Congratulations to my dear mother-in-law, Faye Speer, on being inducted into the Southern Gospel Music Hall of Fame! Since 1921, the name “Speer” has been synonymous with Southern Gospel music. The Speer Family has more inductees in the SGMA Hall of Fame than any other family. In 1948, Faye Ihrig married Brock Speer, and became a part of that family legacy. Faye Ihrig Speer was born October 19, 1928, in Augusta, Kentucky, the daughter of a Nazarene preacher. She met Brock Speer while singing in a college ladies’ trio. They were soon married, and typical of the life ahead for her, their honeymoon included performing with the family at an all-night singing. Mrs. Speer’s time with The Speer Family varied according to demands of family life. She sang until her children were born. She returned to the group in the 1960’s when Dad and Mom Speer’s health began to decline. As part of The Speer Family, Mrs. Speer appeared across the nation on numerous television programs. In 1979, she was a part of the group’s first No. 1 song, “What Sins Are You Talking About?” She was also featured on many of the group’s 70+ recordings. Following The Speer Family’s retirement in 1998 and her husband’s death less than a year later, Mrs. Speer made frequent appearances on the Gaither Homecoming videos. Mrs. Speer has received numerous awards both as an individual, and as a member of The Speer Family, including The Living Legend Award by the Grand Ole Gospel Reunion, and well-deserved civic recognition for her volunteer service in the pediatric clinic at Vanderbilt Hospital in Nashville, Tennessee. Looking back over her life, Mrs. Speer says, “Two things I’ve learned in life are that God never fails and we all go through changes.”
Posted on: Tue, 09 Sep 2014 17:16:00 +0000
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