Petition to add Sam Goodman to Hall of Fame
Posted by
Daniel J. Mount in
News on
Oct 9th, 2009 |
18 responses
Ritchie Hartsfield, an occasional poster here, has just launched a Facebook petition to add Sam Goodman to the Southern Gospel Hall of Fame. In an email announcing the petition, he said: “I feel it is a grave injustice that Sam is the only remaining member of the ‘original’ Happy Goodman Family not in the Hall of Fame. I have, therefore, decided to start a petition to gather support for his induction.”
If you would like to read the petition or join the Facebook group he has launched, it will be posted here.
Am I the only person who does not know who Sam Goodman is?
No. I wish every household in the United States had heard of the Happy Goodman family, but unfortunately that’s not the case!
He sang baritone for the Happy Goodmans for decades, through all their years of prominence.
May I suggest that a more productive way to accomplish this goal would be for Mr. Hartsfield to convince his friends to join the Southern Gospel Music Association. They will then have their opportunity to nominate Mr. Goodman for the Hall of Fame. I think that a grassroots campaign of this type would go further towards his induction than a Facebook page.
It don’t help to get up a petition for the Hall of Fame if you don’t pay the minimal $20 yearly membership fee. Logic should tell us all that. Sam would certainly deserve his induction, but one who isn’t a member of the SGMA doesn’t really reserve the right to complain.
Where do you see anywhere that Mr. Hartsfield is NOT a member of the SGMA? I think something like this is a good idea, it is free to get visibility to people that are members and have a vote…
Hey guys thanks for the feedback. I appreciate the suggestions. I have decided the first step is to get Sam’s name into circulation again. Once we remind many who Sam is, they are of free will to join the SGMA. However, there are enough current members to get him in now. I am surprised that Sam is not there already, but with help we can make it happen.
Thanks again,
Richie Hartsfield
Friends of Sam Goodman
P.S.
As of 9:30 PST I am a member of the SGMA. Now, let’s put Sam in the Hall of Fame!
That’s excellent news, Richie. That’s putting the legs behind your efforts. It’s not a huge financial outlay, yet it goes a long way toward helping the SGMA and also toward nominating your favorite artist.
In a few months, you’ll be receiving a nomination ballot. You’ll be asked to nominate two candidates . . . one living and one deceased. So, also be thinking about who you’d like to nominate in the living catagory.
Thanks, John. Its my hope with the Facebook page and the petition, Sam Goodman will soon take his rightful place in the Hall of Fame.
Richie
Excellent publicity for Sam Goodman’s petition & SGMA that money connot buy.
Just another reason why SGB.com is my favorite blog.
Daniel-
As I recall, Sam Goodman sang lead and Howard sang baritone. Sam was actually a high lead singer, having the highest vocal range of the three brothers.
Sam was high, he had to back up Vestal! Funny thing is Sam did win the Singing News Fan Awards as the Favorite Baritone in 1978. One of those weird SG oddities, I guess.
And it’s what Richie mentioned that confuses me. After reading that he won a Singing News Fan Award for baritone, it just got stuck in my head that he was the baritone singer!
But I suppose the same thing happened with the Cathedrals. A Cathedrals alumni – I forget who – told me that, as he understood it, the Cathedrals noticed Glen was nominated for favorite baritone and didn’t do anything about it. But when, evidently to their surprise, he won, they told Singing News that, for future reference, he was a lead singer.
As the years crept up on Glen Payne, he opted to quietly move from lead to baritone and let the younger members, i.e., Mark Trammell and Scott Fowler take the higher notes. But for most of his career he was indeed the lead singer in the truest sense.
That’s funny; my dad always taught me to consider Sam the baritone and Howard the lead as well. I haven’t paid any attention, I guess, to who carried which harmony part.
I have friends who used to consider themselves raised on SG (GVB & Jeff & Sheri) who didn’t even know who Howard & Vestal were.
I am “preaching to the choir” but baritone could be above the “lead” as lead is not a harmony part.
Of course, I really wouldn’t call it baritone then, but…
Glad to hear Mr. Hartsfield is a member of SGMA too. I can most certainly respect his vent in favor of Sam Goodman now. Thank you Mr. Hartsfield. So many complain that are not SGMA members, but you are fortunately the exception.
Sorry if I came across too strong in my message, but I do hope that any complaining non-members will pay attention though. And yes, Sam is certainly deserving.
Ditto to Paul the Concert Guy. “Baritone” in SG circles refers to the individual in the quartet who most often sings “what’s left” after the melody (lead) and tenor notes are established.
Some are quite flexible in terms of range. Eric Dove, for example, typically sings under McCray Dove whenever McCray has the melody, but when Jerry Martin has the melody, Eric sings above his brother.