Early Life
Bill Gaither was born in Alexandria, Indiana, around 35 miles northeast of Indianapolis, in 1936, the son of George and Lela Gaither. He formed his first group, the Bill Gaither Trio (consisting of Bill, his sister Mary Ann and brother Danny), in 1956 while a college student at Anderson College. After graduating from Anderson in 1959, he worked as an English teacher. He married the former Gloria Sickal in 1962. After a few years of trying to manage both a music career and his full time teaching job, he quit his teaching job in 1967 and worked full time in the Christian music industry. "He Touched Me", which he recorded in 1964, was his breakthrough song.
Gaither was influenced by southern gospel singers like Jake Hess and Hovie Lister and by groups like the Speers, the Statesmen and the Happy Goodmans.
Read more about this topic: Bill Gaither (gospel Singer)
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