Tag Archives: GMA

Les Beasley

Posted on by

Les Beasley & LouLester 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.

Lou Wills Hildreth

Posted on by
lou-wills-hildreth

Lou Wills Hildreth

Lou Wills Hildreth was a founding member of the Wills Family Singers along with older sister, Eva Rene, brother, Calvin, and father, Aaron Burr (Pop) Wills. Those gospel music roots grew deep in Texas and the Southwest, but Lou’s career eventually covered the entire nation by way of “Music City”, Nashville, Tennessee. From her singing days with her own family group, which included her husband, Howard, and their children, David and Kathryn, the Hildreth family moved to Nashville in the late 60’s where Lou and Howard would establish the Nashville Gospel Talent Agency. For over twenty years Lou was involved with most of the major artists in the gospel music industry, and is still on the board of theGospel Music Association (GMA), as well as the Southern Gospel Music Association of Texas.

Lou was the host of the Wills Family Inspirational Time television program that aired for most of the late 60’s and early 70’s, and continued her role as a spokesperson and TV host since. She is currently co-hosting Gospel Music Today with J. P. Miller on the Gospel Music Television (GMT) network. Throughout her long career, Lou has become one of the most highly respected people in the industry and very well known for her love and support of Gospel Music.