Edmonds, John Buell
(born: 1945)John Buell Edmonds was a recognized gospel singer from Bowling Green, KY, the son of Addie and Jewel Edmonds. The following information comes from the John Edmonds' website.
In 1964, Edmonds' group was named "John Edmonds and the Angelic Specials." Six years later the group relocated to Los Angeles, CA, and their name was changed to "John Edmonds' Gospel Truth." They performed for U.S. soldiers in Vietnam and other overseas locations as affiliates with the Hollywood Overseas Committee and the USO. In 1974, the group signed with Opryland in Nashville, TN, the first African American gospel group to have regular shows there. They recorded three albums while in Nashville.
Edmonds returned to California in 1979 before returning home to Bowling Green, where he served as the music director at the Mt. Zion Baptist Church. In 2010, he celebrated 50 years as a singer and performer. He started performing when he was 15 years old, singing and playing piano with the teen group "Gospel Ambassadors," in Bowling Green. He recorded 14 albums and received a number of awards, including the American Institute for Public Service Jefferson Award and the Kentucky Governor’s Award for the Arts. In 2013, John Edmonds was a speaker on the six-week documentary series, "America's Music: A Filmed History of Our Popular Music from Blues to Bluegrass to Broadway," sponsored by Western Kentucky University Libraries.
For more see N. Jordan, "A Golden gospel - Bowling Green's Edmonds is celebrating 50 years as a singer and performer, The Daily News, 5/21/2010. See also Interview with John Buell Edmonds (FA 198) by Michelle Ross, Gospel Musicians (FA 191) by Dale W. Johnson, and Interview with John Edmonds by LuAnne Beth Cervelli (FA 376), all available at Western Kentucky University, Manuscripts and Folklife Archives.
John died 11/23/2020; see his obituary at Burnam and Son Mortuary's website.
