Gospel Music Hall of Fame member Ben Speer died in Nashville on April 7 at age 86.
He was a mainstay of the legendary Speer Family, the music director of the popular Gaither Homecoming video series, a prominent gospel music publisher, a co-worker with both Elvis Presley and Hank Williams, a recording studio owner and a record-label executive.
The Speer Family was known as “the first family of gospel music” due to its astonishingly long career and its many breakthroughs and innovations. The group was formed in 1921 by Ben’s parents George Thomas “Dad” Speer (1891-1966) and Lena Brock “Mom” Speer (1899-1967) along with Dad’s sister Pearl and brother-in- law Logan Claborn.
At the time, white gospel acts in the South were almost always exclusively male. The Speers made history by featuring female singing. Indeed, Lena and Pearl were the powerful, dominant voices in the group.
When the Claborns dropped out in 1925, the founders’ oldest son Brock Speer (1920-1977) and daughter Rosa Neil (b. 1922) were recruited to join the act at the ages of five and three, respectively.
During the 1930s, daughter Mary Tom Speer (1925-2014) was added to the group. Ben Speer, born in 1930, was the youngest child. He was singing with the family by the end of the decade.
In 1941, The Speer Family became popular on WSFA radio in Montgomery, Alabama. Their morning gospel program was followed by one performed by newcomer Hank Williams. Ben and his family were scandalized when Hank arrived for his show after all-night carousing in honky-tonks.
The Speers moved to Nashville in 1946, just in time for the post-war explosion in popularity of Southern-gospel music. That same year, the family’s youngest member formed The Ben Speer Music Company at age 16. Ben’s firm was the first to publish Southern-gospel music in sheet-music form.
The Speer Family began recording in 1947. During the next 50 years, the group recorded for such labels as Bullet, Columbia, RCA Victor, Starday, Benson, Sing, Heart Warming, Skylite, Vista, Riversong and Homeland. More than 75 Speer Family albums have been marketed.
In 1948, Rosa Nell left the group for marriage and motherhood. Brock Speer’s wife Faye replaced her.
Nashville’s WSIX radio featured The Speer Family on weekly weekend gospel shows for eight years in the 1950s. In 1954, the group became a gospel pioneer on television. For the next six years, it was familiar to a generation of Nashvillians as a fixture of daily, early-morning local TV on Channel 5. This was the first gospel daily TV show in history.
Due to her marriage and a desire to start a family, sister Mary Tom departed around 1954. Ben, Brock and Faye pressed on with Mom and Dad.
Both Mary Tom and her “retired” sister Rosa Neil occasionally returned to sing with the family and/or worked in the Speer business office on Music Row.
In 1956, Ben, Brock and tenor singer Gordon Stoker were recruited to sing backup on recording sessions by RCA’s newest signee, Elvis Presley. As a result, Ben Speer sang on such early Elvis hits as “Heartbreak Hotel,” “I Was the One” and “I Want You, I Need You, I Love You.”
Next, The Speer Family became national TV personalities as regulars on the syndicated Singing Time in Dixie weekly show beginning in 1964.
After Dad and Mom passed away, Ben and Brock became the leaders of The Speer Family. They took it to new heights, and Ben became the act’s lead singer.
The brothers adopted a series of Speer “sisters,” several of whom went on to have successful solo gospel careers. Ben Speer’s sons Stephen and Darin, and Brock’s children Suzan, Marc and Brian all became Speer Family participants as well.
Beginning in 1967, the Speers became regulars on the syndicated TV series “Gospel Singing Caravan” and were signed by gospel’s most prominent record companies. The exposure magnified the group’s popularity enormously.
Among the songs associated with The Speer Family are “Standing By the River,” “My Lord Will Lead Me Home,” “Heaven’s Jubilee,” “I’m Building a Bridge,” “Saved to the Uttermost,” ”He’s Still in the Fire,” “The King Is Coming,” “What Sins Are You Talking About” and “I’ll Meet You in the Morning.”
The group’s 1977 hit “I’m Standing on the Solid Rock” — published by Ben Speer — reportedly holds the record as the longest-lasting No. 1 song on the gospel charts. Its 1984 hit “City Coming Down” made history as gospel’s first concept music video.
