Mosie Lister
Gospel Music Hall of Fame member Mosie Lister has died at age 93.
Renowned for creating such enduring classics as “Where No One Stands Alone,” “His Hand in Mine” and “He Knows Just What I Need,” the songwriter, arranger and publisher passed away on Thursday, Feb. 12. He lived in Spring Hill, TN.
Born Thomas Mosie Lister in Cochran, GA, he sang in his family’s gospel group and learned to play fiddle, piano and guitar as a youngster. He later said that he knew he wanted to become a songwriter even when he was a child performer. In 1939, he began studying at the Vaughan School of Music in Lawrenceburg, TN.
He joined The Sunny South Quartet in Tampa, FL in 1941. After serving in the Navy during World War II, he rejoined the group. In 1946, he joined The Melody Masters.
Mosie Lister became one of the founding members of The Statesmen Quartet in Atlanta in 1948. But he soon realized he wanted to get off the touring circuit to concentrate on his songwriting. So Jake Hess, Hovie Lister (no relation) and Jim Wetherington went forward as the nucleus of what became one of the most popular Southern-gospel quartets in history.
The songwriter/arranger maintained his ties to the group. He was soon providing The Statesmen with some of their most popular songs. He formed Mosie Lister Publications in 1953, and began placing his songs with many other gospel acts of the day.
Mosie Lister’s catchy compositions helped to define the entire Southern-gospel movement. In his history of the style, author James R. Goff Jr. wrote that Lister was, “by far the most influential gospel songwriter of the 1950s…. Perhaps more than any other songwriter of the era, Lister enjoyed the overwhelming respect of his peers.”
The Statesmen recorded his “Then I Met the Master,” “I’ll Leave it all Behind,” “Sunday Meetin’ Time,” “I’ve Found a New Friend,” “If to Gain the World,” “Oh What a Friend He Is to Me,” “The Gentle Stranger” and many others.
“He Knows Just What I Need,” Lister’s favorite of the songs he wrote, was recorded by The Statesmen, as well as by James Abbington, The Old Friends Quartet, The Blackwood Brothers, Faron Young and Bill Gaither. The Statesmen also recorded “I’m Bound for the Kingdom,” which was later released by Webb Pierce, Red Foley and Jimmie Davis.
The LeFevre Trio popularized his “I’m Feeling Fine.” The Blackwoods, The Cathedral Quartet, The Jordanaires, Paul Williams & The Victory Trio, J.D. Sumner & The Stamps, The Singing Gospelaires, The Blue Ridge Quartet, The Gaithers, The Talleys, The Hoppers and more spread Lister’s songs throughout Southern-gospel culture.
Gospel Singing World proclaimed in 1955, “it would be hard to find a known quartet not singing one of Mosie’s compositions among their best loved numbers.”
In 1960, Elvis Presley chose the songwriter’s 1953 composition “His Hand in Mine” as the title tune of his first gospel album. The disc earned a Platinum Record award and is regarded as one of the singer’s finest. Presley included Lister’s “Where No One Stands Alone” on his three million-selling 1967 collection How Great Thou Art, which won a Grammy Award.
“Where No One Stands Alone,” written in 1955, has also been recorded by Merle Haggard, Loretta Lynn, Johnny Cash, Bill Anderson, Alison Krauss & The Cox Family, The Browns, Porter Wagoner, Ferlin Husky, Jean Shepard, George Hamilton IV, The Osborne Brothers, Jack Greene, The Louvin Brothers, Asleep at the Wheel, B.J. Thomas, Dottie West, Don Gibson, Jan Howard, Hank Snow and dozens of others.
“’Til the Storm Passes By,” written by Lister in 1958, was recorded by The Statler Brothers, The Gaither Vocal Band, The Inspirations, Vestal Goodman and Greater Vision, among others.
Lister’s 1956 song “How Long Has it Been” has been popularized by George Beverly Shea, Jim Reeves, Faron Young, Skeeter Davis, Jimmy Dean, The Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir, Del Reeves, The Homeland Quartet and more.
Other key titles in Mosie Lister’s 700-song catalog include “Happy Rhythm” (1953), “Goodbye, World, Goodbye” (1956), “I’ve Been Changed” (1959), “The King and I” (1954) and “While Ages Roll” (1970).
