![]() A few years later, the group looked outside the family for a tenor singer, first hiring Shaun Nielsen, then Jerry Redd for a few months, and Charles Yates for about three years. ![]() For the next 25 years, every soprano hired by the Speer Family also played piano. Joyce Black was hired to play piano and sing soprano. Faye joined the group to share alto singing duties with Mom, but she was soon back off the road as her children were born.īy 1955, Rosa Nell and Mary Tom had left the group. In 1948, Brock met Faye Ihrig and they were soon married. They also began to sing on radio station WSFA in Montgomery, Alabama.Īll of the Speer children learned to play instruments. Like many groups of that time, the Speer Family was associated with songbook companies they first worked for Vaughan in the mid-1930s to early 1940s, and then for Stamps-Baxter in the 1940s. Some photos exist of Ben standing on a chair when he sang so the audience could see him better. When Mary Tom and Ben came along, they followed the same tradition. At that point, Mom and Dad performed as a duet with featured solos by their children Brock and Rosa Nell. The Claborns retired from the Speer Family Quartet around 1925. As time went by, he and Lena would come to be known by fans and family alike as Dad and Mom Speer. George Thomas was a gospel songwriter, teacher, and farmer. The original Speer Quartet was formed on Februby George Thomas Speer, his wife Lena Brock Speer, his youngest sister Pearl Speer Claborn and his brother-in-law Logan Claborn. Marc Speer (197?-197?) (later returned to sing tenor)īob Johnson (19?-19?) (Bus driver and occasional featured vocalist) Penny Cardin (1980-19?) (also sang soprano) Sue Chenault (1970-19?) (also sang soprano)ĭianne Hooper Mays (19?-1980) (also sang soprano) Ginger Smith Laxson (19?-19?) (also sang soprano)Īnn Sanders (1963-1968) (also sang soprano) Joyce Black (19?-19?) (also sang soprano) After retiring from the group, Rosa Nell continued to appear at select events with the family until and beyond the group's 1998 retirement.) She eventually moved to piano primarily, but would be featured singing on some songs. Rosa Nell Speer (19?-1948, 1981-198?) (Rosa Nell was a featured singer as a child starting at the age of 3. Sue Chenault (1970-1974) (also played piano)ĭianne Hooper Mays (1974-1980) (also played piano)įaye Speer (194?-195?, 1963-1964, 196?-1967, 1977-1996)īen Speer (19?-1993) (After retiring from the group, Ben continued to appear at select events with the family until and beyond the group's official 1998 retirement.)īrock Speer (featured soloist as a child starting in 1925 at the age of 5, eventually moved to bass and sang until 1998) ![]() Linda Robinson (1968-1970) (also played piano) Ginger Smith Laxson (1958-1963) (also played piano)Īnn Sanders (1963-1968) (also played piano) Joyce Black (1955-1958) (also played piano) Mary Tom Speer (19?-1954) (After retiring from the group, Mary Tom continued to appear at select events with the family until and beyond the group's 1998 retirement.)
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