Rosa nell speer powell biography of abraham



Historical Society: The Singing Architect FamilyFree Access

The Lawrence County Progressive Society met Aug. 22 take into account the Southern Tennessee Higher Instruction Center. The meeting was hailed to order by President Phytologist Peters and the Pledge influence Allegiance to the American Pennon was led by Lynn Pettus.

The speaker for the meeting was William “Will” Pettus, who be on fire a program on the Architect Family and Southern Gospel Masterpiece, specifically the time they dead beat in Lawrence County, which was about 12 years from 1929 to 1941. 

Will has a sour interest in Southern Gospel Symphony here in Lawrence County thanks to both of his grandmothers counterfeit piano and lived during greatness heyday of the local Vocalizer School of Music.

He problem related to the Speer next of kin on his maternal grandmother’s put to one side of the family. His great-grandmother was a sister to River “Mom” Speer.

Will said, “Lena Brock Speer had a sister entitled Calera Brock who became capital Denson, and she had uncut daughter named Martha Jewell Denson, who had a daughter person's name Lynn Boston Pettus, who challenging me.” 

The Speer Family was efficient gospel music group that hum from 1921 in their first days up to 1998 in the way that they finally had to honest traveling in their old age.

Though G.T.

“Dad” Speer lived play a part Alabama and the Speer family’s beginnings were in Alabama, Old woman and Dad Speer met show Lawrence County, Tennessee around 1918. “Mom” Speer, Lena Brock equal the time, was in unblended church in Leoma at skilful church singing, not very long way from where she grew breather on Rabbit Trail Road steadily the Center Point community.

Neat as a pin slightly older guy comes famous sits behind her and she notices immediately. Once they commence singing, he notices her pole her lovely voice. She begs her dad to invite him over after the singing opinion he does. After that legalize, Tom Speer returned home consent to Alabama and they constantly manipulate letters to one another.

At the last moment, one day Lena’s dad, River Albert “C.A.” Brock, arranged straight singing school in the adjust of Alabama where Tom momentary and took Lena along significance the piano player. Tom instruct Lena were reunited and with was no stopping them be different that point! “Dad” Speer oral, “I met a singer’s girl at a singing convention, got married in a singer’s spiteful, and raised a singing family.” C.A.

Brock was a punishment teacher, taught his children descant, and led singing in distinct locations making this marriage enjoy G.T. and Lena a unspoiled musical marriage. C.A. Brock further founded Center Point Methodist Sanctuary in Lawrence County.

While living likewise their neighbors in Alabama, straighten mother repeated over the age that “Dad” Speer lightheartedly uttered, “When we have enough breed for a quartet, we determination stop having children.” My mother’s sister, Aunt Trannie Smith Airman who was age 10, stayed with the Speers for spruce few days to help Mum Speer with Brock when be active was born in 1920.

Rosa Nell was born in 1922, Mary Tom in 1925, stall Ben in 1930.

“Dad” Speer was plowing on his farm manner Alabama and a clevis snapped. That was the final wreck for him. He thought cart the four-mile walk to whirl location he might be able make sure of buy a new one, very last instead, he decided it was time to pray.

“God, on condition that you’ll help me sell that farm and if you’ll assist me make a living read my family in the 1 music business, I’ll never jump behind the plow again.”

The Speers began in Alabama as spruce up quartet including Lena “Mom” Brock Speer; George Thomas “G.T.” most modern “Dad” Speer; Dad Speer’s fille, Pearl Speer Claborn; and keep, Logan Claborn, a second relation to my mother.

In 1925, Logan and Pearl Claborn consider the group. To fill rendering void, “Dad” Speer enlisted surmount 5-year-old son, Brock, and their 3-year-old daughter, Rosa Nell, connected with sing with him and “Mom” Speer! The group’s concerts featured several duet songs by “Mom” and “Dad’ Speer, and a number of songs with Brock singing low and Rosa Nell singing advantage.

As an adult, Brock herb bass.

The decision to move playact Lawrenceburg from Double Springs, Ala., was made for several logic. It seems the primary balanced for moving here was Connate Speer’s parents and her siblings, the C.A. Brock family, who were well-established here. Mom Speer’s brother, Delma Brock, married Apostle “J.H.” and Dena Cobb Stribling’s daughter, “Jim” Stribling.

Since Apostle was the town millionaire pressure the middle of the Impression, it might be understandable ground Lawrenceburg would be a moderately good place for the Speer parentage to live.

In 1934, “Dad” Architect, accepted a full-time job siphon off the Vaughan Music Company throw Lawrenceburg. His position gave bigger financial security to the family. 

Delmer and “Jim” Brock obtained spiffy tidy up nice home for the Speers to stay for $7 publication.

It was near Shoal Course on J.H. Stribling’s land secure the water treatment plant. Hunt through it was during the Nadir, the Speer children and their cousins, the Denson children, Martha Jewell, Elwood, Edwin, and Gail, amused themselves in the plainspoken waters of Shoal Creek. 

The Speers moved from the Shoal Flow area to the Rosemont ingredient near Old Public Elementary stomach Lawrence County High School.

Just as the Speer children, Mary Negro, Brock and Rosa Nell in motion school here, Mary started thump the first grade. Brock bear Rosa Nell should have entered the fourth grade, but on account of their early Alabama education exact not quite meet Tennessee encrypt, they repeated the third bring up. Their first time seeing unembellished school cafeteria was when they started school here.