During the 1970s and 1980s, when Ben and Brock were guiding The Speers, they won 14 Dove Awards from the Gospel Music Association and were nominated for seven Grammy Awards.
Ben Speer retired from the group in 1993, but continued to be a prominent figure in the gospel-music business. He became the general manager of the Stamps-Baxter School of Music and opened his Ben Speer Recording Studio. As music director of the Bill Gaither Homecoming gospel video series, Ben endeared himself to dozens of veterans of that genre who sang on the shows.
Brother Brock Speer finally folded The Speer Family in 1998, after its unprecedented, unparalleled and unsurpassed 77-year career. The durable group had gone from traveling via horse-and- buggy to Model T Ford to customized tour bus.
The Speer Family was inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame in 1998, following the individual inductions of Dad (1971), Mom (1972), Brock (1975) and Ben (1995). Ben Speer is also a member of the Southern Gospel Music Hall of Fame and the Alabama Music Hall of Fame.
The gospel-music legend is survived by sister Rosa Neil Speer Powell, by wife Rebekah Long Speer, by sons Stephen and Darin and by several grandchildren, nieces and nephews.
The family will receive friends on Monday, April 10 from 4-7 p.m. at Woodlawn-Roesch- Patton Funeral Home at 660 Thompson Lane.
The visitation there on Tuesday (April 11) from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. will be followed by a Celebration of Life service at The First Church of the Nazarene, 510 Woodland Street. Interment will follow at Woodlawn Memorial Park.
Serving as pallbearers are Dave Clark, Gene McDonald, Tim Reid, Mike Allen, Brian Speer, Marc Speer, Tom Powell, Shannon Fontaine and Per Norstrand.
CMT Renews ‘Nashville’ For Season Six
/by Jessica NicholsonNashville will return to CMT for a new 16-episode season, beginning in early 2018. CMT announced news of the show’s renewal for a sixth season on Monday (April 10). The network has also revealed a midseason premiere date for season five of Thursday, June 1 at 9 p.m. ET. Longtime SVOD partner Hulu will continue to stream episodes the day after they premiere on CMT.
Additionally, actresses Rachel Bilson and Kaitlin Doubleday will join the show in the second half of season five. Jeff Nordling will recur his role of record exec Brad Maitland.
Nashville has averaged 2.1 million weekly viewers (L+7). Over the first half of the season, the series garnered nearly 16 million total viewers on CMT, and nearly 23 million on CMT and Nick at Nite.
In coming weeks, CMT will announce its full 2017-2018 programming lineup.
In Pictures: Tortuga Music Festival Brings Bryan, Chesney, Stapleton For Sold-Out Event
/by Jessica NicholsonPictured (L-R): AJ Niland, Chairman and Chief Experience Officer/HUKA Entertainment; Evan Harrison, CEO/Huka Entertainment; Alan Jackson; Jaclyn D. Carter, Sr. Account Executive/Shore Fire Media; Rebecca Shapiro, Vice President, Shore Fire Media; Dan Merker, VP of Talent/HUKA Entertainment
The Tortuga Music Festival, produced by Huka Entertainment, brought in more than 100,000 people for its fifth annual event, which included Kenny Chesney, Luke Bryan, Chris Stapleton, Alan Jackson, Nelly, Slightly Stoopid, and Maren Morris. The event was held over the weekend at Ft. Lauderdale Beach Park in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida.
“It’s a tremendous feeling to see Tortuga grow it’s fifth year in a row,” said Evan Harrison, CEO, Huka Entertainment. “The energy from the artists and fans fueled by our festive beach setting truly create a magical experience.”
“We kept the music going,” said A.J. Niland, Chairman and Chief Experience Officer, HUKA Entertainment. “We really stepped up our crowd flow this year, from VIP to Super VIP to the new staging, to the newly created Reef viewing area allowing our GA fans an intimate experience with our headline artists.”
Millions also tuned in on Facebook Live to watch surprise pop-up performances curated by Tortuga and Grand Ole Opry. These “Opry Circle Throwdowns” featured performances by Drake White, Granger Smith, Michael Ray and others.
