SGMA Hall Of Fame

History

The Southern Gospel Music Association Hall of Fame was founded in 1997. The first class of inductees consisted of 38 of the legendary figures in Southern Gospel music including singers, musicians, songwriters, and music publishers. That inaugural class was by far the largest class of inductees up to the present time.

Each year, SGMA members submit suggestions for possible new inductees to the Hall of Fame. A committee looks over these suggestions and selects those they deem worthy of induction. Induction ceremonies over the years have been held at the Dollywood theme park in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, during the week of the National Quartet Convention in Louisville, Kentucky and later in Pigeon Forge after NQC relocated there in 2014.

In 1999, the Hall of Fame Museum opened the doors of its first location at Dollywood. The Hall of Fame followed the same operating hours as the park.

In October 2020 during the Covid-19 pandemic, the SGMA announced that Dollywood would not be renewing the lease for the museum building inside the park for the upcoming 2021 season. The building had already been shut down for several months due to social distancing guidelines when the announcement was made. After an extended search and a period of fundraising, the SGMA reached an agreement with Biblical Times Dinner Theater in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee to house the museum. Interior design commenced in 2022 and a grand opening ceremony was held for the new location in late September that same year.

Honorees

(Listed By year Of Induction)

1997
Lee Roy Abernathy
Wendy Bagwell
Clarice Baxter
J R Baxter
Les Beasley
James Blackwood
Albert E Brumley
David P Carter
Denver Crumpler
John Daniel
Jimmie Davis
Wally Fowler
Bill Gaither
Rusty Goodman
Connor Hall
Herman Harper
Jake Hess
Eva Mae LeFevre
Urias LeFevre
Hovie Lister
Mosie Lister
Marvin Norcross
W B Nowlin
Lloyd Orrell
Oren A Parris
Glen Payne
Dottie Rambo
George Speer
Brock Speer
Lena Speer
Frank Stamps
V O Stamps
J D Sumner
Glenn Vaughan
James D Vaughan
Big Jim Waits
Big Chief Wetherington
J G Whitfield


1998
Eldridge Fox
Ben Speer
George Younce


1999
Smitty Gatlin
Rex Nelon
Adger M Pace
Rosie Rozell
W B Walbert

2000
E M Bartlett
Pop Lewis
Doy Ott
A J Showalter
Earl Weatherford
Lily Fern Weatherford


2001
Glen Allred
Cleavant Derricks
Vep Ellis
Naomi Sego Reader
Dale Shelnut
Ira Stanphill


2002
Buford Abner
R W Blackwood
Jerry Goff
Vestal Goodman
Alphus LeFevre
William Morgan Ramsey
R E Winsett


2003
Dwight Brock
Martin Cook
Howard Goodman
Fred Maples
John McClung
Otis McCoy
J Bazzel Mull
Homer Rodeheaver
Marion Snider
Bobby Strickland

2004
Jim Hamill
Kenny Hinson
Arnold Hyles
Lillian Klaudt
Harvey Lester
Ed O’Neal
London Parris
Derrell Stewart
B C Unseld
Charles Vaughan
James D Walbert


2005
Robert S Arnold
Anna Gordon Davis
Elmo Fagg
Gloria Gaither
Rosa Nell Speer Powell
Joe Roper
Bill Shaw
Erman Slater
Jack Toney
Eddie Wallace


2006
Happy Edwards
Vernon Hyles
Bob Jones Sr
Rose Carter Karnes
Charles Key
Jack Pittman
Mary Tom Speer Reid
Henry Slaughter
Maurice Templeton
Wally Varner
Gerald Don Williams


2007
Roger Bennett
Anthony Burger
Joel Hemphill
Lou Wills Hildreth
Jimmy Jones
David Reece
James Sego
Archie Watkins


2008
Fred Daniel
Polly Grimes
Herschel Lester
Squire Parsons
Luther G Presley
Ray Dean Reese


2009
Neil Enloe
Ed Hill
Harold Lane
Don Light
Bill Lyles
Elizabeth Mull
Billy Todd
Charlie Waller


2010
Danny Gaither
Sam Goodman
Bill Hefner
Jan Buckner Goff
Connie Hopper
Arthur Smith


2011
Doris Akers
Doyle Blackwood
Bob Brumley
Roy Carter
Kenny Gates
Jerry Kirksey
Opal Lester
Willie Wynn

2012
Charles Burke
Stuart Hamblen
Jim Hill
Geraldine Morrison
Buck Rambo
Ace Richman


2013
John T Benson Jr
Thomas A Dorsey
Polly Lewis Copsey
"Little" Roy Lewis
Duane Nicholson
Tim Riley


2014
Cat Freeman
Eddie Crook
Paul Heil
Fanny Crosby
Colbert Croft
Warren Roberts
Faye Speer
Claude Hopper


2015
James "Big Lew" Garrison
Ed Sprouse


2016
Peg McKamey Bean
Lari Goss
Ronny Hinson
Carroll McGruder


2017
Troy Burns
Tony Greene
LaBreeska Hemphill
Randy Shelnut


2018
Ann Downing
Tracy Stuffle
Mark Trammell
Norman Wilson


2019
Ernie Phillips
Jackie Wilburn
Gerald Wolfe
Ruben Bean


2020
Melvin Klaudt
Dorothy Leonard Miller
Meurice LeFevre
Dianne Wilkinson


2021
Karen Peck Gooch
Marlin Taylor
Aaron Wilburn
Jack Clark


2022
Rodney Griffin
Arthur Rice
Chris White
Kyla Rowland


2023
Sue Dodge
Danny Funderburk
Norman Holland
Reagan Riddle


2024
Kelly Nelon Clark
Herb Henry
Mike Holcomb
Jeff Stice

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