GMA Gospel Music Hall Of Fame to Induct Phil Keaggy, Statler Brothers, The Winans and Others

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The GMA Foundation (GMAF) will induct artists Phil Keaggy, the Statler Brothers, Larnelle Harris and The Winans along with former music executive Joe Moscheo, announced John W. Styll, president and CEO of the GMAF.

"This year’s class of GMA Gospel Music Hall of Fame inductees are each unique in their significant contributions to the heritage and diversity of gospel music, but together share a legacy of creating redemptive music that has inspired music audiences for decades,” said Styll.

The GMA Gospel Music Hall of Fame induction ceremony and dinner will be held at the Richland Country Club in Nashville on Monday, Oct. 29 beginning at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are available to the general public. More information is available at www.gmahalloffame.org.

The GMA Gospel Music Hall of Fame was established in 1971 and has inducted more than 140 members since its inception, including Elvis Presley, Mahalia Jackson, Keith Green, Amy Grant, the Blind Boys of Alabama, Andrae Crouch, Sandi Patty, Vestal Goodman, Tennessee Ernie Ford, 2nd Chapter of Acts, The Oak Ridge Boys, Petra, Bill and Gloria Gaither, the Rambos, Evie, Richard Smallwood, Jake Hess, The Lewis Family, Thomas A. Dorsey, the Fairfield Four, Billy Graham and the Jordanaires.

Phil Keaggy has been a beloved artist and musician in Christian music for over two decades. Born and raised in Ohio in a Catholic family of 10, Keaggy always loved music and spent hours listening to singers like Elvis Presley and Johnny Ray. His first guitar was a late-'50s Gretsch Anniversary model; at age ten his father bought him a Sears Silvertone, and by the end of fifth grade, he was playing in front of his entire school. He and his longtime friend, drummer John Sferra, founded Glass Harp in the late '60s when Keaggy was still in high school. They became known as one of the most innovative power trios around, even though they only made four albums for Decca Records, Glass Harp earned a devoted fan base, thanks in great part to Keaggy's lightning-fast guitar riffs and experimental sounds. At their pinnacle, Glass Harp was opening for such major acts as Iron Butterfly, Yes, Traffic and Chicago. He left Glass Harp in 1972 and the following year recorded his first solo album, What a Day. His first instrumental project, The Master and the Musician was released in 1978. Keaggy has released well over 45 albums earning critical acclaim for both his virtuosity on guitar and his songwriting, which ranges from Beatles’ pop to more subtle instrumentals. Over the years, Keaggy has shared in the music ministries of artists such as Love Song, Paul Clark, Randy Stonehill, Barry McGuire, Honeytree and others who were pioneers in the Christian music movement.