In 1975, he was ordained as a Baptist minister. He published his autobiography/memoir, The Song Goes On, in 2012.
Mosie Lister was inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame in 1976. He was one of the Hall’s first living inductees. In 1997, he became a member of the Southern Gospel Music Association’s Hall of Fame, whose museum is at Dollywood.
He is survived by his wife Martha Jean, twin daughters Brenda and Barbara, stepdaughter Vicki Booth, sister Margery Dillashaw and seven grandchildren.
The visitation will be held 4-8 p.m. Monday, Feb. 16, at Williamson Memorial Funeral Home. He will be buried at Williamson Memorial Gardens.
A “Homegoing Celebration” Concert will take place at 11 a.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 24, at the People’s Church, 828 Murfreesboro Rd., Franklin, TN.
BeBe & CeCe Winans, Roland Lundy Among Gospel Music Hall of Fame Inductees
/by Jessica NicholsonBebe and Cece Winans
Bebe & Cece Winans, Mark Lowry, Roland Lundy, and Twila Paris have been named as the GMA Gospel Music Hall of Fame’s latest inductees. They will be inducted during the GMA Honors, which is set for Tuesday, May 5 at Lipscomb University’s Allen Arena, beginning at 6 p.m. Performers and presenters will be announced soon.
Additionally, the Gospel Music Association will honor Bishop Paul S. Morton, founding bishop of the Full Gospel Baptist Church Fellowship International, as well as The Bridge (founded by Candy Christmas), Passion (founded by Louie and Shelley Giglio) and Porter’s Call (founded by Al Andrews).
John Huie, CAA and Co-Chair of GMA Honors states, “Last year’s inaugural event was an amazing evening of firsts for our industry. We have been encouraged by the many comments surrounding the ceremony and are thrilled to honor this year’s recipients.”
Mark Lowry
“The GMA Foundation is charged with observing our gospel music history and its trailblazers,” says Jackie Patillo, President of the GMA Foundation. “With the ongoing support from our music community, we can fulfill the mission to foster an appreciation for our heritage and its impact for generations to come. We, as always, thank all of those involved in helping make these special celebrations possible.”
About the GMA Gospel Music Hall of Fame inductees:
BeBe & CeCe Winans have been recording music together for more than 25 years. The brother/sister duo, part of the gospel singing Winans family and one of the most successful gospel artists of all time, have had 12 charting R&B singles, and numerous No. 1 singles on Christian, AC and CHR radio. Their accolades include numerous gold and platinum releases, plus Dove, Grammy, Stellar, Soul Train and NAACP Image Awards.
Roland Lundy
Mark Lowry is a singer, storyteller, humorist, author and songwriter. He has spent 20-plus years as the baritone singer for the Grammy- and Dove award-winning Gaither Vocal Band and serves as the comedic sidekick on tour. He also tours as a solo act with many DVD projects to his credit and has had over 400 artists record his lyric to “Mary Did You Know?”
Roland Lundy served an 11-year run as President and CEO of Word Entertainment. He was responsible for the Thomas Nelson and Word consolidation that grew Word revenues to over $100 million in 1993. He later managed the sale of Word to Gaylord Entertainment. His leadership navigated the entertainment company’s very diverse roster and attracted top artistic and creative talent. He currently serves on the board of the Gospel Music Trust Fund and is Chairman of the Board for American Red Cross, Nashville Chapter.
Twila Paris
Twila Paris has released 22 albums, earned 33 No. 1 singles and has been named the GMA Dove Awards “Female Vocalist of the Year” three times, as well as earning several awards in the song and album of the year categories. The accomplished singer/songwriter has also written books and recorded children’s music.
CMHoF Promotes Four Following Record Breaking Year
/by Sarah SkatesSharon Brawner
The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum announces that key members of the non-profit institution’s executive team have been promoted in recognition of their vital roles in shaping the museum’s recent growth and expansion. Sharon Brawner, vice president sales and marketing; Nina Burghard, vice president financial services and operations; and Carolyn Tate, vice president museum services, have each been promoted to senior vice president. Jo Ellen Drennon McDowell has been upped from senior director to vice president of events management.
Carolyn Tate
“Each of these leaders has been with us for over twelve years and each has watched her responsibilities and staff sizes grow beyond any of our wildest dreams. To have the stability of our core senior team and our new VP of development, Lisa Purcell, working in lock-step with each other, we’re realizing a new era of opportunity,” said Museum Director Kyle Young.
