The National Gospel Singing Convention is an annual Southern gospel music event, and has played a significant part in the development of Gospel music.
The convention was established by the most prominent publishers of shape note song books in 1936, including the Morris-Henson Company, the Vaughan Quartet, James D. Vaughan Music Publishers, the Hartford Music Company, A. J. Showalter Company, Denson Music Company, Theodore Sisk Music Company, Tennessee Music and Printing Company, George W. Sebren, W. P. Ganus, and the Stamps Baxter Music and Printing Company. The first event was held in 1936 in Atlanta, Georgia, with Adger M. Pace serving as the convention's first president.
In 1949, the convention's constitution was revised so that state singing conventions would have voting privileges in addition to music publishers. In 1961, Stella Vaughan wrote an article for Vaughan's Family Visitor newsletter that chronicled the convention's first twenty-five years. The convention has continued as an annual event for more than 70 years, rotating among small towns throughout the United States (typically in the South). Lawrenceburg, Tennessee, home of the original Vaughan Publishing Company and generally regarded as the birthplace of Southern Gospel music since 1910, hosted the 1991, 1996, 2006, and 2015 conventions.
The current president of the convention is former president of the Georgia State Gospel Singing Convention, Cameron B. Holloway. The 2023 session will take place at the historic Orange United Methodist Church outside Canton, Georgia on November 17 and 18, 2023.
National Gospel Singing Convention Year President Location 1936 Adger M. Pace Atlanta, Georgia 1937 Adger M. Pace Birmingham, Alabama 1938 Otis L. McCoy Old Hickory, Tennessee 1939 W. Lee Higgins Greenville, South Carolina 1940 W. Lee Higgins Akron, Ohio 1941 George W. Sebren, J. M. Henson acting Asheville, North Carolina 1942 W. B. Walbert Charleston, West Virginia 1943 W. Lee Higgins Akron, Ohio 1944 J. A. McClung, J. M. Henson acting Detroit, Michigan 1945 J. M. Henson Decatur, Georgia 1946 Adger M. Pace Monticello, Arkansas 1947 Frank Stamps Montgomery, Alabama 1948 W. Lee Higgins, Harley Lester acting Cleveland, Tennessee 1949 G. K. Vaughan Greenville, South Carolina 1950 M. J. Beasley Birmingham, Alabama 1951 W. H. (Bill) Fleming Conway, Arkansas 1952 Roscoe Long Gainesville, Georgia 1953 Gaskell Warren Cookeville, Tennessee 1954 Earl Crowson Louisville, Mississippi 1955 H. A. Waltman Mobile, Alabama 1956 Mrs. C. H. (Mom) Rushing Tulsa, Oklahoma 1957 J. E. Wheeler Porterville, California 1958 Ray Wyatt Pell City, Alabama 1959 Earl Crowson Louisville, Mississippi 1960 A. B. Taylor Live Oak, Florida 1961 Videt Polk Pass Christian, Mississippi 1962 Nolin Jeffress Crossett, Arkansas 1963 Gaskell Warren Cookeville, Tennessee 1964 J. S. Cooksey Tifton, Georgia 1965 Willie Weems Forest, Mississippi 1966 Videt Polk Pass Christian, Mississippi 1967 Oliver S. Jennings Madison, Tennessee 1968 Arch Gibson Plainview, Texas 1969 Connor B. Hall Cleveland, Tennessee 1970 Lewis Miller Cullman, Alabama 1971 Nolin Jeffress Hot Springs, Arkansas 1972 Videt Polk Pass Christian, Mississippi 1973 E. F. (Gene) Roberts Cookeville, Tennessee 1974 Ernest Latta Tulsa, Oklahoma 1975 J. C. Cobb Albertville, Alabama 1976 Talmadge Johnson Roswell, New Mexico 1977 Arthur Watson Stephenville, Texas 1978 Nolin Jeffress Hot Springs, Arkansas 1979 J. W. Payne Blairsville, Georgia 1980 Gary Davis Ruston, Louisiana 1981 Christine (Martin) Moore Winter Haven, Florida 1982 Theron Lee Cullman, Alabama 1983 W. C. Taylor, Jr. Kingsport, Tennessee 1984 Ernest Latta Tulsa, Oklahoma 1985 Nolin Jeffress, Walker Watson acting Hot Springs, Arkansas 1986 James W. Tennyson Jackson, Mississippi 1987 Jake Brown, Mickey Marlow acting Stephenville, Texas 1988 David Leach Henryetta, Oklahoma 1989 J. T. Dean Hot Springs, Arkansas 1990 Curtis Nelson Decatur, Alabama 1991 Jimmy Glass Lawrenceburg, Tennessee 1992 Bobby Keys Cartersville, Georgia 1993 Eugene McCammon Knoxville, Tennessee 1994 Mike Pace Stephenville, Texas 1995 Pauline Thompson Corsicana, Texas 1996 Jimmy Glass Lawrenceburg, Tennessee 1997 Wynona Browning Fayette, Alabama 1998 Billy Henderson Ruston, Louisiana 1999 Vera Miller Decatur, Alabama 2000 C. B. Anderson Jacksonville, Texas 2001 Charles Jefferson Sallisaw, Oklahoma 2002 K. Wayne Guffey Trenton, Georgia 2003 Jeff Y. Gregory Westmoreland, Tennessee 2004 Marty Phillips Crossett, Arkansas 2005 Wynona Browning Hamilton, Alabama 2006 Byron L. Reid Lawrenceburg, Tennessee 2007 Everette Driskell Pass Christian, Mississippi 2008 June Walker Waco, Georgia 2009 Melba (Hutson) Bounds Nashville, Arkansas 2010 Glen Taylor Baton Rouge, Louisiana 2011 Iris Bass Rainsville, Alabama 2012 Gay (Pace) Young Monticello, Arkansas 2013 Susan Bollman Mount Pleasant, Texas 2014 Jo Parker Wetumpka, Alabama 2015 Jimmy Glass Lawrenceburg, Tennessee 2016 Linda (Wedgeworth) Hight Carthage, Texas 2017 Dylan Feezell Houston, Alabama 2018 Crandall Woodson Tucker, Georgia 2019 Andy Browning Weatherford, Texas 2020 Carl Gregory Tupelo, Mississippi Postponed until 2022 due to COVID-19 2023 Cameron B. Holloway Canton, Georgia resigned due to political infighting 2023 Gay Young Wilmar, Arkansas 2024 Sarah McKamie Gatesville, Texas
External links