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He has performed at Carnegie Hall and the Kennedy Center. And along the way, he’s picked up Grammys, Dove Awards and earned a place in the Gospel Music Hall of Fame.
But when it comes to relocating to New York – or any other fast and flashy city, for that matter – gospel singer Bill Gaither puts it this way (with a nod to Benjamin Franklin, of course):
“Manhattan is a nice place to visit,” he says. “But certain places and fish start to smell after three days.”
Gaither will stay put in Indiana, thank you very much. He and his wife, Gloria, have lived in Alexandria for 44 years, he says.
“I suppose it’s in my DNA,” Gaither says. “My granddad lived in the same place until he died. My dad lived in the same house for 67 years, and Gloria and I have lived in the same house we built 44 years ago. This is where we got our feet down. Indiana is home.”
Which makes the Gaither Vocal Band’s Christmas Homecoming Tour well-named.
The Gaithers’ tour will hit Fort Wayne on Thursday and bring with it 14 artists including Mark Lowry, Reggie & Ladye Love Smith and Larnelle Harris.
With more than 50 years in the Christian music business and at least 600 songs under their belts, the Gaithers have been integral in supporting the careers of new artists. Musicians who got their first break or became popular while touring with the Gaithers read like a who’s who of Christian music: Michael W. Smith, Sandi Patty, Amy Grant.
“I get credited for helping them, and that’s OK, but they gave me a lot, too,” Gaither says. “We were just a trio in the early days and needed help from other exciting people. And new artists have brought in new people to our concerts – people who wouldn’t have come just to hear us.”
The Gaithers’ songwriting is often inspired by simply listening. Live long enough, and you’ll begin to hear the same complaints or observations time and time again, Gaither says.
For instance, Gaither’s son and a friend recently wrote a song based on people who blame their shortcomings on everything except themselves. The song is called “Ain’t Nobody Gonna Rob Me of My Joy.”
“You come across people wishing they can do this, wishing they can be there,” Gaither says. “People begin to have a victim mentality. This song says you can’t blame it on your mama, can’t blame it on your dad, can’t blame it on your past. If people really knew how much they are loved, they wouldn’t be so unhappy.”
Despite their success, the Gaithers remain humble and thankful, Gaither says.
“One of the biggest sins in America is ingratitude,” he says. “There are two kinds of prayers, vertical and horizontal. One is ‘help me Jesus,’ the other is ‘thank you Jesus.’ Being grateful of where we are – gratitude – is an important theme.”
One of the Gaithers’ most memorable moments of success happened in 1972, when Elvis Presley recorded their song “He Touched Me.” Presley won a Grammy for the album by the same name.
Not too long ago, the Gaithers visited Graceland in Memphis. Inside Elvis’ Grammy room, there it was: a golden statue with the words “He Touched Me” on the base.
“You’d be so proud of me,” Gaither says. “I didn’t once yell out, ‘We wrote that!’ ”
