trend for broad appeal of the all-male quartets that would develop years later. The Statesmen were known for their showmanship and introduction of jazz, ragtime, and even some early rock and roll. Elements into their music and their stage appearance with trendy suits and wide audience appeal and were known for their signature song, "Happy Rhythm" (Rockin and a'Rollin). Traditional southern gospel music underwent

828-463: The 1990s, the "old-timey" quartet-style music began to develop to include more soloists and duos. Although still mostly popular in the Southeast and Southwest , it has a nationwide and even international audience. The music remains "more country than city, more down-home than pretentious". In 2005, The Radio Book , a broadcast yearbook published by M Street Publications, reported 285 radio stations in

874-429: The 20th century editions of The Sacred Harp as curriculum. Some of these schools are one-day workshops held in conjunction with a singing convention. The emphasis is on teaching newcomers and advanced musicians the note system and traditions of Sacred Harp. Many singing schools have published their own small textbooks on music theory, harmony, and song and lyric composition. These are often offered to students as part of

920-442: The South, including Methodist, Church of God, Southern Baptist, and other denominations. Many of these churches still prefer to use shape note hymnals, as opposed to round note versions that many denominational publishing houses provide. In southern gospel singing schools, convention songbooks are used to teach sight-singing, music theory, and conducting. Some music publishing companies have also published music theory books for use in

966-404: The U.S. with a primary format designation as "southern gospel," including 175 AM stations and 110 FM stations. In fact, southern gospel was the 9th most popular format for AM stations and the 21st most popular for FM. Southern gospel radio promoters routinely service more than a thousand radio stations which play at least some southern gospel music each week. Recent years have also seen the advent of

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1012-523: The United States. New systems of music notation , including shape notes , were developed by singing school teachers as an aid in learning to sing by sight. Early shape note systems were an extension of "Old English" or "Lancashire" sol-fa , developed in Britain in the 17th century, with the intention of teaching school children to sing, and remained in use there until the 20th. This system was used in America from

1058-412: The definition of southern gospel varies according to the cultural and social context. It is composed and performed for many purposes, ranging from aesthetic pleasure, religious or ceremonial purposes, or as an entertainment product for the marketplace. The date of southern gospel's establishment, as a distinct genre, is generally considered to be 1910. The year the first professional quartet was formed for

1104-520: The entire life of a town would be put on hold as everyone came out to singing school. In this way, singing schools resembled tent revivals . Laura Ingalls Wilder related attending a singing school as a young lady in These Happy Golden Years , one of the Little House books . Her husband, Almanzo Wilder , courted her there. One common tradition was the "singing school picture" taken of

1150-661: The first group to travel in a bus, which is on display at the Southern Gospel Museum and Hall of Fame at Dollywood in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee . Sumner also was instrumental in creating the National Quartet Convention , an annual music festival where many groups, both known and well known perform for a week. The Speer Family was known for bringing blended groups to mainstream popularity where both male and female performers toured together. The best known group of

1196-480: The four parts sing the same words and rhythms. In the contrapuntal sections, each group member has a unique lyric and rhythm. These songs are called "convention songs" because various conventions were organized across the United States for the purpose of getting together regularly and singing songs in this style. Convention songs were employed by training centers like the Stamps-Baxter School Of Music as

1242-663: The four-note, or fasola , system used in Sacred Harp music, and the seven-note system developed by Jesse B. Aikin used in southern gospel music. Some churches, including some Baptist churches (though fewer and fewer), use hymnals printed in shape notes. The first American singing schools began in New England in the early 1700s as an effort to spread the use of written music in congregational singing . In some denominations , controversies existed on whether congregations should sing audibly, and whether singing should be limited to

1288-490: The general public as time went on and could rarely get attendance from an entire town. Instead, schools were attended by interested students from a much larger region. In the case of Sacred Harp singing schools, students usually attended because of their interest in the Sacred Harp singing tradition; in other schools, students attended because of an interest in vocal church music, especially for those churches that maintain an all-

1334-524: The genre's roots can be found in the publishing work and "normal schools" or singing schools of Aldine S. Kieffer and Ephraim Ruebush . Southern gospel was promoted by traveling singing school teachers, quartets, and shape note music publishing companies such as the A. J. Showalter Company (1879) and the Stamps-Baxter Music and Printing Company . Over time, southern gospel came to be an eclectic musical form with groups singing traditional hymns,

1380-485: The genre. The move to internet services has brought along companies such as SoGospelNews.com which has become a noted e-zine forum for southern gospel and has remained a supporter for the past twelve years. It too contains the music charts with forums and chat rooms available to the fans. Internet Radio has broadened the southern gospel music fan base by using computer technologies and continual streaming. Some of these media outlets are: Sunlite Radio which features many of

1426-735: The group. The group's first number-one song was "Come Morning" on the Singing News Chart, and was awarded the Southern Gospel Song of the Decade for the 1980s. Another widely recognizable song by the group is "We Shall Wear a Robe and Crown." Over time the group included Karen Peck , Janet Paschal , Jerry Thompson, Charlotte Ritchie, Kelly Nelon Clark , Todd Nelon, Jeff Stice , Martin Gureasko, Rodney Swain, Stan Whitmire , Ray Fisher, Vernon Lee. The Nelons have been nominated for many awards in

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1472-434: The last decades, a newer version of southern gospel has grown in popularity. This style is called progressive southern gospel and is characterized by a blend of traditional southern gospel, bluegrass, modern country, contemporary Christian and pop music elements. Progressive southern gospel generally features artists who push their voices to produce a sound with an edge to it. The traditional style southern gospel singers employ

