Inducted 1997

Lloyd Orrell gave up his steady job as an automotive worker in Detroit to promote Southern Gospel Music.  A native of Weakley County, Ohio, he was the most successful gospel music promoter of his era in the northern and midwestern United States. 

Beginning in 1941, Orrell promoted concerts in many of the region's larger cities including Indianapolis, Chicago, Dayton, and Milwaukee. On October 15, 1955, he promoted and staged the first All-Night Sing in Detroit, Michigan.  More than 5,000 gospel music fans attended the event with as many as 3,000 turned away for lack of space. Orrell promoted concerts for nearly four decades and was one of the major reasons for the successful expansion of Southern Gospel across the country.