Buoyed by Nashville’s growth and popularity, the museum has a trajectory paralleling the city’s, including an expansion and milestones that saw the museum’s 2014 attendance approaching the 1,000,000 mark. “The museum’s 2001 relocation to downtown has proven prescient as we find ourselves firmly at the crossroads of one of America’s most thriving cities and a cultural crossroads for visitors from all over the world,” Young said.
Nina Burghard
A downtown pioneer in 2001, the museum is now a downtown linchpin, a mecca for tourists and a cultural Rosetta Stone for the people of Middle Tennessee. Attendance in 2014 rose 45 percent over 2013, to an all-time high of 970,991. There’s more room for those visitors now, as the museum completed a 210,000-square-foot expansion in April of 2014. That expansion allowed significant increases in educational engagement, public programs and a tripling of archival storage space.
Jo Ellen Drennon McDowell
“It’s a new golden era for the museum and for our efforts to tell the story of a truly American art form,” continued Young. “We reflect with pride on our recent accomplishments, while remaining focused on the important work we must continue doing to secure the museum’s position as the caretaker of country music’s legacy. Stay tuned.”
Charity Events: Krauss To Join T.J. Martell Honors Gala
/by Jessica NicholsonAlison Krauss To Join 7th Annual T.J. Martell Honors Gala
Alison Krauss
Alison Krauss is the latest artist to be added to the lineup for the upcoming 7th annual T.J. Martell Honors Gala, slated for March 30 in Nashville. Krauss joins previously announced artists Vince Gill, Lady Antebellum, Emmylou Harris, Matthew West, and Chip Esten.
Steve and Judy Turner, Ken Levitan, Dr. Jeffrey Balser, Billy Ray & Bill Hearn, and Becca Stevens will all be honored during the event. The gala has netted more than $2 million since 2009. For more information, visit tjmartell.org.
Craig Morgan Announces 2nd Annual Billy’s Place 5K
Craig Morgan
Craig Morgan will welcome fans, friends and neighbors as he hosts the second annual Billy’s Place 5k on Sunday, April 12 at 1 p.m. from Montgomery Bell State Park in Dickson, Tenn.
Runners and walkers can sign up at eventbrite.com and all TriStar Bank locations in Dickson. Registration is $30 in advance and $35 for walk up registrations day of race, while tickets for children 7 and under are free and they are welcome to participate in the 60-yard dash. Spirit tickets will be available for supporters who prefer to participate from the sidelines.
Everyone registered by March 29 will receive an official race t-shirt and the top 5 female and male finishers will receive a commemorative trophy. The race will benefit the Dickson County Craig Morgan Foundation.
Jamey Johnson, Carlene Carter To Perform at Nikki Mitchell Foundation Fundraiser
Jamey Johnson
The Nikki Mitchell Foundation will host a fundraiser to honor Country Music Hall of Fame members Ray Price, Hank Cochran, The Carter Family, The Louvin Brothers, Waylon Jennings, Felice Bryant, and Webb Pierce.
The event will be held April 1, beginning at 6:30 p.m. at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. Following a reception and auction in the CMHoF Rotunda honoring these celebrated artists, an acoustic concert will be held in the CMHoF’s Ford Theater, featuring Carlene Carter, Jamey Johnson, Jessi Colter, Shooter Jennings and other guests. Johnson, Colter, and Hank Cochran’s widow Suzi Cochran serve on the board of the Nikki Mitchell Foundation.
“As we were thinking about venues to host our event, there was really only one choice for us,” said Rachel Winston, Vice President of The Nikki Mitchell Foundation. “The events spaces at the museum are some of the most special in Nashville! It is only fitting that a benefit to honor these country music legends be held there.”
For more information, visit eventgrid.com.
Blackhawk Makes $20,000 Donation to Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center
Country group Blackhawk recently raised funding for Nashville’s Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center on behalf of the Van Stephenson Memorial Cancer Research Fund. Blackhawk’s two surviving founding members, Henry Paul and Dave Robbins, presented their annual donation to the hospital in honor of Stephenson, who died from melanoma cancer in 2001. The latest donation of $20,000 brings their total raised for Vanderbilt-Ingram’s research lab to $100,000 since 2006.
