When you’re as deep into Southern Gospel as I am, the question of who was the best eventually comes up.
There’s a story about a famous gospel lead singer who got into a heated debate with a friend over who was the best quartet. His friend said The Statesmen; the now-famous lead singer said The Singing Americans. The debate got so intense that they ended up throwing a few punches. The funny part? They were out fishing when it happened—just two guys in a small boat, nearly coming to blows over their favorite gospel group.
(Before we get self-righteous, let’s give people grace to be human. Jesus shows us that kind of grace daily.)
Now, we need to separate two things that often get confused:
Who was the best and who is your favorite are not always the same.
Maybe your favorite group was the best. That’s possible.
For me, George Jones will always be the greatest voice to ever walk on stage—and he also happens to be my all-time favorite singer. In his case, those two things merge.
But when it comes to Southern Gospel, answering the “who was the best” question feels a lot like walking into a church potluck and being asked to pick the best potato salad. It’s not easy—and everyone has their own recipe.
So, who was the best?
For me, it was a lineup from the late ’70s to early ’80s:
Ernie Phillips, Jim Hamill, Squire Parsons, and Ray Reese.
Listen to the album Chattanooga Live and you’ll understand.
I’m a fan of “three chords and a cloud of dust,” and no one did it better than those four.
What the Happy Goodmans were to convention-style singing, the Kingsmen were to quartet singing. They were the best.
Yes, the Cathedral Quartet was great—classy and smooth.
Gold City were masters of the craft. They didn’t just sing notes; they practiced blending tones.
But the greatest of all time—for me—was the Mighty Kingsmen, late ’70s to early ’80s. All the elements came together to create something magical.
And while I do enjoy fishing, just know I won’t get into a tussle with you over Kingsmen versus Gold City.
Who was your favorite?
What made them great to you?
Email me your thoughts: [email protected]
And don’t forget to tune in on Sunday nights for Gospel Gold!
Brian Sanders
Host of Gospel Gold