Benson Records
Encyclopedia
Benson Records was founded by Bob Benson & John T. Benson, beginning as the John T. Benson Music Publishing Company in 1902. The record label started out as Heart Warming Records and would come to house labels such as Impact Records, Greentree Records, RiverSong, StarSong and Home Sweet Home
. In the 70s Impact Records became the top label with artists such as Sandi Patty
, The Imperials
, J.D. Sumner & The Stamps Quartet, The Rambos
, Dottie Rambo
, The Archers
, The Bill Gaither Trio, DeGarmo & Key and The Speer Family
. Heart Warming Records became The Benson Co.
to own/operate Benson Records. (Paragon Assoc. was founded in 1975 by Bob MacKenzie and Bill Gaither
). Paragon sold its interest to Zondervan in 1983 where under the leadership of Bob Jones, Jr saw the Benson company grow even bigger in the 1980s, with artists such as Gold City, The Kingsmen, DeGarmo & Key, Dallas Holms' and others making several hits.
In the 80s, Benson Records continued with success by signing a contract to distribute a new label founded by DeGarmo & Key member Eddie DeGarmo
. Forefront Records
was born and in 1989 Dc Talk
was signed. In 1990 Forefront Records
was sold to Chordant Music Distribution. In 1994 the name Impact Records was sold to Landmark Distribution. In 1995 they acquired Diadem Music Group which included gospelJazz pioneer Ben Tankard's Tribute Records
label contracts. These contracts incuded Tankard, Yolanda Adams
, Twinkie Clark
, and Bob Carlisle
. Carlisle is best known for his hit song "Butterfly Kisses
".
Benson Records was sold to Provident
/Zomba in 1997, which is now a part of Sony Music Entertainment
. The Benson label was reformatted to focus on new artists. Zomba closed the label in late 2001.
Most recently the name Heart Warming Records and RiverSong was sold to Homeland Entertainment. Homeland is owned by Bill Traylor and former President of Zondervan, Bob Jones, Jr.
Home Sweet Home Records
Home Sweet Home Records is a record label, based in Dallas, Texas.Home Sweet Home was founded in 1981, in Nashville, Tennessee, by Grammy Award-winning producer and singer-songwriter Chris Christian...
. In the 70s Impact Records became the top label with artists such as Sandi Patty
Sandi Patty
Sandra Faye "Sandi" Patty is an American Christian music singer. For many years she was known as Sandi Patti. She has been dubbed "The Voice" by critics, because of her wide range and flexibility.-Early life:...
, The Imperials
The Imperials
The Imperials are an American Christian music group that has been around for over 45 years. Originating as a southern gospel quartet, the innovative group would become pioneers of contemporary Christian music in the 1960s. There have been many changes for the band in membership and musical styles...
, J.D. Sumner & The Stamps Quartet, The Rambos
The Rambos
The Rambos were an American Southern Gospel music group that was formed in the 1960s. They were one of the most successful Gospel trios of the 20th century. The group consisted of Buck and Dottie Rambo at first along with several various people singing with them and they were joined by their...
, Dottie Rambo
Dottie Rambo
Dottie Rambo was an American gospel singer and songwriter. She was a Grammy and multiple Dove Award-winning artist. Rambo, along with husband Buck and daughter Reba, formed the award-winning southern Gospel group, The Rambos...
, The Archers
The Archers (musical group)
The Archers were one of America's earliest Contemporary Christian music groups. They were originally brothers Tim and Steve Archer, Nancye Short and Billy Rush Masters. After Masters and Short departed in 1977, sister Janice Archer joined....
, The Bill Gaither Trio, DeGarmo & Key and The Speer Family
Speer Family
The Speer Family, a Southern Gospel family group, was founded in 1921 by George Thomas Speer , his wife Lena Speer, and his sister and brother-in-law Pearl and Logan Claborn.-Early years:...
. Heart Warming Records became The Benson Co.
Overview
In 1980, Paragon Associates formed a partnership with ZondervanZondervan
Zondervan is an international Christian media and publishing company located in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Zondervan is a founding member of the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association .- History :...
to own/operate Benson Records. (Paragon Assoc. was founded in 1975 by Bob MacKenzie and Bill Gaither
Bill Gaither
William J. Gaither is an American singer and songwriter of southern gospel and Contemporary Christian music. Besides having written numerous popular Christian songs with his wife, Gloria, he is also known for performing as part of the Bill Gaither Trio, and the Gaither Vocal Band...