Pictured (L-R): BlackHawk’s Dave Robbins, Van Stephenson Memorial Cancer Research Fund volunteer Lori Stefanski, BlackHawk’s Henry Paul and Dr. Hal Moses
Eli Young Band Aims To ‘Turn It On’ With New EP
/by Jessica NicholsonPhoto: Republic Nashville
Music lovers eager for new tunes from Republic Nashville’s Eli Young Band won’t have to wait long. The foursome will release their new Turn It On EP March 10. The band’s new single, “Turn it On,” will impact country radio beginning March 9.
The four-track EP features songs co-written by members of Eli Young Band, with producers Ross Copperman and Jeremy Stover. Label execs at Republic Nashville loved the new music Eli Young Band was creating to such an extent that they fast tracked the EP and single for release.
“We live in a time when fans are consuming music at a voracious pace as well as having a strong penchant for instant gratification,” said Jimmy Harnen, Republic Nashville President/Big Machine Label Group EVP. He continued, “when we heard the fantastic cutting edge new music from EYB our only instinct was to get it out there to the fans as soon as possible.”
Turn It On EP is the follow-up to the band’s critically acclaimed album 10,000 Towns. The album earned the band multiple Grammy, CMA, ACM, CMT, and ACA nominations.
Turn It On EP Track List:
“Turn It On” (Mike Eli, James Young, Rodney Clawson, Matt Dragstrem)
“Plastic” (Mike Eli, Ashley Gorley, Ross Copperman, Jeremy Stover)
“Your Place Or Mine” (Mike Eli, Jon Jones, Ross Copperman, Jeremy Stover)
“Drink You Up” (Mike Eli, Jon Jones, Ross Copperman, Jeremy Stover)
Toby Keith To Bring Fans ‘Good Times & Pick Up Lines’
/by Eric T. ParkerToby Keith.
Country music’s highest-paid musician, Toby Keith, will soon embark on a recently announced The Toby Keith Good Times & Pick Up Lines Tour presented by Ford F-Series.
Close to 30 dates are set for the 2015 outing, launching in California at the Shoreline Amphitheatre and making its way back east, in addition to a set of Canada dates after May 29 (full schedule below). More concert stops are expected to be added.
Radio fans have already been treated to his No. 13 single, and rising, titled “Drunk Americans.” The pseudo lyric video available now.
The 2015 Toby Keith Good Times & Pick Up Lines Tour presented by Ford F-Series:
5/29 – Mt. View, CA – Shoreline Amphitheatre
5/30 – San Bernardino, CA – San Manuel Amphitheater
5/31 – Phoenix, AZ – Ak-Chin Pavilion
6/14 – Hunter, NY – Taste of Country Music Festival
6/19 – Vineland, CO – Bands in the Backyard
6/20 – Sheridan, WY – Big Horn Country USA
6/28 – Cadott, WI – Country Fest
6/30 – Moose Jaw, SK (Canada) – Mosaic Place
7/01 – Calgary, AB (Canada) – Cowboy’s Stampede Tent
7/10 – Hartford, CT – XFINITY Theatre
7/11 – Darien Lake, NY – Darien Lake PAC
7/17 – Raleigh, NC – Walnut Creek Amphitheatre
7/19 – Chillecothe, IL – 2015 Country Life Music Festival
7/23 – Monticello, IA – Great Jones County Fair
7/24 – Cheyenne, WY – Cheyenne Frontier Days
7/25 – Salt Lake City, UT – USANA Amphitheatre
7/30 – Atlanta, GA – Aaron’s Amphitheatre at Lakewood
7/31 – Birmingham, AL – Oak Mountain Amphitheatre
8/01 – Tampa, FL – MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre
8/02 – West Palm Beach, FL – Cruzan Amphitheatre
8/07 – Holmdel, NJ – PNC Bank Arts Center
8/08 – Washington, DC – Jiffy Lube Live
8/09 – Cleveland, OH – Blossom Music Center
8/14 – Boston, MA – XFINITY Center
8/21 – Charlotte, NC – PNC Music Pavilion
8/22 – Virginia Beach, VA – Farm Bureau Live at Virginia Beach
9/05 – St. Louis, MO – Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre
9/25 – Cincinnati, OH – Riverbend Music Center
9/26 – Pittsburgh, PA – First Niagara Pavilion
Trisha Yearwood Set To Introduce Home Collection
/by Jessica NicholsonTrisha Yearwood. Photo: Russ Harrington
Fans already know Trisha Yearwood as a first-class singer, entertainer, cook, author and Food Network television star. Now, Yearwood is gearing up to introduce her first home furnishings collection, via a partnership with Klaussner Home Furnishings. Klaussner and Yearwood will reveal the Trisha Yearwood Home Collection at High Point International Market on April 18-23 in High Point, N.C. The deal was licensed through Los Angeles-based company ACI Licensing.
