Speer Family

The Speer Family

The Speer Family c.1966
Background information
Also known as The Speers
Origin Nashville, Tennessee
Genres Christian, Southern Gospel
Years active 1921–1998
Labels Heart Warming, RCA Victor

The Speer Family was a Southern gospel family musical group. It was founded in 1921 by George Thomas ("Dad") Speer (1891–1966), his wife, Lena Darling ("Mom") Speer (née Brock; 1899–1967), and his sister and brother-in-law, Pearl Claborn (1902–1979) and Logan Claborn (William Logan Claborn; 1896–1981).[1]

Early years

Within two years, the group had become so successful that George Thomas Speer decided to make the group full-time. In the late 1920s, the group established a working relationship with the James David Vaughan Music Company, selling songbooks. However, the group's success proved to be insufficient to support two families' budgets. In 1925, Logan and Pearl Claborn left the group; Logan returned to his job as a carpenter. To fill the void, "Dad" Speer enlisted 5-year-old Brock Speer and 3-year-old Rosa Nell Speer to sing with him and his wife. The group's concerts featured several duet songs by "Dad" and "Mom" Speer, and several songs with Brock singing alto and Rosa Nell singing lead.

In 1934, "Dad" Speer accepted a full-time job with the Vaughan Music Company. This position afforded greater financial security for the family. Also in the 1930s, two more siblings, Mary Tom Speer (born 1925) and Ben Speer (born 1930), joined the group. In 1941, James Vaughan died, and the Speer family left his company. They joined the Stamps-Baxter company, a Vaughan competitor, and also became a regular performer on the WSFA radio station.

Later years/deaths

George Thomas "Dad" Speer died in 1966 and Lena "Mom" Speer died in 1967. Pearl and Logan Claborn died in 1979 and 1981 respectively. The group, led by brothers Brock (died March 29, 1999 at age 78[2]) and Ben, underwent various configurations over the next several decades. Ben retired from the group in 1993 although he did appear on occasion with the group until Brock officially retired the Speer Family at the 1998 National Quartet Convention. Ben Speer continued to be involved in Southern Gospel music as the Music Director of the Gaither Homecoming Series, and as owner of Ben Speer's Stamps-Baxter School of Music, a Southern Gospel singing school, up until his death in 2017.[3]

Ben, Mary Tom, and Rosa Nell continued to make appearances in Gaither Homecoming videos. The group was inducted into the Gospel Music Association's Hall of Fame in 1998, following individual inductions for "Dad" Speer (1971); "Mom" Speer (1972); Brock Speer (1975); and Ben Speer (1995).

The Speer Family was the first group to receive the Gospel Music Association's Lifetime Achievement Award. Other recognition for the Speers included inclusion in the Alabama Music Hall of Fame, receiving the Southern Gospel Music Guild's Heritage Award, and receiving 14 Dove Awards.[4] The group's recording of "I'm Standing on the Solid Rock" has the distinction of having the longest tenure as the top song on the Singing News chart of popular Southern Gospel recordings.[5]

Mary Tom Speer-Reid died September 16, 2014, aged 89. Ben Speer passed away on April 7, 2017 at age 86. A month later, Rosa Nell Speer-Powell, who was the last survivor of the original Speer Family, died on May 16, 2017 at the age of 94.[6][7][8][9]

Discography (incomplete)

References

  1. ↑ "GOGR Music History - The Speer Family". grandolegospelreunion.com. Retrieved June 5, 2017.
  2. ↑ Liverett, David. (2005). This Is My Story: 145 of the World's Greatest Gospel Singers. Thomas Nelson, Inc. ISBN 1-4185-0607-9, pg. 255
  3. ↑ "Ben Speer's Stamps-Baxter School of Music". www.stampsbaxterschool.com.
  4. ↑ Price, Deborah Evans. Billboard. (April 10, 1999). "Gospel's Brock Speer Dies". P. 8.
  5. ↑
  6. ↑ Speer, Ben (June 5, 2017). "Mary Tom Speer-Reid Passes Away". SingingNews.com.
  7. ↑ Staff. "Ben Speer Passes Away - SingingNews.com". Singing News.
  8. ↑ "Rosa Nell Speer Powell Passes Away - SingingNews.com". Singing News. Retrieved June 5, 2017.
  9. ↑ "Rosa Nell Speer Powell on the Piano at her 90th Birthday Party". September 25, 2012 – via YouTube.
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