Former SG pianist dies of swine flu

Former Gospel Harmony Boys pianist Michael Bloomfield, 51, died earlier this week of the swine flu. The Gospel Harmony Boys are a quartet based in West Virginia. Much of their success has been regional, though they have performed on the main stage at the National Quartet Convention. Thanks to Dean Adkins for...

George Younce’s daughter Dana Willis passes away

Dana Willis, daughter of George Younce and sister-in-law to Ernie Haase, died suddenly yesterday of a heart attack. This has been confirmed on a number of message boards (and in a brief statement on the Singing News website). Her husband Robbie Willis, former Nelons band member, was on a tour up in Michigan...

Eva Mae LeFevre passes away

Yesterday morning (May 18, 2009), Southern Gospel legend Eva Mae LeFevre passed away at age 91. Her website has this announcement: Eva Mae LeFevre passed away at 7:25 a.m. on Monday, May 18, 2009, at age 91. She had been hospitalized in April for pneumonia at which time doctors also discovered a fractured...

Billy Todd passes away

Stewart Varnado of the Dixie Echoes just sent out a press release announcing that former Dixie Echoes and Florida Boys bass singer Billy Todd passed away this morning: It is with a heavy heart that I write this email to let you know that my friend and former Florida Boys & Dixie Echoes bass singer,...

Cinderella

Especially since I was reminded of singer/songwriter Steven Curtis Chapman’s Southern Gospel ties, I feel this post is hardy inappropriate here. His daughters* inspired him to write his most recent radio single, “Cinderella.” It can be heard on his MySpace page here. Since I don’t...

Dottie Rambo funeral today

Southern Gospel legend Dottie Rambo’s funeral is today. It will be held at Christ Church in Nashville, TN at 1 PM Central Time. The church will not be streaming the funeral live; however, there have been reports that they will tape it and might post it online afterwards. Visitations were yesterday and...

Remembering Dottie Rambo

For the last day, I have been searching for something fitting to say about Dottie Rambo’s passing. But sometimes in a moment like this, nothing quite seems right. So I will let one of her greatest songs speak for itself: The Holy Hills of Heaven (Vestal Goodman, Dottie...

Dottie Rambo, 1934-2008

Several Southern Gospel websites (including Singing News) report that legendary singer / songwriter Dottie Rambo died early this morning in a tour bus accident. Her manager, Larry Ferguson, is unconscious and has two broken legs. Early reports were that the tour bus was caught in a tornado. (Update: He is...

Danny Koker passes away

Danny Koker, the original Cathedrals Quartet baritone, has passed away after a long bout with cancer. He lived in Las Vegas. He sang with Glen Payne and Bobby Clark in the Weatherfords. In 1963, after Earl and Lily Weatherford left the Cathedral of Tomorrow in Akron, Ohio, Koker, Payne, and Clark formed the...

Jim Hamill passes away

According to a friend of the family, Southern Gospel legend Jim Hamill passed away at 5:30 this morning. He had been in steadily declining health for months. Hamill’s debut in Southern Gospel was with the Weatherfords in the 1950s. After a stint with the Blue Ridge Quartet, he also performed for some...