Gaither's latest Homecoming

Bill Gaither may not be an A-list celebrity or household name, but over a half-century he has sold more concert tickets, recordings and DVDs than any other gospel performer. He and his wife, Gloria, have written more than 600 songs, including one immortalized by

Elvis ("He Touched Me") and others published in hymnals used in churches around the world ("Because He Lives").
If he wanted to rest on his laurels, Gaither certainly could do so. But at 72, he's still busy writing, recording and traveling with his 32-city Homecoming tour, which will fill the World Arena with songs old and new today.
Friends ask Gaither if he plans to slow down. "Retire? And do what?" he asks in a soothing baritone voice during a phone interview from his Indiana office.

Gaither was a college student in 1956 when he formed The Bill Gaither Trio with a brother and sister. After he married, Gloria became his primary partner in life, songwriting and performing. The Trio recorded more than 40 albums and filled arenas nationwide.
In 1980 he founded the Gaither Vocal Band. The quartet's 30 albums feature everything from old-timey southern gospel to pop-based contemporary songs.

No one has been more successful than Gaither at bridging the often-contentious divide that separates Christian music's traditionalists from its harder-rocking contemporary fans.

"Christian music is about a theology and a message and can't be pinned down by any one style," he says. "Over the centuries that message has been wrapped in a lot of different styles. The wrapper is always changing, but the basic message is always going to stay. I don't think God really cares about the wrapper, but he cares very much about the content."

Through the Vocal Band and other activities, Gaither has also promoted and mentored some of the most popular Christian artists of the past four decades, including Sandi Patti, Larnelle Harris, Carman, Steve Green, Don Francisco, Michael English, David Phelps,
Russ Taff and Mark Lowry.

It was while he was working on a 1991 Vocal Band album that Gaither stumbled across the formula that would fuel the latest phase of his career. He was working on "Homecoming," the Vocal Band's 1991 album, when he invited about a dozen gospel music pioneers to join in on the classic song, "Where Could I Go but to the Lord." After the recording session, the singers ate fried chicken before gathering around a piano to shoot a music video. Then, before they knew it, someone started playing the piano and the singers all joined in.

Gaither says it was three hours later before the singing stopped and he realized the video camera had captured nearly an hour of impromptu session. Four minutes were used for the music video. The remaining footage gave birth to a "Homecoming" phenomenon that has spawned dozens of CDs, more than 60 DVDs, broadcasts on more than a dozen cable outlets, a popular concert tour that in 2004 outsold tours by Rod Stewart, Elton John and Fleetwood Mac.

The "Homecoming" tours and products have been a boon for Gaither Music Company, the Alexandria, Ind.-based firm that includes a recording studio and company; does concert booking, television production and copyright management; and has a retail store and a telemarketing department. A separate company publishes Homecoming Magazine and a radio show.

"Homecoming's" success has also provided steady work for a revolving roster of musicians and singers. And Gaither has plowed some of his earnings into the Gospel Music Trust Fund, which supports aging or ailing artists. In 1991 the fund had about $20,000 in its bank account. Today it is worth nearly $3 million.

Gaither is surprised by Homecoming's popularity, which he attributes to the sense of community and shared collective memory the music creates.

There's so much good music to choose from that Gaither says he struggles to bring each concert to an end. "Every night my job is to see how I can keep this thing to under four hours," he says. "There is so much talent. I want to be fair to the artists who are there."

Asked if he thinks his success over half a century is due to talent, smarts or luck, Gaither says, "It's a combination of all the above. And we have been truly blessed by God in a special way. He is smiling on us and we are very happy for that.
"It also takes a degree of talent, but after that most of it is perseverance. There are some days when the rewards are great. There are some days that are not so great. But you keep going because you believe in what you're doing."

bill gaither
"lovin' life"
homecoming tour
Other featured artists: scheduled artists include: the Gaither Vocal Band; Ernie Haase & Signature Sound; Jeff & Sheri Easter; Janet Paschal; Gordon Mote and Ben Speer
When: 7 p.m. today
Where: World Arena, 3185 Venetucci Blvd.
Tickets: $19.50-$39.50; worldarena.com, ticketswest.com or 576-2626.