Golden Memories:

"Scattering Sunshine" Through The Years

SPECIAL THANKS TO HAROLD TIMMONS OF
MEMORY LANE GOSPEL & GOSPEL GALLERY
FOR SUPPLYING SO MANY OF THESE PHOTOS

We are currently gathering material for a tribute page to Reverend Whittington, a remarkable man who has touched so many lives by spreading the Good News of his Savior, Jesus Christ. He founded many churches, including the Hemphill Avenue Church of God in Atlanta, Georgia, now known as Mount Paran. Mount Paran is one of the largest assemblies in America.

circa 1959 or 1960 ?
Eva Mae, Pierce, Jimmy, Urias,
Uncle Alf & Rex

  circa 1965
Eva Mae, Uncle Alf, Pierce,
Urias (partially hidden),
Rex & Jimmy on the set of
The Gospel Singing Caravan

Note: Eva Mae, along with the Gaither Vocal Band, and many of the Homecoming Family, appeared in a double episode of "Touched By An Angel".
    In addition to the show's regular performers, Delta Burke, Rue McClanahan, Randy Travis and John Schneider appeared together with many of the Homecoming Friends as a Gospel Singing Family which has to cope with a tragedy.
    We won't give away any more of the plot in case you missed the first run of the show! We are so glad that for once Gospel Singers, and our wonderful music, were both portrayed in a positive light, and Eva Mae even got to do a "big scream" as the "tragedy" occurs. Typecast as the "perfect matriarch" she cradles the little boy . . . oops, almost gave it away again. Eva Mae also appears and sings on stage in many of the singing scenes.
    According to all reports, the "Angel" cast and crew got a big kick out of Eva Mae. But then we would have to ask, "Who wouldn't!" LOL They even provided a wheeled chair so she could scoot around the set with ease.

    On the very last night of the Grand Old Opry's tenure in the original Opry House, the Ryman Auditorium, The LeFevres -consisting of Eva Mae, Urias and Uncle Alf LeFevre; Rex Nelon, Rex Foster, Teresa McNeill and Ron Hutchins- sang two songs on Rev. Jimmy Snow's Friday Night "Grand-Ole Gospel" show.
    At the end of the service in the Ryman Auditorium -which incidentally was first built and used as a church-  the LeFevres joined with Carl Perkins, Gordon Terry, Johnny & June Carter Cash, Hank Snow & Mother Maybelle Carter on the actual final song sung in the old Ryman before the move, on Saturday, March 10, 1974, into the new Opry house at Opryland.

For you trivia buffs, the song was "Will The Circle Be Unbroken".
Aren't you glad it was a Gospel Song!
In fact, the event is memorialized with a double page photograph,
along with a recount of the evening, on pages 349 - 358 of the book:
Nashville's Grand Old Opry, written by Jack Hurst,
published in 1975 by Harry N. Abrams Publishers, of New York
-Library of Congress Catalogue Card Number: 75-14486-
    We have also found it documented in many other music history books, as well.

    Given the long history of the LeFevre name in Southern Gospel Music, please understand that this is but a small sampling of the many talented people who have been a part of the LeFevre's rich legacy. We regret that we are limited in our photo history by the availability of photographs.

    If you have photographs which we have not included, we would love to be able to scan them in for inclusion in the gallery. We promise that they will be returned, and you will have our eternal gratitude! Please send them to: