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Cover Story
Gospel
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On a rainy Friday morning,
Bill Gaither arrives at his Indiana office, just down
the street from Rachel's Hi-Way Cate and a sign that
boasts “Welcome to Alexandria: Small Town U.S.A.”
Gaither, who spent the previous day plant
ing trees at the farm that was his grandfather’s,
cheerfully greets two co-workers, both of whom
have worked for him for three decades and remain
dedicated to prioritizing his time and keeping him
on schedule.
That's no easy task—because Gaither is the
world’s most successful Christian songwriter, per
former and music-businessman, and he chose his
quiet Midwestern hometown (pop. 6,260) to serve
as world headquarters for an entertainment empire
that includes a music publishing company, record
label, recording studio, gift shop and restaurant,
and some 125 employees.
"This is still a wonderful, relaxed place to
remember what we are all about," Gaither says.
Living a lifelony dream
For the last four decades, Gaither,
70. has lived a dream that began when
he was a student in elementary school.
In the late 19405, he was milking cows
when he heard the rousing Southern
gospel music of the Dixie Stamps
Quartet on a dusty radio in the barn,
and he was captivated. “I can -
remember sitting at my desk in <s3j
sixth grade wondering if the new 4m|
78 RPM of the Ranger's Quartet ||j
came in the mail today," he says.
Driven by a work ethic
forged during long days baling
hay and shucking corn on his (9
family's 60-acre farm, Gaith
er. the oldest of three siblings, II
slowly built a back-room gos
pel songwriting business into an ■
industry juggernaut. All of this
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while working as a high school English teacher after
regional, and then national, gospel artists began
recording his tunes.
But even as he was becoming a successful
Christian songwriter, entertainer and entrepreneur,
he never loosened his hometown, middle-America
roots. He and Gloria, his wife and frequent co
writer, still live in the simple white country home,
located on 15 acres purchased for 53,800 in 1964,
where they raised their chree children—Suzanne,
41, Amy, 37, and Benjy, 36—and now spend time
with their five grandchildren. On summer nights,
Bill Gaither (right)
with brother
Danny in 1948.
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they like to load up their grand
children in a 1972 red Impala
convertible and cruise through
the countryside, just like they did
decades ago with their own
kids. During the fall
| .•, \ and winter, Gaith-
H er tries as often as
possible to catch
the home games of
the Indiana Pacers and
Indianapolis Colts. More than
a handful of his neighbors
still call him "Billy Jim," the
name many remember from
his childhood.
But everywhere else. Gaither
is known as the most success
ful entertainer in the history of
Christian music. He’s sold more
mim
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A house full of music: Bill and wife Gloria at home in
1972 with children (L-R) Amy, Benjy and Suzanne.
than 20 million copies of his nearly 50 albums, and
18 million videos and DVDs from his hugely popular
in-concert Homecoming series. In 2004, his Homecoming
Tour made Rolling Stone magazine’s list of the Top 50
grossing concerts, and in some cities it has outsold art
ists such as the Eagles and Elton John. His televised
Gaither Gospel Hour and Gaither Family Music Hour
TV shows are telecast to some 75 million viewers on
12 different networks, including RFD, GAC and the
Inspirational Network (formerly PAX).
page 6
•American Profile