Book Review: More Than the Music (Bill Gaither)
I debated on whether or not to call this a book review since it is as much about Bill as a person as it is about the book, but since the book was the inspiration for this post, I suppose it could fit into the “review” category.
I grew up listening to the Bill Gaither Trio and, although I have only ever met Bill briefly, I respect him. As I read his autobiography More Than the Music, there was very little that I did not already know but it was nice to hear Bill’s perspective on some of the rumors that have gone around in the last 40 years or so. I know Mr. Gaither is not perfect, and I don’t agree with him on everything, but I believe that he desires to please the Lord in the way he lives his life. I appreciated his honesty in sharing his struggles while giving glory to God for his successes. There were even times that he admitted that he wasn’t sure he made the right decision in some areas but he did what he felt was right.
As one acquires fame, it is easy to forget those who helped to pave the way for that acclaim. In 1993, Mr. Gaither chose to show honor to the southern gospel singers whose heydays had ended and who, in some cases, were struggling. He also created a renewed excitement for a genre of music that many did not know existed, and he continues to do so to this day.
I think what has impressed me the most though is his support of Gloria. I hardly ever hear him mention an accomplishment without prefacing it with “Gloria and I …” He is also quick to admit that he is not the greatest singer, but he knows how to find good singers and, when he does, he provides opportunities for others to hear those talents too. I expect there are more people singing today because of Bill Gaither than I realize.
Only God knows the heart but if I could summarize Bill Gaither by what I’ve seen, it would be a humble encourager. This book has reminded me of what I would like to aspire to as well.
Just want to say that I became a Southern Gospel fan in 2010 because I happened to catch a brief part of one of the homecoming series online. I have since collected cd’s, dvd’s, many books and have been to 2 Gaither concerts. Didn’t get to hear any of this music growing up in CT, but I’ve sure been blessed many times over since discovering it! My thanks to all the past and present artists for inspiring me everyday to be thankful for all of my blessings.
Hi Kathleen, thank you for sharing this. I grew up in Maryland and first heard of Southern Gospel music somewhere around 1982. I was nine years old at the time but I fell in love with it right away and wondered why I hadn’t heard of it before. It is really nice to live in an era now where, even if people don’t like the music, they probably know what it is. 🙂