Alan Jackson performs at Tortuga Music Festival. Photo: Tortuga/Flickr
Chris Stapleton performs at Tortuga Music Festival. Photo: Tortuga/Flickr
Kenny Chesney performs at Tortuga Music Festival. Photo: Tortuga Music Fest/Flickr
Dustin Lynch performs at Tortuga Music Festival. Photo: Tortuga/Flickr
Columbia/Blue Chair’s Kenny Chesney along with radio friends from WKIS, WIRK, WFUS, WKLB, WQMX. Plus Morris Higham Management’s Buffy Cooper and the label’s Samantha Borenstein, Lyndsay Church and Lauren Thomas Fowler at Tortuga Music Festival
Drake White performs at Tortuga Music Festival. Photo: Tortuga/Flickr
Pictured (L-R): Tim Conlon (WKIS), Luke Combs, Kristin Bianchi, Lyndsay Church (SE Columbia Nashville)
Alan Jackson performs at Tortuga Festival. Photo: Tortuga/Flickr
Maren Morris performs at Tortuga Music Festival. Photo: Tortuga/Flickr
Granger Smith performs at Tortuga Music Festival. Photo: Tortuga/Flickr
ASCAP To Offer Members Mastering Access Through LANDR
/by Lorie HollabaughAs part of the new association, all ASCAP members will be given exclusive access to LANDR’s Basic Subscription plus one HD WAV per month at no charge, including unlimited mastering of demos, live sets, DJ mixes, or even rough studio jam sessions. With this, songwriters and composers can now improve the sound quality of anything they produce, even projects without a mastering budget.
“Songwriters and composers are the heart and soul of music and ASCAP’s mission is to support them creatively and professionally at every stage of their careers,” said Elizabeth Matthews, ASCAP Chief Executive Officer. “Together with LANDR, we are offering them a valuable tool that they can use to bring their music to the world. In the future, ASCAP members can look forward to more best-in-class benefits that meet their needs and create more opportunities for them to succeed.”
“Road Less Traveled” Leads To No. 1 For Lauren Alaina, Meghan Trainor, Jesse Frasure
/by Jessica NicholsonLauren Alaina, Meghan Trainor
Lauren Alaina, Meghan Trainor, and Jesse Frasure have plenty to celebrate this week, as “Road Less Traveled” leads to the top of the Nielsen Soundscan rankings and the MediaBase country airplay charts.
“The Road Less Traveled,” which Alaina penned with Frasure and Trainor, marks Alaina’s first No. 1 country song, and Trainor’s second. Trainor also co-wrote the Rascal Flatts 2015 chart-topper “I Like The Sound Of That.”
“I cannot believe I have the number one song in the country,” Alaina said. “I have dreamed of this day my entire life. The five singles, the ups and downs, the tears, the smiles, and the six years of hard work have made this moment so much sweeter. I am so thankful to everyone who helped me get to this point. Regardless of my future, I get to live the rest of my life saying I have written a No. 1 song. Life made.”
Jesse Frasure
Trainor has been with Nashville’s Big Yellow Dog Music since age 17. Trainor has had six singles certified double platinum or greater by the RIAA, including “All About That Bass,” “Lips Are Movin,” and “No.” She won a Grammy for Best New Artist in 2016 and also has received three ASCAP Pop Music Awards for her songwriting. Trainor has written songs for Fifth Harmony, Jennifer Lopez, Little Mix, DJ Khaled, Michael Buble, Jason Derulo, and others.
“Meghan’s ability to continue to write for others is a reflection of the depth of her writing abilities,” says Big Yellow Dog Music co-owner Carla Wallace. “I love that Meghan wrote ‘Road Less Traveled’ with two of her Nashville friends, Lauren and Jesse Frasure. This makes her second No. 1 with Jesse. I also love that this song embodies Meghan’s natural ability to empower girls!”
Frasure’s string of hits also includes Jon Pardi’s recent No. 1 “Dirt On My Boots,” Florida Georgia Line’s “Sun Daze,” Thomas Rhett’s “Crash and Burn,” and Rascal Flatts’ “I Like The Sound Of That.” In 2016, Frasure teamed with Roc Nation and Warner/Chappell Music to form Rhythm House, which includes Frasure’s own writing and production activities, as well as the signing and development of other composers and producers.
