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.