). Paragon sold its interest to Zondervan in 1983 where under the leadership of Bob Jones, Jr saw the Benson company grow even bigger in the 1980s, with artists such as Gold City, The Kingsmen, DeGarmo & Key, Dallas Holms' and others making several hits.
In the 80s, Benson Records continued with success by signing a contract to distribute a new label founded by DeGarmo & Key member Eddie DeGarmo
Eddie DeGarmo
Eddie DeGarmo is an American Contemporary Christian music recording artist, keyboardist, producer and singer. Became best friends with guitarist/lead vocalist Dana Key since the first grade, DeGarmo co-founded the Christian rock group DeGarmo and Key in 1978...
. Forefront Records
ForeFront Records
ForeFront Records is a Christian Music record label founded in 1987 by Dan R. Brock, Eddie DeGarmo, Dana Key, and Ron W. Griffin. It was purchased by EMI in 1996 from current owners Dan R. Brock and Eddie DeGarmo and is now part of the EMI Christian Music Group.In 1998, ForeFront released a 2-CD...
was born and in 1989 Dc Talk
Dc Talk
DC Talk , is a Grammy-winning Christian rock music trio. The group was formed in Lynchburg, Virginia in 1987 by Toby McKeehan, Michael Tait, and Kevin Max Smith. They have released five major studio albums together: DC Talk , Nu Thang , Free at Last , Jesus Freak , and Supernatural...
was signed. In 1990 Forefront Records
ForeFront Records
ForeFront Records is a Christian Music record label founded in 1987 by Dan R. Brock, Eddie DeGarmo, Dana Key, and Ron W. Griffin. It was purchased by EMI in 1996 from current owners Dan R. Brock and Eddie DeGarmo and is now part of the EMI Christian Music Group.In 1998, ForeFront released a 2-CD...
was sold to Chordant Music Distribution. In 1994 the name Impact Records was sold to Landmark Distribution. In 1995 they acquired Diadem Music Group which included gospelJazz pioneer Ben Tankard's Tribute Records
Tribute Records
Tribute Records is an American gospel music record label established in 1990. The label was co-founded by 26yr old jazz musician and former pro basketball player Ben Tankard and George King. King owned Nashville based Diadem Music Group which produced Contemporary Christian music. Diadem's...
label contracts. These contracts incuded Tankard, Yolanda Adams
Yolanda Adams
Yolanda Adams is an American Grammy- and Dove-award-winning Yolanda Adams is an American [[Grammy Awards|Grammy]]- and [[Dove Awards|Dove]]-award-winning...
, Twinkie Clark
Twinkie Clark
Elbernita "Twinkie" Clark-Terrell is a two-time Grammy Award–winning American gospel singer, composer, musician, and evangelist. She is a member of The Clark Sisters, an influential gospel vocal ensemble active since the late '60s.-The Clark Sisters:...
, and Bob Carlisle
Bob Carlisle
Bob Carlisle is a Grammy Award and Dove Award-winning American musician who performs Christian music. He performed with several bands, most notably Allies and Billy Thermal, before launching a solo career...
. Carlisle is best known for his hit song "Butterfly Kisses
Butterfly Kisses (song)
"Butterfly Kisses" is the title of a song written by Bob Carlisle and Randy Thomas from Carlisle's third studio album Butterfly Kisses . The song was written for his daughter Brooke's 16th birthday. Carlisle also wrote a journal entitled Butterfly Kisses for fathers and their daughters...
".
Benson Records was sold to Provident
Provident Label Group
Provident Label Group is a division of Sony Music Entertainment focusing primarily on Christian music in Franklin, Tennessee. The group handles its own physical distribution through its Provident-Integrity Distribution service...
/Zomba in 1997, which is now a part of Sony Music Entertainment
Sony Music Entertainment
Sony Music Entertainment ' is the second-largest global recorded music company of the "big four" record companies and is controlled by Sony Corporation of America, the United States subsidiary of Japan's Sony Corporation....
. The Benson label was reformatted to focus on new artists. Zomba closed the label in late 2001.
Most recently the name Heart Warming Records and RiverSong was sold to Homeland Entertainment. Homeland is owned by Bill Traylor and former President of Zondervan, Bob Jones, Jr.