Florida Georgia Line Tops 2017 ‘Billboard’ Music Awards Country Nominees
/by Jessica NicholsonThe nominations were recently announced for the the upcoming Billboard Music Awards, with duo Florida Georgia Line as this year’s top country nominee. The duo garnered six nominations including Top Duo/Group, Top Country Artist, Top Country Album (Dig Your Roots), two entries in the Top Country Song category (“May We All” ft. Tim McGraw, and “H.O.L.Y.”), and Top Country Collaboration (“May We All,” ft. Tim McGraw).
FGL is up against Blake Shelton, Keith Urban, Chris Stapleton and Jason Aldean in the Top Country Artist category.
The Dixie Chicks vie with Luke Bryan and Kenny Chesney for the Top Country Tour honor.
Bryan is also nominated in the all-genre, fan-voted category Billboard Chart Achievement Award Presented by Xfinity. The Chainsmokers, Nicki Minaj, Twenty One Pilots and The Weeknd are also nominated.
Keith Urban also garnered three nominations, for Top Country Artist, Top Country Album (Ripcord), and Top Country Song (“Blue Ain’t Your Color”). Kenny Chesney also received three nominations, for Top Country Tour, as well as for Top Country Song and Top Country Collaboration (both for “Setting The World On Fire” ft. P!nk).
Hillary Scott & The Scott Family garnered three nominations, including Top Christian Artist, Top Christian Album (Love Remains), and Top Christian Song (“Thy Will”).
Joey+Rory also earned a nomination in the Top Christian Album category, for Hymns.
The Lumineers earned nominations for Top Rock Artist and Top Rock Album (Cleopatra).
Lauren Daigle also garnered three nominations, for Top Christian Artist, Top Christian Album (How Can It Be) and Top Christian Song (“Trust In You”). Kirk Franklin garnered three nominations, for Top Gospel Artist, Top Gospel Song (“Wanna Be Happy?”) and Top Gospel Album (Losing My Religion).
Drake and The Chainsmokers lead the pack with 22 nominations each, tying the all-time record for most nominations in a single year. Drake’s nominations include, among others, Top Artist, Top Male Artist, Top Hot 100 Artist and Top Billboard 200 Album. The Chainsmokers’ nominations include double nods in six categories: Top Dance/Electronic Album, Top Hot 100 Song, Top Selling Song, Top Radio Song, Top Collaboration and Top Dance/Electronic Song, with single nominations in 10 other categories.
The Billboard Music Awards will broadcast live from T-Mobile Arena on Sunday, May 21 at 8:00 p.m. ET / 5:00 p.m. PT on ABC.
Select Categories Are Included Below:
Billboard Chart Achievement Award Presented by Xfinity (Fan Voted Category – Voting Opens 5/1):
Luke Bryan
The Chainsmokers
Nicki Minaj
Twenty One Pilots
The Weeknd
Top Duo/Group:
The Chainsmokers
Coldplay
Florida Georgia Line
Guns N’ Roses
Twenty One Pilots
Top Country Artist:
Florida Georgia Line
Blake Shelton
Keith Urban
Chris Stapleton
Jason Aldean
Top Country Tour:
Luke Bryan
Kenny Chesney
Dixie Chicks
Top Rock Artist:
Coldplay
The Lumineers
Metallica
Twenty One Pilots
X Ambassadors
Top Christian Artist:
Lauren Daigle
Hillsong Worship
Hillary Scott & The Scott Family
Skillet
Chris Tomlin
Top Gospel Artist:
Jekalyn Carr
Kirk Franklin
Travis Greene
Tamela Mann
Hezekiah Walker
Top Country Album:
Jason Aldean, They Don’t Know
Florida Georgia Line, Dig Your Roots
Blake Shelton, If I’m Honest
Chris Stapleton, Traveller
Keith Urban, Ripcord
Top Rock Album:
The Lumineers Cleopatra
Metallica Hardwired…To Self-Destruct
Radiohead A Moon Shaped Pool
Red Hot Chili Peppers The Getaway
Twenty One Pilots Blurryface
Top Christian Album:
Casting Crowns The Very Next Thing
Lauren Daigle How Can It Be
Joey + Rory Hymns
Hillary Scott & The Scott Family Love Remains
Skillet Unleashed
Top Gospel Album:
Tamela Mann One Way
Kirk Franklin Losing My Religion
Travis Greene The Hill
Tasha Cobbs One Place: Live
Hezekiah Walker Better: Azusa – The Next Generation 2
Top Country Song:
Kenny Chesney Featuring P!NK “Setting The World On Fire”
Florida Georgia Line “H.O.L.Y.”