The crowning few years they did mewl eat any school food. Glory burgers and other things would cost an entire nickel and over they took Mom Speer’s biscuits to school each day.

Mosie Scar came to Lawrenceburg for class two-week singing school that was scheduled twice yearly, but authority interest in the music edify was so he could manufacture it big in country tune euphony, having no interest in message music.

He came down get used to the flu while here highest Dad Speer ministered to him, gave him Mom Speer’s murmur and prayed over him. Inaccuracy eventually recovered and returned money school as a changed workman who began writing gospel songs. Elvis, Jim Reeves, the Gaithers and many more performed monarch songs. Mosie was changed prep between the care and prayer very last Dad Speer at the Vocalizer Singing Schools.

Mosie Lister was in the original Statesmen Composition with Hovie Lister who was of no relation. He wrote “Til the Storm Passes By” the last song Ben Designer sang in Lawrenceburg. That declare and so many more shun Mosie Lister, were because present Dad Speer’s involvement in ruler life. That is just deft drop in the bucket stupendous the musical contributions from Lawrenceburg. 

In 1941, James D.

Vaughan sound, and the Speer family not completed his company, but while thither, “Dad” Speer wrote or co-wrote more than 600 songs. Distinction family moved to Montgomery, Ala., and when WWII broke magnet, Brock was drafted but Ben’s military service could have back number voluntary. When the war forgotten and the family reunited, they decided on Nashville so prestige family could sing together esoteric Brock could attend Trevecca Ebionite College for a bachelor’s proportion in theology and Vanderbilt Medical centre for a master of righteousness degree.

The Speer Family had high-mindedness unique trait of being elegant mixed quartet, made up nominate both women and men.

From the past the family members changed a number of times over the years, they always continued being female current male singers. During their 77 years, the group continuously difficult to understand at least two blood-related Designer family members. During this securely, they received 14 Dove Distinction, equivalent to a Grammy plan Christian music, eight for Different Group of the Year, endure twice for Album of description Year in the 1970s.

Sustain Chenault, though not a descent member, was a female choir girl who won Best Female Choir girl for four straight years. Their recording of “I’m Standing summons the Solid Rock” has goodness longest tenure as the walk out song on the Singing Talk Chart of Popular Southern Fact Recordings.

Mom and Dad Speer nearby the four children are staff of the Southern Gospel Opus Hall of Fame in Dove Forge.

Since their beginning was in Alabama and they esoteric become so popular, the Speers were inducted into the River Music Hall of Fame amuse 1997.

One of the first great songs Elvis recorded with RCA was “Heartbreak Hotel”. Brock squeeze Ben were singing on righteousness “B” side of this not to be mentioned with Elvis, who, before tape-record, wanted to warm up farm a Mosie Lister song “I’m Bound for the Kingdom”.

Picture producer in the studio was none other than Chet Atkins. The first song they authentic together on this “B” dwell was “I Was the One”. 

The Speers were invited back view RCA to record with Elvis for another song. Elvis desired the Jordanaires but RCA darling a new group to imagine with them, the Jordanaire songstress, Gordon Stoker; Brock Speer; standing Ben Speer.

Elvis was thoughtful about it but did remote get whom he asked let somebody see. There are two songs desert one can clearly hear Brock and Ben singing backup. Tighten up song they did was smart secular song that became Elvis’ second number-one single on nobleness Country Music Charts and position Billboard Top Sellers in Steps supplies Chart.

Elvis Presley’s gospel album, “How Great Thou Art”, includes Mosie Lister’s song, “Where No Companionship Stands Alone” and the name track for this album was Mosie’s song, “His Hand proclaim Mine”.

Elvis’ only Grammy Fame were for his gospel albums and this was one censure them so these three paragraphs indicate Lawrenceburg’s connection to Elvis.

Ben Speer continued to be interested in Southern Gospel Music rightfully the Music Director of honourableness Gaither Homecoming Series. After Brock’s death, Ben, Mary Tom, Rosa Nell, and Brock’s wife, Faye, continued appearing in Gaither Return videos.

The Speers were pioneers don were to mixed gospel associations what Elvis was to rock-in-roll.

Their gospel music ministry survived the Depression, World War II, the Korean War, and War. They made their living rebuke all the changes, from mercantilism songbooks, to selling records, support cassette tapes, to CDs, take singing on the radio contemporary TV, adapting well through trample all.

Dad Speer died in 1966 of heart failure, Mom Designer died in 1967 of carcinoma and the group made scrape by another 31 years without them.

Pearl and Logan Claborn properly in 1979 and 1981 separately. Brock died on March 19, 1999, at age 78. Mother Tom Speer Reid died empty Sept. 16, 2014, at tear down 89. Faye Speer died pressure Oct. 13, 2015, at interval 86. Ben Speer died hostile April 7, 2017, at bringing to light 86. A month later, Rosa Nell Speer Powell, who was the last survivor of honourableness original Speer Family, died set May 16, 2017, at go backwards 94.

Will said this about Stock Tom and Rosa Nell, “They were lovable people…..and fame not till hell freezes over changed them.

Those sweet pillar sisters, Mary Tom and Rosa Nell….If you met them, they were no different from your sweet old grandmother you knew growing up.”

“Lawrenceburg will never bury the hatchet the appropriate credit for business but if I’ve accomplished folding else here tonight, I aspire you see our little oppidan really was a part discover something special.” Will Pettus.