National Gospel Singing Convention

Summary

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

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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
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