Gaither Vocal band has been around since the early 1990s bringing Gospel music to ears everywhere. Gaither Vocal Band is a music collective with talented musicians performing together for worship. Olivet Nazarene University hosted the Gaither Vocal Band its campus this semester for a concert on November 19, 2022.
Gaither Vocal band’s audience tends to be in the 50+ years of age range and they are loyal fans.
Sarah Roberts, Shine.FM’s concert coordinator commented on the November 19 concert saying, “The team was great, very kind. Attendees were happy. We had some new ticket takers, and they did amazing. Overall, it was a successful show.”
The show lasted more than three hours which is untypical for concerts held at Olivet Nazarene University. Gaither Vocal Band is unique because they let each of their talent shine with solos and time to engage with the audience. As well as time for the band to show their vocal skills together.
Anyone can listen to Gaither Vocal band in a variety of different ways, while physical copies of music are the most popular for the band. The merchandise coordinator at the concert explained that CDs and flash drives are the most popular physical copies of music sold at concerts. Gaither vocal band also brings in 263,589 monthly listeners on Spotify, one of the top streaming platforms.
Bill Gaither of Gaither Vocal Band has been on the gospel music scene since 1956 when he founded his first music group The Bill Gaither Trio.
Lead Signer Dave Fry of Sidewalk Prophets (a Christian Contemporary band) said, “Bill Gaither and his band, in my opinion, were some of the first to make it big in Christian Music. Before them the Christian Music Industry was just old hymns. They brought Gospel music a step closer to what is now Christian Contemporary Music.”
For a lot of Gaither Vocal Band members, music has been everything for a long time. Todd Suttles, for example, would run on stage to the gospel choir and sign at just two years old at his local church growing up. Music is not just a job for these folks, it’s a lifestyle, a ministry, and their passion. Gospel music tends to be rooted in verses from biblical texts, the same is true for Gaithers. Bill Gaither wrote a lot of their hits with his wife, Gloria.
Gospel Music has had an impact on many and the start was like a revolution. In the book Homer Rodeheaver and the Rise of the Gospel Music Industry, “In an era when music styles emerged as marketable genres, Rodeheaver created a brand of gospel song that cast an enormous influence on American vernacular music.” Read more about the history of gospel music in Angelique Amber’s article “The History of Gospel Music”.
Gaither Vocal Band has had the opportunity to impact millions of lives through a very specific type of music, Gospel music. With an impact that lasts decades and generations, Gaither Vocal Band has become a household name.
“Bill Gaither and his band, in my opinion, were some of the first to make it big in Christian Music. Before them the Christian Music Industry was just old hymns. They brought Gospel music a step closer to what is now Christian Contemporary Music.”
Dave Fry of Sidewalk Prophets
