Gospel Music Association Gets Historic Marker Adds New Board Members

Jackie Patillo, President and Executive Director (in black) in Nashville, TN at the Nashville Metropolitan Historical Commission and Nashville Metro Council meeting where the resolution was passed for the creation and placement of the historic marker for Gospel and CCM genres on Music Row in July 2019. Photo courtesy Gospel Music Association.

The Gospel Music Association gets a historic marker in Nashville. The Gospel Music Association’s (GMA) President and Executive Director Jackie Patillo is excited about the recognition and the placement of the marker at 1000 16^th Avenue South honoring Belmont Church, Koinonia Coffeehouse, Contemporary Christian Music (CCM) and the impact the genre and these institutions have had on the city of Nashville.

“The Gospel Music Association is thankful for our colleagues at Curb/Word, Capital Christian Music Group, and Provident Music Group for their financial support for the historical marker and dedication to serving our community in this way,” said Patillo. “We are also honored to receive the resolution from the Metro Council (of Nashville), on behalf of the CCM and Gospel industry based here, which honors the 50th year of the Dove Awards and we want to urge the community to consider attending the awards on October 15th at Lipscomb’s Allen Arena.”

Nashville’s Mayor David Briley also attended the recent ceremony. He said, “Gospel and Contemporary Christian Music have played a big, but sometimes unsung, role in Nashville’s creative evolution and in our being known worldwide as Music City. He added, “It’s fitting that we honor the impact these musicians, singers, songwriters, producers, engineers and others have had on listeners around the world.”

(L to R – front row) Amy Grant and Michael W. Smith surrounded by local dignitaries in government and the Gospel industry at site of a Gospel and CCM’s National Historic Marker placement in Nashville, TN. Photo courtesy Gospel Music Association.

Nashville has been on the map for music for centuries. Students from historic Nashville based Fisk University took spirituals around the world. in the 1800s. Freddie O’Connell, council member for District 19 where the marker is located stated, “Religious music has been integral to Nashville’s identity as “Music City,” from pioneering faith-based music publishing houses to the international impact of the Fisk Jubilee Singers.” He added, “Koinonia became a destination where young talent such as like Amy Grant and Michael W. Smith — now multi-Grammy and Dove Award winners — shared their first songs.”

District 8 council member Nancy VanReece spearheaded efforts for the marker and resolution which was placed in her district. She explained,  “I moved my CCM marketing agency to Nashville in 1986 because of the growing impact of this music and by the 1990’s, Contemporary Christian and Gospel Music were outselling jazz and classical according to the RIAA…Nashville has truly become the capital of this genre and I am pleased to have collaborated with Council member O’Connell to see the marker realized on Music Row…where it belongs.”

The historic marker’s placement is a big deal for those of us who love and want to preserve the history of Gospel and CCM music and it ties in well with the overall preservation of Music Row which has been added to the list of most endangered historical landmarks by the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

In addition to the historic marker placement in Music City USA, the GMA also added new members to its GMA Foundation Board: Dr. DeForest Blake “Buster” Soaries, Jr., First Baptist Church of Lincoln Gardens, David Bunce, Bessemer Trust, and Zach Wamp, Zach Wamp Consulting, Chair.