“We are very excited about our new relationship with Trisha Yearwood” said Bill Wittenberg, President/CEO of Klaussner Home Furnishings. “It’s a perfect fit! Together the two brands will bring style and value to consumers around the world said Wittenberg. The debut of the Trisha Yearwood Home Collection at the April 2015 International Home Furnishings show has been a year in the making.”
“The partnership with Klaussner is a natural fit and we are all excited to reveal the collection in April,” Yearwood said. “Being back on the road reminds me how much we all need a warm and inviting space to return to. My collection with Klaussner is all about comfort and accessibility, giving everyone a place to relax and recharge with family and friends.”
Yearwood recently announced her third cookbook, Trisha’s Table: My Feel-Good Favorites For A Balanced Life, which will release March 31, 2015. She is currently visiting cities across the country as part of the Garth Brooks World Tour with Trisha Yearwood, and recently released her latest album, PrizeFighter: Hit after Hit.
Celebration of Life Planned For Joe Guercio
/by Sarah SkatesGuercio, best known as Elvis Presley’s musical director from 1970 to the King’s final concert in 1977, unexpectedly passed away in Nashville on Jan. 4. He also worked with numerous musical giants including Diana Ross, Barbra Streisand, Gladys Knight and Patti Page. In addition, he was the Musical Director for the International Hotel in Las Vegas for many years.
It was Guercio who created the iconic six-note theme for Elvis’ stage entrance and bows. He also suggested that Elvis’ shows open with the theme from 2001: A Space Odyssey. Starting in 1997, Guercio served as the conductor for Elvis: The Concert, which paired a live band with archival Presley recordings. He was also Musical Director for the “Elvis 35th Anniversary Concert” in Memphis in 2012.
Guercio continued to conduct Elvis tribute shows and work with new artists until he died at age 87.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent to MusiCares, 109 Wedgewood Avenue, Nashville, TN 37212, or Johnson’s Chapel, 201 High Lea Rd., Brentwood, TN 37027.
Join Us For Rising Women On The Row 2015
/by Eric T. ParkerCMT’s Sr. VP Music Strategy Leslie Fram will serve as event speaker. Ten-year-old rising star Emi Sunshine (Red Light Management) will perform. City National Bank will again be the presenting sponsor for the premier event saluting women in Nashville’s music industry.
Tickets and Sponsorship Tables for 2015 are SOLD OUT (available through March 17).
Supporting Sponsorship includes:
1. Table (10 seats) with priority location
2. Logo included on a full page ad in April’s InCharge issue.
3. Logo included on website banner ad.
4. Company included in coverage of the event on website.
5. Company recognized during breakfast
6. Logo included in event program
*Single tickets purchased in the same transaction will be seated together. Current ticket holders can contact Eric Parker with any questions at eparker@musicrow.com.
‘MusicRow’ Reveals 2015 Rising Women Honorees
/by Sarah SkatesMusicRow is excited to reveal the honorees of the fourth annual Rising Women on the Row celebration. The premier event saluting women in the Nashville music industry will be held Tuesday, March 24, 8:30 a.m. at the Omni Nashville.
City National Bank is the presenting sponsor.
Click here for ticket information. This event completely sells out every year.
Kele Currier
Kele Currier
Director of Strategic Services, ASCAP
Kele Currier brings more than 20 years of experience to ASCAP’s executive team, where she is responsible for assisting writer and publisher members with high-level membership issues and strategic planning. She helps manage the distribution review, as well as awards statistics for the country and Christian genres.
Her career includes helping hit songwriter Craig Wiseman launch his admin company Big Loud Bucks, where she managed the catalogs of Wiseman, Rodney Clawson, Chris Tompkins, Big Tractor Publishing, Extreme Writer’s Group and more. During her time at ole Music Publishing, Currier set up administration in the Nashville office, and was the admin point person for the U.S.