Florida Georgia Line Featuring Tim McGraw “May We All”
Little Big Town “Better Man”
Keith Urban “Blue Ain’t Your Color”
Top Country Collaboration:
Dierks Bentley Featuring Elle King “Different For Girls”
Kenny Chesney Featuring P!NK “Setting The World On Fire”
Eric Church Featuring Rhiannon Giddens “Kill A Word”
Florida Georgia Line Featuring Tim McGraw “May We All”
Chris Young Featuring Vince Gill “Sober Saturday Night”
Top Christian Song:
Lauren Daigle “Trust In You”
Hillary Scott & The Scott Family “Thy Will”
Skillet “Feel Invincible”
Ryan Stevenson Featuring GabeReal “Eye Of The Storm”
Zach Williams “Chain Breaker”
Top Gospel Song:
Jekalyn Carr “You’re Bigger”
Tasha Cobbs Featuring Kierra Sheard “Put A Praise On It”
Kirk Franklin “Wanna Be Happy?”
Travis Greene “Made A Way”
Hezekiah Walker “Better”
Kelly Clarkson To Join Music Biz’s Leading Ladies Speak Out Panel
/by Lorie HollabaughKelly Clarkson has been added to the Music’s Leading Ladies Speak Out panel moderated by NPR’s Ann Powers on May 16 at the Renaissance Nashville Hotel, as part of the 2017 Music Biz convention. Previously announced as part of the panel was Julie Greenwald, Chairman and CEO of Atlantic Records Group.
In June 2016, it was announced that Clarkson had joined Atlantic Records, leaving her longtime label Sony Music. Clarkson had signed with Sony’s RCA label after winning the first season of American Idol in 2002.
During the presentation, Clarkson and Greenwald will discuss the theme of creative partnerships and Clarkson’s decision to join Greenwald and the team at Atlantic Records. The two will also share their industry experiences and explain how they were able to achieve success on their own terms. The event will also feature a presentation from Erin Crawford, Senior Vice President and General Manager of Nielsen Music.
“Kelly has had an amazing whirlwind ride through the music industry over the past 15 years, beginning with winning the first season of American Idol, and then achieving massive solo success with her first two albums Thankful and Breakaway,” said James Donio, President of Music Biz. “She is definitely a role model, and we look forward to hearing the career insights she has gained so far. We expect that everyone in our audience — especially aspiring young professionals — will be inspired by her experiences as a songwriter, recording artist, live performer, wife, and mother.”
BMLG Names Matt Brum As Director, Digital Strategy and Social Media
/by Jessica NicholsonMatthew Brum
Big Machine Label Group has added Matt Brum as Director, Digital Strategy and Social Media, effective immediately. Brum will report to BMLG CMO Mike Rittberg and be responsible for engineering digital and social strategies for Big Machine Records, The Valory Music Co., BMLG Records and Nash Icon Records.
“We are so excited to be having Matt join the Big Machine family,” shared Rittberg. “He lives the ‘digital world’ and we look forward to having his passion help drive our artists to the next level.”
Brum most recently served as Social Media Manager for the Grand Ole Opry where he created content for the Opry’s more than 1.5 million followers. A graduate of the University of Rhode Island, Brum moved to Nashville in 2012.
“It has been my privilege to be a member of the Grand Ole Opry family and to be a part of the Opry story,” shared Brum. “I am ecstatic to begin this new journey with Big Machine Label Group and to continue to build upon BMLG’s solid foundation, innovative approach and unprecedented impact on our industry. I am humbled and honored to work alongside Mike and the incredible BMLG team. I am looking forward to utilizing my strengths and talents to take the label group and its artists to the next level.”
LifeNotes: Gospel Legend Ben Speer Dies
/by Robert K OermannGospel Music Hall of Fame member Ben Speer died in Nashville on April 7 at age 86.
