Wally Fowler
Wally Fowler | |
---|---|
Birth name | John Wallace Fowler |
Also known as | The Man with a Million Friends |
Born | February 15, 1917 |
Origin | singer, songwriter |
Years active | 1935–1985 |
Labels | 4 Star Records, Decca, Starday, Pickwick, Dove, King, Nashwood |
John Wallace "Wally" Fowler (February 15, 1917 – June 3, 1994) was an American Southern
Personal life
Born near Adairsville, Georgia, Fowler's father was the cotton king of Bartow County, Georgia until the Great Depression left him broken both in health and financially.[3]
He then struck out on his own, forming a country music group, Wally Fowler and the Georgia Clodhoppers,
Fowler moved to Nashville, and from 1946 to 1950 became a regular part of The Prince Albert Show segment of the Grand Ole Opry on NBC Radio. In 1948, he launched his first all-night gospel sing, popularizing a format that would blanket the South over the next two decades. Originating from Nashville's historic Ryman Auditorium and later taken to other major cities across the region, each show featured many of the day's premier Southern gospel quartets.[7]
In the 1950s, he hosted a syndicated television program, The Wally Fowler Show, featuring
Death and legacy
On June 3, 1994, Fowler apparently suffered a heart attack while fishing from a dock on Dale Hollow Lake, northeast of Nashville, and his body was found floating in the water.[9] He was survived by his widow, Judy Moss Fowler, and daughters Faith McCoy and Hope Kimmer.[10] He also had a daughter later in life, Michelle Fowler Martinez, who resides in Texas.
Notes
- ^ "John Wallace Fowler". Southern Gospel Music Association. 2008. Retrieved June 12, 2009.
- ^ "Wally Fowler, Gospel Songwriter, 77" (June 7, 1994), Obituaries, The New York Times, p. B-7
- ^ "Wally Fowler". Muse UK Ltd. 2008. Retrieved June 13, 2009.
- ^ "Wally Fowler, Gospel Songwriter, 77" (June 7, 1994), Obituaries, The New York Times, p. B-7
- ^ "Wally Fowler". Muse UK Ltd. 2008. Retrieved June 13, 2009.
- ^ "John Wallace Fowler". Southern Gospel Music Association. 2008. Retrieved June 12, 2009.
- ^ "John Wallace Fowler". Southern Gospel Music Association. 2008. Retrieved June 12, 2009.
- ^ "Wally Fowler". Muse UK Ltd. 2008. Retrieved June 13, 2009.
- ^ "Wally Fowler, Gospel Songwriter, 77" (June 7, 1994), Obituaries, The New York Times, p. B-7
- ^ "Wally Fowler, Gospel Songwriter, 77" (June 7, 1994), Obituaries, The New York Times, p. B-7
References
- "John Wallace Fowler". Southern Gospel Music Association. 2008. Retrieved June 12, 2009.
- "Wally Fowler, Gospel Songwriter, 77" (June 7, 1994), Obituaries, The New York Times, p. B-7
- The Associated Press, "Wally Fowler, `Mr. Gospel Music'" obit (June 4, 1994), The Seattle Times
- "Wally Fowler". Muse UK Ltd. 2008. Retrieved June 13, 2009.
- Southern Gospel History: Wally Fowler
External links
- Listen to Wally Fowler and the Oak Ridge Quartet
- Watch The Wally Fowler Show