Currier’s career began at SESAC, followed by positions with Opryland Music Group, Alabama band’s Maypop Music Group, and Integrated Copyright Group.
She is a graduate of Leadership Music, and is also involved with professional organizations SOURCE, NMPA and AIMP.
Tiffany Dunn
Tiffany Dunn
Partner, Loeb & Loeb
Tiffany Dunn has a dual role as partner and manager of the Nashville office of Loeb & Loeb. Her law practice focuses on music and entertainment transactions and intellectual property protection and enforcement. She has extensive knowledge of copyright, trademark and intellectual property law. Dunn has represented B.B. King, Carrie Underwood, The Civil Wars, Vince Gill, Jerrod Niemann, Casting Crowns, Hot Chelle Rae, Old Crow Medicine Show, the John R. Cash Revocable Trust, John Carter Cash, the Grand Ole Opry and Tootsie’s Orchid Lounge.
Dunn is a graduate of Leadership Music, a member of SOURCE, and works with charitable initiatives including City of Hope.
Dawn Gates
Dawn Gates
VP Digital Marketing, UMG Nashville
Dawn Gates oversees the Digital Marketing department at UMG Nashville, which encompasses Capitol Records Nashville, EMI Records Nashville, MCA Nashville, and Mercury Nashville. Gates’ realm includes the digital strategies for releases, online marketing promotions, social network campaigns, consumer data research, online ad placements, website, digital downloads, streaming services, mobile interfaces, e-commerce, distribution deals, and more. She works with UMG’s roster of over 35 artists including Luke Bryan, Keith Urban, Lady Antebellum, Eric Church, Sam Hunt, Little Big Town, George Strait, Darius Rucker, Dierks Bentley, Alan Jackson and Kacey Musgraves, to name a few.
Gates is a graduate of Leadership Music, and her fundraising efforts for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society in Nashville made her the organization’s 2011 Woman Of The Year. She is a current mentor at the Nashville Entrepreneur Center’s Project Music.
Jensen Sussman
Jensen Sussman
President/Owner, Sweet Talk Publicity
Since launching Sweet Talk Publicity in 2008, Jensen Sussman has created and led publicity campaigns for Florida Georgia Line, Jake Owen, Kristian Bush, Will Hoge, Frankie Ballard, Chris Lane, Corey Smith, Bart Crow, Dallas Smith, Lee Brice, Bucky Covington, Josh Abbott Band and many others.
Her decade of experience includes working in the publicity departments at Warner Music Nashville, Sony Music Nashville and Equity Music Group. A career stop at Tractenberg & Co. in New York City, adds to her diverse resume, where she handled publicity for coveted beauty brands including Sephora.
Additionally, Sussman is the CEO and co-founder of Women Rock For The Cure, the Nashville-based 501(c)(3) organization committed to connecting and supporting young women facing breast cancer.
Lou Taylor
Lou Taylor
CEO/Owner, Tri Star Sports & Entertainment
Lou Taylor has been the owner and CEO of Tri Star Sports and Entertainment Group for over 23 years, providing business management services to actors, artists and athletes. With offices in Nashville and Los Angeles, Taylor’s clients include Steven Tyler, Britney Spears, Jamie Lynn Spears, Florida Georgia Line, Big & Rich, Casey James, Ben-Hur lead actor Jack Huston, and St. Louis Rams coach Jeff Fisher.
Tri Star’s repertoire offers accounting, financial statement preparation, royalty audits, participation rights audits, tour accounting, production accounting, estate planning and tax filings.
Taylor is a sought-after educator in the NFL and NBA. Having taught classes on financial responsibility, she is known for using extreme visual aides ranging from pythons to 1 million dollars in cash.
Among the numerous organizations Tri Star supports is Mercy Ministries, We Run the Row and Second Harvest Food Bank.
Gospel Great Mosie Lister Passes
/by Robert K OermannMosie Lister
Gospel Music Hall of Fame member Mosie Lister has died at age 93.
Renowned for creating such enduring classics as “Where No One Stands Alone,” “His Hand in Mine” and “He Knows Just What I Need,” the songwriter, arranger and publisher passed away on Thursday, Feb. 12. He lived in Spring Hill, TN.
