Vestal Goodman, known affectionately as the “Queen of Gospel Music” passed away on Dec. 27, 2003 at the age of 74. Goodman was notified earlier that December of her selection for the Gospel Music Hall of Fame. A founding member of the Happy Goodman Family, Goodman was the first artist to receive a Female Vocalist of the Year Dove Award in 1969. A multiple Dove and Grammy Award-winning artist, Goodman originally desired to study for the Metropolitan Opera, but instead stayed true to her roots in the church and devoted herself to singing gospel music. As part of the Happy Goodman Family, Goodman helped launch Word Records as the fledgling record company’s flagship artist in the early ’60s. She recorded her first solo album in 1975 and her voice has been heard by millions across the world during her five decades of concerts, television appearances and speaking engagements. A frequent participant of Bill and Gloria Gaither’s “Homecoming” tour and video series, Gaither himself has said she has the most dynamic and greatest voice in the history of gospel music, saying, “Vestal is a national treasure!”
