1998 Hall of Fame Inductees

Eldridge Locke “Foxy” Fox

ELDRIDGE LOCKE "FOXY" FOX

Eldridge Locke “Foxy” Fox (1936 – 2002)
Inducted in 1998

Born July 10, 1936, in Mars Hill, North Carolina, Eldridge Fox became one of Southern Gospel Music’s leading figures. 

Known affectionately as “Foxy” by his peers, he began his career with the Silvertones in 1952 and subsequently sang with the Ambassadors. In 1957, Fox joined the Kingsmen Quartet, and, under his guidance, the group evolved into one of Southern Gospel’s premier quartets, with countless industry and fan awards to their credit. 

As a respected veteran of the industry with interests in songwriting and publishing, Fox helped mold a generation of young talent to ensure the legacy and integrity of Southern Gospel Music.

Ben Lacy Speer

BEN LACY SPEER

Ben Lacy Speer (1930 – 2017)  
Inducted in 1998

A member of one of the most visible groups in Southern Gospel Music, Ben Speer traveled and sang with the Speer Family for 62 years.

Though often viewed as the comic of the group, Ben served the family well-as a vocalist, musical arranger, and sometimes as pianist. His unique arrangements kept the Speers at the top of the gospel music industry, often seeking to perfect a new sound while preserving the quality and integrity of Southern Gospel deep in his family’s roots.

In 1992, Ben retired from regular road performances, but continued his work in Southern Gospel Music as a record producer and as a music director for the Gaither Homecoming video series.

George Wilson Younce

GEORGE WILSON YOUNCE

George Wilson Younce (1930 – 2005)
Inducted in 1998

One of Southern Gospel’s most popular vocalists and personalities, George Younce attended a Stamps-Baxter School of Music, studied shape-note singing and performed with the Spiritualaires while still a teen.

His love for gospel music led him into a career which included service as a bass singer with the Watchmen, the Homeland Harmony Quartet, the Weatherfords, the Florida Boys, the Blue Ridge Quartet, and-beginning in 1964-the Cathedral Quartet. Over the next three and a half decades, Younce and his close friend Glen Payne guided the Cathedrals to the pinnacle of the Southern Gospel Music industry.

The recipient of numerous Southern Gospel awards and honors, Younce was also an accomplished songwriter, composing the quartet standard “Yesterday”.