Artists
- Dottie RamboDottie RamboDottie Rambo was an American gospel singer and songwriter. She was a Grammy and multiple Dove Award-winning artist. Rambo, along with husband Buck and daughter Reba, formed the award-winning southern Gospel group, The Rambos...
- The RambosThe RambosThe Rambos were an American Southern Gospel music group that was formed in the 1960s. They were one of the most successful Gospel trios of the 20th century. The group consisted of Buck and Dottie Rambo at first along with several various people singing with them and they were joined by their...
- J.D. Sumner & The Stamps Quartet
- Bill Gaither Trio
- Speer FamilySpeer FamilyThe Speer Family, a Southern Gospel family group, was founded in 1921 by George Thomas Speer , his wife Lena Speer, and his sister and brother-in-law Pearl and Logan Claborn.-Early years:...
- Sandi PattySandi PattySandra Faye "Sandi" Patty is an American Christian music singer. For many years she was known as Sandi Patti. She has been dubbed "The Voice" by critics, because of her wide range and flexibility.-Early life:...
- Dallas HolmDallas HolmDallas Holm is a singer-songwriter of Christian music, whose musical ministry has spanned almost four decades. His influence has been greatest in contemporary Christian music...
- 4Him4Him4Him was a Contemporary Christian group founded in 1990 in Alabama, USA. The group has a Grammy nomination, seven Dove awards and an album certified gold to their credit. The group was inducted into Alabama's Music Hall of Fame, following the awarding of The Governor’s Achievement Award...
- Glad (band)Glad (band)GLAD is one of the pioneers of Christian pop/rock and a cappella music, having formed as a progressive rock group in 1972 and discovered a large audience for their a cappella music in 1988. Today, with over 1.5 million albums sold, they continue to perform concerts and release occasional recordings...
- The ImperialsThe ImperialsThe Imperials are an American Christian music group that has been around for over 45 years. Originating as a southern gospel quartet, the innovative group would become pioneers of contemporary Christian music in the 1960s. There have been many changes for the band in membership and musical styles...
- Russ TaffRuss TaffRussell Taff is an American gospel singer who is originally from Farmersville, California. Taff later then moved to Arkansas where he graduated from Cutter-Morning Star High School in Hot Springs, Arkansas....
- Andrus, Blackwood & Co
- The ArchersThe Archers (musical group)The Archers were one of America's earliest Contemporary Christian music groups. They were originally brothers Tim and Steve Archer, Nancye Short and Billy Rush Masters. After Masters and Short departed in 1977, sister Janice Archer joined....
- East to WestEast to WestEast to West was a Contemporary Christian music duo from Cleveland, Tennessee formed in 1993.-Background:Neal Coomer and Jay DeMarcus met in Cleveland, TN at Lee College, which is now Lee University and decided to form a Christian pop group along the lines of Level 42 or Go West...
- Gold CityGold CityGold City is an American Christian music group that is based in Gadsden, Alabama.-Early years:The Mississippi-based Christianairs were renamed Gold City in Dahlonega, Georgia at the stroke of midnight on New Year’s Eve to begin the year 1980 with bass Dallas Gilliland, tenor Bob Oliver, lead singer...
- Kingsmen QuartetKingsmen QuartetThe Kingsmen Quartet is an American Christian music group.-Musical career:The Kingsmen are a Southern Gospel vocal quartet based out of Asheville, North Carolina. Many legends of Southern Gospel have been members of The Kingsmen...
- Oak Ridge Boys
- Songfellows Quartet
- DeGarmo & Key
- Whisper LoudWhisper LoudWhisper Loud was a Christian girl pop group, which formed in Seiling, Oklahoma, in 1997, and arketed as a Christian alternative to Spice Girls and Britney Spears.Whisper Loud released one album, 2000's Different Kind of Beautiful, before it broke up....
- HarvestHarvest (band)Harvest is the name of the Christian band founded in Lindale, Texas by Jerry Williams in 1977. The vision of Harvest was to see 100 million people come to know Jesus Christ personally through the band's music ministry.-History:...
- Three CrossesThree Crosses (band)Three Crosses was an American Christian rock band from New Jersey.The group was formed in 1994 by two friends who had played together since middle school. They had hits at Christian radio with the songs "This Is Not My Home" and "Michelangelo", and charted two albums on the Billboard Christian...