He was a mainstay of the legendary Speer Family, the music director of the popular Gaither Homecoming video series, a prominent gospel music publisher, a co-worker with both Elvis Presley and Hank Williams, a recording studio owner and a record-label executive.
The Speer Family was known as “the first family of gospel music” due to its astonishingly long career and its many breakthroughs and innovations. The group was formed in 1921 by Ben’s parents George Thomas “Dad” Speer (1891-1966) and Lena Brock “Mom” Speer (1899-1967) along with Dad’s sister Pearl and brother-in- law Logan Claborn.
At the time, white gospel acts in the South were almost always exclusively male. The Speers made history by featuring female singing. Indeed, Lena and Pearl were the powerful, dominant voices in the group.
When the Claborns dropped out in 1925, the founders’ oldest son Brock Speer (1920-1977) and daughter Rosa Neil (b. 1922) were recruited to join the act at the ages of five and three, respectively.
During the 1930s, daughter Mary Tom Speer (1925-2014) was added to the group. Ben Speer, born in 1930, was the youngest child. He was singing with the family by the end of the decade.
In 1941, The Speer Family became popular on WSFA radio in Montgomery, Alabama. Their morning gospel program was followed by one performed by newcomer Hank Williams. Ben and his family were scandalized when Hank arrived for his show after all-night carousing in honky-tonks.
The Speers moved to Nashville in 1946, just in time for the post-war explosion in popularity of Southern-gospel music. That same year, the family’s youngest member formed The Ben Speer Music Company at age 16. Ben’s firm was the first to publish Southern-gospel music in sheet-music form.
The Speer Family began recording in 1947. During the next 50 years, the group recorded for such labels as Bullet, Columbia, RCA Victor, Starday, Benson, Sing, Heart Warming, Skylite, Vista, Riversong and Homeland. More than 75 Speer Family albums have been marketed.
In 1948, Rosa Nell left the group for marriage and motherhood. Brock Speer’s wife Faye replaced her.
Nashville’s WSIX radio featured The Speer Family on weekly weekend gospel shows for eight years in the 1950s. In 1954, the group became a gospel pioneer on television. For the next six years, it was familiar to a generation of Nashvillians as a fixture of daily, early-morning local TV on Channel 5. This was the first gospel daily TV show in history.
Due to her marriage and a desire to start a family, sister Mary Tom departed around 1954. Ben, Brock and Faye pressed on with Mom and Dad.
Both Mary Tom and her “retired” sister Rosa Neil occasionally returned to sing with the family and/or worked in the Speer business office on Music Row.
In 1956, Ben, Brock and tenor singer Gordon Stoker were recruited to sing backup on recording sessions by RCA’s newest signee, Elvis Presley. As a result, Ben Speer sang on such early Elvis hits as “Heartbreak Hotel,” “I Was the One” and “I Want You, I Need You, I Love You.”
Next, The Speer Family became national TV personalities as regulars on the syndicated Singing Time in Dixie weekly show beginning in 1964.
After Dad and Mom passed away, Ben and Brock became the leaders of The Speer Family. They took it to new heights, and Ben became the act’s lead singer.
The brothers adopted a series of Speer “sisters,” several of whom went on to have successful solo gospel careers. Ben Speer’s sons Stephen and Darin, and Brock’s children Suzan, Marc and Brian all became Speer Family participants as well.
Beginning in 1967, the Speers became regulars on the syndicated TV series “Gospel Singing Caravan” and were signed by gospel’s most prominent record companies. The exposure magnified the group’s popularity enormously.
Among the songs associated with The Speer Family are “Standing By the River,” “My Lord Will Lead Me Home,” “Heaven’s Jubilee,” “I’m Building a Bridge,” “Saved to the Uttermost,” ”He’s Still in the Fire,” “The King Is Coming,” “What Sins Are You Talking About” and “I’ll Meet You in the Morning.”
The group’s 1977 hit “I’m Standing on the Solid Rock” — published by Ben Speer — reportedly holds the record as the longest-lasting No. 1 song on the gospel charts. Its 1984 hit “City Coming Down” made history as gospel’s first concept music video.
During the 1970s and 1980s, when Ben and Brock were guiding The Speers, they won 14 Dove Awards from the Gospel Music Association and were nominated for seven Grammy Awards.
