Johnny Cash in 1977. The country music star will be inducted into the GMA Gospel Music Hall of Fame in January. The Associated Press file photo
Johnny Cash headlines the 2011 GMA Gospel Music Hall of Fame class that will be inducted Jan. 24
Also to be inducted are DeGarmo & Key, Golden Gate Quartet and Bill “Hoss” Allen. The ceremony is free and will take place at Trinity Music City Auditorium in Henderson, Tn.
Gospel music was an integral part of Cash’s music. He initially went to audition at Sun Records to record gospel music. Along with his illustrious country music career, Cash recorded many gospel albums, including “Cash: Ultimate Gospel,” “My Mother’s Hymn Book,” and “The Gospel According to Johnny Cash.”
Duo Eddie DeGarmo and Dana Key were one of the first Christian music acts to be aired on MTV. Over 17 years they recorded 15 albums and received seven Grammy nominations and 17 Dove Award nominations for their blues-influenced rock.
The Golden Gate Quarter started singing in the mid-1930s out of the group’s high school in Norfolk, Va. The jazz group performed at President Franklin Roosevelt’s inauguration and they impressed Eleanor so much that she invited the group back to the White House for numerous appearances.
Allen’s interest in gospel music began as a child. He was born in wealthy Catholic family, but it was an African-American “nanny” who raised him, taking him to church on Sundays where he was introduced to soulful gospel music. As a DJ at WLAC, whose signal stretched from Mobile, Ala., to Michigan, Allen played such newcomers as James Brown and Jimi Hendrix. In 1975, he started “Early Morning Gospel Time with Hossman” to showcase regional black gospel acts. His program continued until 1993, almost 10 years after the station turned into a talk-radio venue — except for Allen’s program.