Calvin and Lillie Wills sang together for most of the last 40 years of the Wills Family’s 60 year career. Calvin was the oldest brother of the seven children of Aaron Burr Wills and he knew from early childhood that he wanted to sing Gospel Music for the rest of his life. When “Pop” Wills formed the first family group in 1938 with Calvin and the two oldest sisters, Eva Rene and Lou, he surely had no idea that the Singing Wills Family would continue their successful music career for over six decades. Calvin was caught in a surprise when he was inducted into the Texas Gospel Music Hall of Fame in 1997. His long time partner and co-founder, Tom Ellis, served up the induction along with sister Lou. So many friends and fans of Calvin and the Wills Family through the years have acknowledged his profound contribution to the industry and ministry of Gospel Music. Some called him “Mr. Gospel Music of Texas!!”
Category Archives: Inductees
Glen Payne
Glen Weldon Payne [1926 – 1999] was born in Royce City (near Rockwall) in the middle of the Great Depression. His love for gospel music began at an early age when his grandfather took him to hear the Stamps Quartet. Early in his teens he attended the Stamps School of Music, and following his military service in the Forties, returned to teach at the school. During that time he sang with the Frank Stamps Quartet and the Stamps-Ozark Quartet. In 1957 he joined Earl Weatherford and the Weatherfords out of Oklahoma and from there formed a trio to sing for the Cathedral of Tomorrow in Akron, Ohio in 1963.
During this time in Akron, Glen met Van Harris and married her in November 1958. Their children, Todd, Carla and Darla blessed them with several grandchildren – Glen was very much a family man.
Also during his time in Ohio, the trio soon became a quartet with the addition of George Younce and The Cathedral Quartet (the Cathedrals) became one of the most popular and recognized groups in Southern Gospel Music, spanning four decades.
Over his lifetime in Gospel Music, this native Texan was nominated for eleven Grammys and also honored for his music career by the Gospel Music Association Hall of Fame, the Southern Gospel Music Hall of Fame and the Radio Music Hall of Fame.
Lee Owens Graves
Lee Graves has been in Texas Gospel music since 1950, when he joined the Biron Dyes Quartet from Joaquin, Texas, as their tenor. He sang for about a year with this group, then was called up to serve in the Korean War. Following his military service, he sang with the Joint Heirs Quartet of Shelby County.
In 1957, he was asked to manage and promote the Mt. Bethel Cemetery homecoming in Gary, Texas. With the exception of a few years in the 1960’s, this homecoming is still being held to this day, and he continues to manage and promote it.
In 1965, the First Baptist Church of Gary homecoming was turned over to Mr. Graves. He managed and promoted that homecoming for 27 years, hosting in groups such as The Stamps-Baxter Quartet, The Phelps Family, The Sound, and Plain Ole’ Gospel. This singing received state-wide attention, and was attended by some of the greats of gospel music, such as Cecil Pollock, Robert S. Arnold, Arthur and Marion Watson and many others.
In 1968, he started a family group called The Graves Family (later called the Graves Gospel Singers), and went on the road for 15 years with this group singing in Texas, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Louisiana and Mississippi. This family group made appearances in many of the great singings of the day, including the Tri-State Singing Convention and Texas State Singing Convention, and even appeared in Memphis, Tennessee in a concert with the Blackwood Brothers. In 1983, with the family mostly gone to college, the group left the road, though it still makes rare appearances in Carthage and Gary at various homecomings.
Lee was called to preach in 1984, when he accepted the pastorate of the McClelland Community Church in Shelby County, Texas. As of his induction in 2010, he still preaches for revivals and church services, and he continues to sing with the Joint Heirs Quartet, now based in Gary, Texas.
Charles F. Brown
Charles F. Brown is one of the greatest musical talents to come from the Lone Star State!
His talent and skill as an orchestra arranger and conductor has been known and appreciated throughout the gospel music industry for nearly four decades.
Charlie was born in Nixon, Texas in Gonzales County while his Baptist preacher father was serving there; then the family moved to Beeville where Charlie finished high school.
He has a Bachelor of Music degree from Baylor University and Master of Music from Southern Methodist University. He also served in the U. S. Navy 1966-1970 as an instructor for the Armed Forces School of Music in Virginia Beach, Virginia.
Charlie worked for Word Records in Waco and several other church music publishers.
He has produced and/or written and arranged for George Beverly Shea, Kurt Kaiser, Cliff Barrows, Anita Kerr, Marijohn Wilkins, Ken Medema, Sonny Salsbury, Sandy Patti, Buryl Red, and others. As a gospel songwriter, his music has been recorded by numerous Christian Artists including: Norma Zimmer, Bev Shea, Bill Pierce, Evie. His song Part The Waters, Lord can be heard currently on Christian radio by the group Selah.
“Many have known Charles F. Brown for his writing, arranging, and production work but I am fortunate to also know Charlie as a personal mentor. During his days as a music editor at Word Music in Waco, TX he gave dozens of college students at Baylor University the opportunity to sing and play in the studio, or write and arrange for publication. He had a unique gift in being able to see nuggets of talent in people and he knew how to nurture that. Charlie provided that first big break to so many who have gone on to publishing or recording careers of their own or who have built esteemed careers as church music ministers and educators.
Charlie, I like so many, am grateful for the opportunities and breaks you gave us to start our careers in music, and equally though to simply be our friend, encourager and mentor.I applaud you on your induction to the Texas Gospel Music Hall of Fame.”
