Gaither Vocal Band - June 13, 2015

The Gaither Vocal Band got its start in the early 1980s with four guys singing around a piano backstage before a Bill Gaither Trio concert. Gary McSpadden, Steve Green, Lee Young and Bill Gaither were just having fun, harmonizing on "Your First Day in Heaven" when Bill decided they should try out their new sound on a live audience that very night. The audience went wild! and that impromptu performance marked the beginning of an era. Now, for more than a quarter century, the Gaither Vocal Band has created a legacy of award-winning excellence that has forever raised the bar for male harmony. The list of men who have comprised the Gaither Vocal Band over the years reads like a "Who's Who" among the gospel music industry's best-loved voices, including: Gary McSpadden, Steve Green, Lee Young, Jon Mohr, Larnelle Harris, Michael English, Lemuel Miller, Jim Murray, Mark Lowry, Terry Franklin, Buddy Mullins, Jonathan Pierce, David Phelps, Russ Taff, Guy Penrod, Marshall Hall and Wes Hampton. Always at the helm has been Bill Gaither, who has led the group out of his personal passion for great harmony and his genuine desire to bring meaningful music to a hurting world. And the Grammy-winning, chart-busting success of the Gaither Vocal Band has far exceeded his wildest expectations. In January 2009, a Reunion of Gaither Vocal Band alumni was released on DVD and immediately shot to the top of Billboard Magazine's Music Video charts for four consecutive weeks, and topped Christian and Southern Gospel audio charts. The celebration rekindled friendships among the alumni, honored the group's past, and even offered a glimpse into the future - a future that would begin by bringing back voices from the Vocal Band's rich legacy of talent to create a brand new season in the life of the GVB. Today, the Gaither Vocal Band roster is comprised of Bill Gaither, Wes Hampton, David Phelps, Michael English and Mark Lowry. Individually, these men are gifted artists and men of authentic faith. Together, they are the incomparable Gaither Vocal Band, known around the world for their powerhouse vocals, innovative harmonies and life-altering message - a message of grace, hope and redemption. "God is up to something here," Bill Gaither states of the current group. "I continue to be amazed at the extraordinary ways He communicates the power of the Gospel not only through our music, but through our lives. The simple messages I first started writing about as a wide-eyed, young musician hold truer to me today than ever before - and it truly is about much more than the music."