Danny Gaither

Danny Gaither (November 20, 1938 - April 6, 2001), was a gospel music singer from Alexandria, Indiana and an original member of the world-famous Bill Gaither Trio. As the founding tenor of the enormously successful trio, Danny sang to audiences around the world with his brother Bill and sister Mary Ann, who was later replaced by Bill's wife Gloria. In 1977, he left the group and embarked on a successful solo career, producing a number of albums including "Singing to the World", "It Is Well With My Soul", "Sing a Song of Love" and "Sweet and High". The stress of touring affected Dan, and in the early 1990s he experienced problems with his vocal cords. The problems were so severe that he was forced to stop touring, although he was able to occasionally appear with Bill and other fellow gospel singers in the well-known "Homecoming" performances. During one such performance, at the 1994 Praise Gathering in Indianapolis, Indiana, Bill Gaither and Mark Lowry concocted a surprise for Danny and those in attendance. Lowry walked down from the stage to the audience during "The Longer I Serve Him," and tapped Danny to sing a verse, which moved both the audience and the other Homecoming performers to tears. Danny continued to join the Homecoming group whenever his health permitted, even after he was diagnosed with lymphoma, which he battled for five years before succumbing to the disease on April 6, 2001. Danny Gaither was inducted into the Southern Gospel Music Association's Southern Gospel Music Hall of Fame (Pigeon Forge, TN) in 2010.