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Gospel is possibly the most popular form of music in West Virginia, except few hear it outside church settings. Here are some of those exceptions.
Molly O'Day and Lynn Davis were on their way to becoming major country & western stars when they quit the business in 1950 to focus on their religious faith. They moved to Huntington, where they were baptized in the Ohio River. For a while, Ly...
The Parkers, sometimes with their daughters, sang mostly country & western music on West Virginia radio stations from the late 1930s through the 1950s. In 1959, Rex and Eleanor had a religious experience and decided to perform only sacred musi...
This Wayne County native and rockabilly up-and-coming star had just had a big hit it in Cleveland with "Dark Hollow" when a serious car accident prematurely interrupted his career in 1960. He and his wife, Doris, moved to Putnam County, where they...
This nationally famous gospel singer and songwriter from Newton (Roane County) graduated from West Virginia Institute of Technology with a music degree in 1970. In 1975, he launched his public career when he joined the Kingsmen Quartet as the bari...
This Bluefield native grew up in Mount Hope (Fayette County). Her father, a coal miner and minister, insisted she learn music. She started playing piano at age six. By age nine, she was playing for her father’s church services. She also learned fr...
This Kenova (Wayne County) native is a highly successful Contemporary Christian Music (CCM) singer, songwriter, and producer. After briefly attending Marshall University, he moved to Nashville to start his music career. He released his first album...