Southern Gospel music is one of the earliest forms of contemporary music in America. It has a rich history deeply rooted in the very fabric of the South and used as a venue to praise or thank God.

1. Southern Gospel Music - The Origin and History
Southern Gospel music is one of the earliest forms of contemporary music in America. It has a rich history
deeply rooted in the very fabric of the South and used as a venue to praise or thank God.
Many artists spanning decades of American music history have covered southern gospel music in some way
shape or form whether it be its style, its lyrics, or remakes of some of the most popular songs. Its influence is
widespread and today is one of the largest music genres in our culture.
The Origin
Southern Gospel music is a spinoff of original Gospel music that is a combination of Christian lyrics and forms
of American music such as jazz and bluegrass. It originated in the 18th and 19th centuries by slaves that
composed and sang these songs amongst themselves as a form of code to communicate with one another.
Once the revivalist churches got a hold of it, it began to spread throughout the south from traveling preachers
and groups of men singing groups. Then in 1910 in began to take a new form called Southern Gospel. It was
primarily in all white Southern churches sung by all male trios in quartets.
The History
In the 1920’s southern gospel really began to take off. At this time, there were many of the all male quartets
traveling with the Southern preachers at tent revivals and church meetings. It was sort of like today's modern
concert tour without all the luxuries. They gave people all over the South a chance to hear Southern Gospel
music for the first time.
Instruments were then introduced in the 1920’s and 1930’s with the inclusion of pianos and banjos that gave it
an entire new flair. In the late 1930’s and into 1940’s southern radio stations began recording Gospel artists and
then in the 1950’s they began producing and distributing records.
This had a major influence on young Southern artists such as Elvis Pressley, Johnny Cash and the Blackwood
Brothers just to name a few. Little did we know at that time it would create such a seismic shift in American
music history.
It's progression through the 1950’s and into the 1960’s was monumental as southern country and rock 'n roll
artists began to infuse their version of Southern Gospel music in to their own style. This had a tremendous
impact on how the music genre would take shape over the next 50 years and become what it is today.
Today it is a diverse genre of American music. The 70’s 80’s and 90’s all produced many artists in many
different music genres that all became Southern Gospel artists from the Oak Ridge boys to rock 'n roll bands
such as striper they all used the origins of Southern Gospel music as their modern-day platform to create their
own sound and make their mark.
It is an ever-changing and significant piece of American music history that evolves with each passing decade
and new generation of artists. There are too be many great years to come as we see it make another shift with
the next generation of artists.
Written by Gary Harbin
Southern Gospel Music - The Origin and History www.garyharbin.com