With deepest regards, Don Cason – President Word Music
“Charlie Brown is perhaps the single most influential person in the development of my professional career. He patiently listened to an inexperienced college kid’s work and gave me opportunities that led me into a life with music. I, along with at least a dozen other Baylor grads from the 70s, owe a debt of gratitude to Charlie we can never repay.”
Robert Sterling – Sterling Music Productions, Nashville, TN
Les Beasley
Lester George Beasley was born in Crockett Texas in August 1928. As the son of a preacher he began singing in church at an early age – and especially loved the style of four part harmony music. His family lived in Texas most of his childhood until moving to Arkansas shortly before Les joined the Marines in the early 50ís. Following military duty that included involvement in the Korean War, Les joined the Gospel Melody Quartet in 1955 and soon renamed the group The Florida Boys. He has managed this very popular gospel quartet for over forty years – they still have many, many fans in Texas!
Les is a lifetime member of the Gospel Music Association and served as president for two years. He is also president of the National Quartet Convention, which promotes the annual NQC in Louisville, Kentucky, attended by thousands of Gospel Music fans.
From those early days in Texas, Les has been a pioneer for Southern Gospel Music both as the producer of the syndicated television program, the Gospel Singing Jubilee, and as a board member of the GMA was responsible for the development of the Dove Awards.
Rudy Gatlin
Following the Gospel Concert at Will Rogers Auditorium in 1997 when Larry Gatlin was inducted into the Hall of Fame, the TGMM&HF Board knew that there would come a time when it would be appropriate to induct the rest of the Gatlin family. That time came in 2003 at the first annual Calvin Wills Memorial Concert in Arlington. Steve, Rudy and LaDonna were added to the list of honored Texans. Rudy, the youngest brother, was not only a featured artist at that event, but has continued his support of the TGMM&HF by joining the board of directors. The parents who started it all, Curly and Billie Gatlin also live in Dallas, and Rudy certainly represents the family well. His energy and enthusiasm for the arts and all things TEXAS is a great asset to the organization.
Larry Gatlin
Born Larry Wayne Gatlin May 2, 1948, in Seminole, Texas.
Larry Gatlin, lead singer and songwriter for the Gatlin Brothers, has enjoyed a phenomenal country music career spanning more than four decades, but his heart has always been in gospel music. Larry began performing gospel songs with his younger brothers for a radio station in Abilene, Texas, at age seven. (He says his heroes were James Blackwood and Jake Hess.) With many number one country music hits written by Larry and multiple Grammy awards, the Gatlins are a household name in country music.
When Bill Gaither gathered the first little band of Homecoming Friends in a Nashville recording studio a few years ago, Larry Gatlin was there stirring up the excitement, singing with his gospel heroes. Later, “The Gatlin Brothers Come Home” produced by Bill Gaither, became a best seller in the Gaither Hall of Honor Series.
In the nineties, Larry starred in the Broadway hit “The Will Rogers Follies.” He followed that by headlining a major theatrical production “Civil War.” His life story – All The Gold In California – was released by Thomas Nelson Publishers in 1998, named for one of Larry’s best known hit songs.
When this famous country star shows up at a Gaither video taping with his Homecoming Friends (which is often) everyone in the studio listens in quiet awe at the vocal beauty and depth of expression of Larry Gatlin. Lou Wills Hildreth says, “These moments make me glad that we made the Gatlinís first recordings on Sword & Shield Records, owned by the Wills Family, years ago in Texas.” Larry was inducted into the Texas Gospel Music Hall Of Fame in 1997. Rudy, Steve, and sister LaDonna were inducted in 2003.
Johnnie High
From the farmlands outside of Waco, Johnnie High began his music career as a teenager hosting his own radio program. In those early days of strumming his guitar and recording many popular songs of the 40s and 50s, his love for music, and support for Texas artists began to grow. When he made his way to the Dallas/Fort Worth area, Johnnie was producing recordings and music shows all over town, beginning with the Grapevine Opry! Before his death, for over four decades, the Johnnie High Country Music Revue was the longest running, most successful weekly music show in the entire Southwest! Most every program through those many years has included all kinds of Gospel Music – and usually featured his own “regular” Gospel Quartet utilizing lots of great Texas talent!
Lee Gann
Lee Gann received the special Calvin Wills “Southern Gospel Style” Award at the 2005 TGMHF Induction Ceremony. Like most of the great “quartet men” to come out of Texas, Lee was very influenced by the Stamps Quartet of Dallas and those early days of gospel music on live radio! Lee joined his first quartet when he was only 12 years old. As a native of Fort Worth, Lee has continued pursue his love for music that began with his parents; Lee Roy and mother, Willie.
His singing career has a varied past including the original Foggy River Boys.
He was instrumental in starting the Ron Blackwood Quartet. He worked with James Blackwood in Memphis when he had his RCA record distribution service. He sang for time with the Stamps Trio with Donnie Sumner and Art Bain. There have been several Texas quartets in the line-up of Lee distinguished music career. For many years a local favorite was The Sons Of Calvary. He started his own quartet twenty-five years ago – Lee and his talented wife, Bonnie, are still singing today with The Lee Gann Quartet.
Walt Mills
Nationally known evangelist, singer, and songwriter, Walt Mills, still calls Arlington, Texas, home. Walt and his wife, Betty, have been mainstays of Trinity Broadcasting Network, and have hosted their own TV show on TBN for years. Walt published his first songs with Sword & Shield Music in the fifties. He is a highly respected songwriter, musician and recording artist. His recorded projects are available on Homeland Records, Nashville, Tennessee. Walt’s tenure as a TBN “regular” has made this Texas artist and his talent known all over the world. Walt Mills is a credit to the worldwide Christian family and especially to the people of Texas.