SHOUT! Black Gospel Music Moments - Gone by Teddy Huffman and the Gems

Few artists display gospel music’s wide diversity as Teddy Huffman and the Gems. In the late 1970s through the ‘80s, the Gems barn-stormed across the country, selling out venues and recording hit after hit. But what separates Huffman’s group is that their core audience was Southern Gospel, a mostly white genre.

The Gems’ biggest hit is the country gospel track “Gone.” Originally written by Southern Gospel staples the Kingsmen, “Gone” stayed on The Singing News singles charts for two years, peaking at #5. How big were Huffman and the Gems? For years, it was a tradition that they closed the annual National Quartet Convention with a house-wrecking performance on Saturday night!

I’m Robert Darden … “Shout! Black Gospel Music Moments” is produced by KWBU and the Black Gospel Music Preservation Program at Baylor University Libraries.

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