1518-505: The late 17th century. The use of "shape-notes" themselves was an American innovation, first put into use in 1798 in Philadelphia and soon popular in the many hymn collections published in the early 19th century. The four-shape "fasola" system was prominent before the Civil War and survives largely in the Sacred Harp tradition, while various seven-shape systems gained popularity beginning in

1564-488: The leaders in this "reform movement". Tufts' An Introduction to the Singing of Psalm Tunes is generally considered the first singing school manual. By the middle of the 18th century, the arguments for "regular singing" had generally won the day. By the end of the 18th century, the singing school manuals had become standardized in an oblong-shaped tunebook , usually containing tunes with only one stanza of text. William Billings

1610-404: The other hand, southern gospel lyrics are typically overt in their Christian message unlike Contemporary Christian music (CCM) which sometimes has had "double entendre" lyrics, which could be interpreted as being about a devout love for God or an earthly love for a man or woman. Becoming popular through songbooks, such as those published by R. E. Winsett of Dayton, Tennessee , southern gospel

1656-461: The population moved away from an agrarian lifestyle. One of the most notable changes was the length of schools; at one time it was common for schools to last four weeks. This was shortened over time, and today most of the larger singing schools last for two weeks, though the Gospel Singers of America School of Gospel Music still lasts for three weeks. Singing schools began to hold less interest for

1702-647: The purpose of selling songbooks for the James D. Vaughan Music Publishing Company in Lawrenceburg, Tennessee . Nonetheless, the style of the music itself had existed for at least 35 years prior—although the traditional wisdom that southern gospel was "invented" in the 1870s by circuit preacher Everett Beverly is spurious. The existence of the genre prior to 1910 is evident in the work of Charles Davis Tillman (1861–1943), who popularized "The Old Time Religion", wrote "Life's Railway to Heaven" and published 22 songbooks. Some of

1748-659: The schools. The basic subjects taught at singing schools are music theory and sight reading (the ability to sing a piece of music on first reading). Most southern gospel schools also focus extensively on song leading, the ability to direct a group in vocal music. Song leading requires both music theory skills and public speaking skills. In addition, many schools teach composition and ear training. Most song leading classes are open to both genders, but some schools are associated with Christian religious traditions that allow only male leadership and therefore only offer such classes to males. Sacred Harp singing schools use one or more of

1794-503: The south and west they became a prominent social event for small-town Americans looking for something to do. Singing schools were often taught by traveling singing masters who would stay in a location for a few weeks and teach a singing school. A singing school would be a large social event for a town; sometimes nearly everyone in the town would attend and people would come from many miles away. Many young men and women saw singing schools as important to their courtship traditions . Sometimes

1840-814: The southern United States, including the North Georgia School of Gospel Music in Georgia, Ben Speer 's Stamps-Baxter School of Music in Tennessee, Cumberland Valley School of Gospel Music in Tennessee and the Alabama School of Gospel Music in Alabama. Camp Fasola, which was founded in 2003, is an attempt by Sacred Harp enthusiasts to establish a permanent annual singing school. Singing schools are also common in Missionary Baptist churches, as well as rural churches across

1886-466: The southern gospel programs likewise heard on traditional radio. This list includes The Gospel Greats with Paul Heil, which recently celebrated 30 years on the air, Southern Gospel USA, a weekly half-hour countdown show hosted by Gary Wilson, Classic radio programs such as The Old Gospel Ship and Heaven's Jubilee with Jim Loudermilk. Another online station is "The Gospel Station." Singing school from The Social Harp (1855) A singing school

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1932-483: The teacher and students on the last day of school. Many old black and white photographs exist as records of these events from the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries; genealogical researchers often find these records useful. The pictures were often taken in front of a blackboard with the name of the teacher and date of the school. Some of these pictures show small classes, while others record very large schools. Singing schools underwent many changes as cities grew and

1978-471: The tuition charge of the school. Some schools, such as Cumberland Valley School of Gospel Music, include in the tuition charge a convention songbook rather than a textbook. At some schools students purchase a pitch pipe or tuning fork . Primitive Baptists commonly practice pitching by ear rather than with a pitch pipe. Southern gospel schools primarily use the piano as accompaniment. Pitch pipes are sometimes used in individual classes for brief practice. It

2024-497: Was and is one of the few genres to use recordings, radio, and television technologies from the very beginning for the advancements of promoting the genre. One of the longest-running print magazines for southern gospel music has been the Singing News . They started in the early 1970s supplying radio airplay charts and conducting annual fan based awards. They also supply popular topic forums for southern gospel fans to meet and discuss

2070-475: Was not on board the aircraft. Kelly Nelon Clark, Jason Clark, and Amber Nelon Kistler all died in the crash in a remote part of Campbell County, Wyoming , just north of Gillette . The Nelons were started by founding member Rex Nelon as The Rex Nelon Singers in 1977. The group was a spin-off of the family group The Lefevres . They became known as The Rex Nelon Singers in 1976 because the Lefevre family members left

2116-589: Was one of the most important of the New England singing school teachers of this period. One of his singing schools was held in 1774 in Stoughton, Massachusetts. According to Hall, "The school taught by William Billings is the first and only one with all the pupils given." A few members of this singing school later helped organize the Stoughton Musical Society in 1786, now the oldest surviving choral society in

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