Inducted 1995
BEN LACY SPEER
(1930 – 2017)
Ben Speer was the youngest son of Tom (Dad) and Lena (Mom) Speer and a member of the pioneering mixed voice Speer Family for most of his music career life. Ben was also an accomplished musical director, publisher, record producer, music teacher and music business executive.
By the time Ben Lacy Speer was born in Alabama in 1930, his parents had already established the singing Speer family as a fulltime, viable Southern Gospel mixed voice group. As a child in the 1930s, Ben joined his mom and dad and the older Speer children, Rosa Nell, Mary Tom, and brother Brock, and the beloved Speer Family would go on to become Southern Gospel Music royalty for decades. Rosa Nell and Mary Tom eventually left the group but Brock and Ben remained in the group for most of their professional, music career lives, Ben for 57 years.
Ben was one of the most enduring and outstanding lead singers and piano performers in Southern Gospel music. During his years with The Speer Family, the group recorded more than 75 records, with Ben providing key leadership for the group’s music character. Ben also often provided comic relief during the group’s concerts. Ben’s dedication to high musical standards kept The Speer Family at the top of the Southern Gospel music industry, continually seeking a fresh sound while preserving the quality and integrity of the Southern Gospel sound deeply imbedded in his family roots.
The Speer Family, with Ben singing lead, became one of the first gospel groups to record on the newly innovative 33 rpm LP album format (Long Play). Their recordings included classics such as Heaven Will Surely Be Worth It All, Time Has Made A Change, and “Mom” and “Dad’s” theme song, Won’t We Be So Happy? Upon the death of Dad and Mom Speer in the mid 1960s, Brock and Ben became the leaders of the family singing group. Under their guidance The Speer Family would carry-on the group’s long-enduring commitment to their fans by continuing to tour and to recording; adding dozens of gospel records to the group’s already extensive discography. Considering a few years before Ben came on the scene, and a few years after his retirement, The Speer Family made public appearances and toured the country for 75 years, typically performing well over 200 dates per year. Ben began publishing Southern Gospel music in 1950, founding the Ben Speer Music Company. He was also the owner and chief engineer for a recording studio; producing albums for The Florida Boys, The Weatherfords, Ivan Parker and others. Among songs published by his company were: What A Day That Will Be, I’m Standing On the Solid Rock and Touring That City. After Ben retired from regular road performances in 1992, he continued to make impact in the Gospel Music world serving as the music director for the Gaither Homecoming video series. Prior to the Gaither involvement, Ben revived the legendary Stamps-Baxter School of Music, a Southern Gospel training program that attracts students from across the United States and from other countries. As of 2023 the July training program is still active at Middle Tennessee State University near Nashville. Ben Speer was inducted into the Southern Gospel Music Association Hall Of Fame in 1998, three years after his induction into the GMA Hall Of Fame. Content/source: various sources, additional writing and editing by GMA Hall Of Fame staff member Jon Robberson Sr. (January, 2023)