- Twinkie ClarkTwinkie ClarkElbernita "Twinkie" Clark-Terrell is a two-time Grammy Award–winning American gospel singer, composer, musician, and evangelist. She is a member of The Clark Sisters, an influential gospel vocal ensemble active since the late '60s.-The Clark Sisters:...
- Thomas WhitfieldThomas WhitfieldThomas Anthony Whitfield was an American gospel singer, songwriter, arranger, pianist, choir director and producer best known for helping to shape the fabric of contemporary gospel music with his elaborate choral arrangements and the merging of musical styles ranging from jazz to classical into...
- Hezekiah WalkerHezekiah WalkerBishop Hezekiah Xzavier Walker, Jr. is a Grammy Award-winning gospel music artist, founder and leader of the Love Fellowship Choir , and Pastor and Bishop of the Love Fellowship Tabernacle, with locations in Brooklyn, New York, and Bensalem, Pennsylvania, in the United States...
- TourniquetTourniquet (band)Tourniquet is a Christian thrash / heavy metal band that was formed in 1989 by Ted Kirkpatrick, Guy Ritter and Gary Lenaire in Los Angeles, California, USA. They are known for incorporating elements of thrash, neo-classical and progressive metal into their music...
- TruthTruth (American band)Truth was an American gospel music group active from 1971 to 2001.Formed by John Roger Breland, the ensemble's name stands for "Trust, Receive, Unchangeable, True Happiness [in Jesus]". It was initially composed of some 15 members who toured extensively year-round, eventually recording frequently...
- Yolanda AdamsYolanda AdamsYolanda Adams is an American Grammy- and Dove-award-winning Yolanda Adams is an American [[Grammy Awards|Grammy]]- and [[Dove Awards|Dove]]-award-winning...
- CarmanCarman (singer)Carmelo Domenic Licciardello known by his stage name, Carman, is a contemporary Christian music artist and evangelist.-Biography:...
- CommissionedCommissioned (gospel group)Commissioned is an American Gospel group. The group recorded twelve albums over a period of seventeen years.-Group composition:Originally from Detroit, Michigan, the six original members were Fred Hammond, Mitchell Jones, Keith Staten, Karl Reid, Michael Brooks, and Michael Williams formed a...
- Cedarmont Kids
Hit Songs Recorded on Benson
Just a few of the many hits recorded over the years for Benson Records- "Rise Again" - Dallas Holm
- "Faith Unlocks The Door" - Jake Hess & The Imperials (1965)
- "Reach Out To Jesus" - The Imperials (1968)
- "He Touched Me" - The Imperials (1969)
- "Sweet, Sweet Spirit" - The Imperials (1969)
- "No Shortage" - The Imperials *Grammy Award Winning Album (1975)
- "He's Coming Back" -The Imperials (1976)
- "Jesus Is The Answer" - The Archers (1973)
- "Put On Jesus" - The Archers (1973)
- "Keep Singin' That Love Song" - The Archers (1974)
- "He Loves You" - The Archers (1974)
- "I'm Accepted" - DeGarmo & Key
- "Judgment Day" - DeGarmo & Key (1992)
- "The King Is Coming" - Speer Family
- "Cornerstone" - Speer Family
- "We Shall Behold Him" - Dottie Rambo
- "I Go To The Rock" - Dottie Rambo
- "Midnight Cry" - Gold City (1986)
- "The Basics of Life" - 4Him
- "Where There Is Faith" - 4Him
- "For Future Generations" - 4Him
- "Going, Going Gone" - Gold City (1994)
- "Excuses" - Kingsmen Quartet
- "Wish You Were Here" - Kingsmen Quartet
- "40 Days and 40 Nights" - Songfellows Quartet
- "Jesus Is Coming Soon" - Oak Ridge Boys
- "The Statue of Liberty" - J.D. Sumner & The Stamps Quartet
- "How Great Thou Art" -J.D. Sumner & The Stamps Quartet
External links
- Benson Records website
- Provident-Integrity Distribution
- Provident Label Group
- Southern Gospel History
Resources
- Powell, Mark Allan. The Encyclopedia of Contemporary Christian Music Hendrickson Publishers, August 2002. (ISBN 1565636791 ISBN 978-1565636798)