Born Thomas Mosie Lister in Cochran, GA, he sang in his family’s gospel group and learned to play fiddle, piano and guitar as a youngster. He later said that he knew he wanted to become a songwriter even when he was a child performer. In 1939, he began studying at the Vaughan School of Music in Lawrenceburg, TN.
He joined The Sunny South Quartet in Tampa, FL in 1941. After serving in the Navy during World War II, he rejoined the group. In 1946, he joined The Melody Masters.
Mosie Lister became one of the founding members of The Statesmen Quartet in Atlanta in 1948. But he soon realized he wanted to get off the touring circuit to concentrate on his songwriting. So Jake Hess, Hovie Lister (no relation) and Jim Wetherington went forward as the nucleus of what became one of the most popular Southern-gospel quartets in history.
The songwriter/arranger maintained his ties to the group. He was soon providing The Statesmen with some of their most popular songs. He formed Mosie Lister Publications in 1953, and began placing his songs with many other gospel acts of the day.
Mosie Lister’s catchy compositions helped to define the entire Southern-gospel movement. In his history of the style, author James R. Goff Jr. wrote that Lister was, “by far the most influential gospel songwriter of the 1950s…. Perhaps more than any other songwriter of the era, Lister enjoyed the overwhelming respect of his peers.”
The Statesmen recorded his “Then I Met the Master,” “I’ll Leave it all Behind,” “Sunday Meetin’ Time,” “I’ve Found a New Friend,” “If to Gain the World,” “Oh What a Friend He Is to Me,” “The Gentle Stranger” and many others.
“He Knows Just What I Need,” Lister’s favorite of the songs he wrote, was recorded by The Statesmen, as well as by James Abbington, The Old Friends Quartet, The Blackwood Brothers, Faron Young and Bill Gaither. The Statesmen also recorded “I’m Bound for the Kingdom,” which was later released by Webb Pierce, Red Foley and Jimmie Davis.
The LeFevre Trio popularized his “I’m Feeling Fine.” The Blackwoods, The Cathedral Quartet, The Jordanaires, Paul Williams & The Victory Trio, J.D. Sumner & The Stamps, The Singing Gospelaires, The Blue Ridge Quartet, The Gaithers, The Talleys, The Hoppers and more spread Lister’s songs throughout Southern-gospel culture.
Gospel Singing World proclaimed in 1955, “it would be hard to find a known quartet not singing one of Mosie’s compositions among their best loved numbers.”
In 1960, Elvis Presley chose the songwriter’s 1953 composition “His Hand in Mine” as the title tune of his first gospel album. The disc earned a Platinum Record award and is regarded as one of the singer’s finest. Presley included Lister’s “Where No One Stands Alone” on his three million-selling 1967 collection How Great Thou Art, which won a Grammy Award.
“’Til the Storm Passes By,” written by Lister in 1958, was recorded by The Statler Brothers, The Gaither Vocal Band, The Inspirations, Vestal Goodman and Greater Vision, among others.
Lister’s 1956 song “How Long Has it Been” has been popularized by George Beverly Shea, Jim Reeves, Faron Young, Skeeter Davis, Jimmy Dean, The Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir, Del Reeves, The Homeland Quartet and more.
Other key titles in Mosie Lister’s 700-song catalog include “Happy Rhythm” (1953), “Goodbye, World, Goodbye” (1956), “I’ve Been Changed” (1959), “The King and I” (1954) and “While Ages Roll” (1970).
In 1975, he was ordained as a Baptist minister. He published his autobiography/memoir, The Song Goes On, in 2012.
Mosie Lister was inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame in 1976. He was one of the Hall’s first living inductees. In 1997, he became a member of the Southern Gospel Music Association’s Hall of Fame, whose museum is at Dollywood.
He is survived by his wife Martha Jean, twin daughters Brenda and Barbara, stepdaughter Vicki Booth, sister Margery Dillashaw and seven grandchildren.
The visitation will be held 4-8 p.m. Monday, Feb. 16, at Williamson Memorial Funeral Home. He will be buried at Williamson Memorial Gardens.
A “Homegoing Celebration” Concert will take place at 11 a.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 24, at the People’s Church, 828 Murfreesboro Rd., Franklin, TN.