Ben Speer retired from the group in 1993, but continued to be a prominent figure in the gospel-music business. He became the general manager of the Stamps-Baxter School of Music and opened his Ben Speer Recording Studio. As music director of the Bill Gaither Homecoming gospel video series, Ben endeared himself to dozens of veterans of that genre who sang on the shows.
Brother Brock Speer finally folded The Speer Family in 1998, after its unprecedented, unparalleled and unsurpassed 77-year career. The durable group had gone from traveling via horse-and- buggy to Model T Ford to customized tour bus.
The Speer Family was inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame in 1998, following the individual inductions of Dad (1971), Mom (1972), Brock (1975) and Ben (1995). Ben Speer is also a member of the Southern Gospel Music Hall of Fame and the Alabama Music Hall of Fame.
The gospel-music legend is survived by sister Rosa Neil Speer Powell, by wife Rebekah Long Speer, by sons Stephen and Darin and by several grandchildren, nieces and nephews.
The family will receive friends on Monday, April 10 from 4-7 p.m. at Woodlawn-Roesch- Patton Funeral Home at 660 Thompson Lane.
The visitation there on Tuesday (April 11) from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. will be followed by a Celebration of Life service at The First Church of the Nazarene, 510 Woodland Street. Interment will follow at Woodlawn Memorial Park.
Serving as pallbearers are Dave Clark, Gene McDonald, Tim Reid, Mike Allen, Brian Speer, Marc Speer, Tom Powell, Shannon Fontaine and Per Norstrand.
Steve Mekler Upped To Director/Marketing At L3 Entertainment
/by Lorie HollabaughMekler previously served as Digital Marketing Manager for the company, which manages the careers of Justin Moore, Dustin Lynch, and Jordan Rager.
“Steve has been a valuable asset to our company for over three years, leading the marketing and social media charge for artists Justin Moore, Dustin Lynch, Jordan Rager along with several new artists in development,” says Peter Hartung. President of L3 Entertainment.
Mekler can be reached at (615)-767-8115 and steve@L3entertainment.biz.
CCM News: Hillary Scott, Sarah Reeves, Switchfoot, Lifehouse
/by Jessica NicholsonHillary Scott and the Scott Family Release New Single “Still”
Following two Grammy trophies for their chart-topping “Thy Will” and faith-based Love Remains, which debuted at No. 1 on Billboard‘s Top Christian Album chart, Hillary Scott & The Scott Family will deliver the follow-up single “Still.”
“When our family first heard this song, the citing of Psalm 46 immediately struck a chord with us,” said Hillary Scott. “It shares that universal feeling everyone feels at times when we’re grasping for direction to immediately try and make things better. Sometimes you have to take a step back and this song is a simple reminder that a high power is always in control.”
New Word Records Artist Sarah Reeves Preps New Single “Nowhere”
Reeves recently wrapped performances on this year’s Winter Jam Tour, and has garnered 100,000 followers on YouTube, collecting more than 16 million views. She has penned songs for Kari Jobe, Natalie Grant, and Jesus Culture.
Fans can also tune-in this weekend to see Reeves perform with Kirk Franklin on The 32nd Annual Stellar Gospel Music Awards, premiering on TV One Sunday, April 9 at 6 p.m. ET, with encore airings at 8 p.m. and 11 p.m. ET.
Watch the video from Reeves’ signing to Word Records below:
Switchfoot, Lifehouse Team For Tour
Switchfoot and Lifehouse are hitting the road together for the first time on their upcoming “Looking for Summer” Tour. The tour will hit over 30 cities beginning July 23 at the Fillmore Auditorium in Denver and running into the fall. Brynn Elliott has been chosen to open each night of the new tour.
The trek includes a stop at Nashville’s Carl Black Chevy Woods Amphitheater at Fontanel on Aug. 18.
Fan club pre-sales for the shows began yesterday, with additional pre-sales rolling out throughout this week. General admission ticket sales begin Friday, April 7. Additional information and a full list of dates can be found at lookingforsummertour.com.
Since their inception, Switchfoot has sold nearly six million albums worldwide, racked up a string of Alternative hits, and sold over four million concert tickets worldwide.