Lily Fern Weatherford Retires

Over the weekend, Lily Weatherford announced on her Facebook page her retirement from Southern Gospel music, effective May 2013.  Ms. Lily is still traveling and singing at 84, having just recently celebrated 70 years in Gospel music.  Her son Steve will be continuing to tour  and an announcement will be forthcoming as to what the new configuration will look like.  Ms. Lily is refreshingly frank about the challenge of staying on the road, as her post included the following quote:

Over the past several years, there have been so many changes in the economy and and state of the country that it has become financially unfeasible for me to continue on in the same manner of ministry. Churches and pastors have changed their way of ministry and are not supporting the Southern Gospel groups as they have in the past. The Weatherfords have always depended on the church and free will love offerings to keep us going. Fuel prices are outrageous as well as other costs of keeping on the road. All these things have caused me to come to this decision.

The Weatherfords in the 50s and 60s were one of the top groups in Southern Gospel, having such distinguished alumni as Glen Payne, Armond Morales, and Henry Slaughter, among others.  They were known for their tight blends and harmonies, and their album In The Garden is recognized as one of the top albums ever recorded in the history of Southern Gospel music (it came in tied at #5 in my industry survey a couple of years ago).  Lily has appeared on numerous Gaither videos, and has always been one of our most unsung and unheralded heroes in SG.  Her smooth alto voice anchored the Weatherfords sound for years, and she belongs in the top echelon of vocalists in the history of our music.  Best wishes for a well deserved retirement, Ms. Lily!

Miscellaneous SG Notes

Here are a few notes from around the SG world:

• The Dove Brothers have just announced the departure of Jonathan Price.  Price is leaving the road to deal with personal issues.  More here.
• DBM had the scoop that the iconic album by the Weatherfords, In The Garden, will soon be re-released on CD.  You can find more information on Lily Fern Weatherford’s website here.
• Morgan Easter will be releasing a solo album, titled Not Without Love,  on 11/11/11.  Produced by her brother Madison (who was busy with this album, serving as writer, guitar player, arranger, and vocalist) and mother Sheri, it also features guest appearances by Wes Hampton and Joseph Habedank.  It is available for pre-order here, and you can find a preview of the album below.
  

The Top 5 SG Albums Of All Time – #5 (tie)

Weatherfords – In The Garden “The song selection is tremendous as a few of those songs are still sung today. This record was recorded in the days when everybody recorded at the same time and if one person, musician or singer messed up, everybody had to start all over. Knowing that this album was completely recorded by the musicians and the singers in one take, on every song, adds to the greatness of this record. This type of quality was unheard of even back in 1959. It set the tone for a near perfect album, and the quality is unbelievable. This record set the standard for Gospel recordings that is still used today.” — Deon Unthank, absolutelygospel.com

Kingsmen – Chattanooga Live “Chattanooga Live introduced Lil’ Ernie Phillips to gospel music. This recording had one of the most popular songs in all of gospel music, ‘The Old Ship of Zion.’ ‘Travelin Home’ and ‘When They Call My Name’ was pure Kingsmen.” — Bryan Hutson, Kingsmen