Edmonds, John Buell
(born: 1945)John Buell Edmonds is 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, and was the first African American gospel group to have regular shows in Opryland. They recorded three albums while in Nashville.
John Edmonds returned to California in 1979, before coming home to Bowling Green, KY, where he is the music director at the Mt. Zion Baptist Church. In 2010, Edmonds 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, KY. Today, John Buell Edmonds has 14 albums. He has 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 program 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, 05/21/2010; Interview with John Buell Edmonds (FA 198) by Michelle Ross, Gospel Musicians (FA 191) by Dale W. Johnson, and the Interview with John Edmonds by LuAnne Beth Cervelli (FA 376), all available at Western Kentucky University, Manuscripts and Folklife Archives; and John Edmonds, Singer/Musician, program #117, a KET Mixed Media program.
