Flashback Friday

Today we need to wipe the dust off H.G. Wells' time machine and go back to the beginnings of Contemporary Christian Music and talk about The Imperials.

In fact, The Imperials originated long before Contemporary Christian Music. They started out as a successful southern gospel quartet and have been active for over 55 years! This innovative group would become pioneers of contemporary Christian music in the late 1960s. There have been many changes for the band in membership and musical styles over the years. They would go on to win four Grammys, 15 Dove Awards and be inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame.

Past members have included such notable musicians as Gary McSpadden from the Oak Ridge Boys, Russ Taff, Terry Blackwood, Larry Gatlin of the Gatlin Brothers, and more.

The group even recorded with Elvis in sessions from May 1966 to June 1971 and appeared with Jimmy Dean live and on his television show during the same period.

The Imperials surprised gospel music fans in February 1972 by hiring Sherman Andrus, a former member of Andrae Crouch and the Disciples. This made them the first interracial Christian group America had ever seen, which Andrus jokingly referred as: "to boldly go where no black man had gone before". 

The Imperials had some great CCM albums like Love Is The Thing in 1969,  Time To Get It Together in 1970, One More Song For You in 1979,  Priority in 1980, Stand By the Power in 1982, Let The Wind Blow in 1985, Free The Fire In Me in 1988, just to name a few and we haven't even made it into the 90's. A lot of this music takes me back to my childhood (yep, that long ago.)

The Imperials accomplishments are many:  

• First Dove Award winner for male group of the year (1969)
• First gospel group to perform live on The Grammy Awards.
• First Dove Award winner for Artist of the Year (1981)
• First group to have a No. 1 song ("Oh Buddha") on all three of the following charts (for 12 weeks): Contemporary, Inspirational, Southern Gospel
• First Christian group to use four individual microphones on stage
• First Christian group to use cordless microphones
• First Christian group to use a live band on stage
• Recorded the theme song for the Daniel Boone television series
• Only Christian group to have a No. 1 song charting in 4 consecutive decades (1960s-1990s)

In 1998, The Imperials were inducted into the Gospel Music Association's Gospel Music Hall of Fame. All five original members, Jake, Armond, Gary, Sherrill, and Henry; as well as Terry Blackwood, Sherman Andrus, Joe Moscheo, Jim Murray, and Russ Taff were there to accept the induction.

In 2008, the Imperials were inducted into the Christian Music Hall of Fame. Russ Taff was inducted for his contributions separately but performed with the new Imperials and made the acceptance with them for the broadcast. In April 2008, The Imperials received the Southern Gospel News Awards' Album of the Year award for Back To The Roots.

Most recently, returning from a restless retirement and a short lived legal scrimmage for control of the "Imperials" name, Armond Morales, along with Imperials alumni Paul Smith and Dave Will, joined newcomer Rick Evans to continue the legacy of The Imperials. As the only “still performing” original member of The Imperials, Armond Morales, along with the reunited foursome, released Still Standing, their first project with Paul Smith in 25 years.

Hundreds of great songs to choose from... "A Thing Called Love", "Put Your Hand in the Hand", "He's Got the Whole World",  "Teach Your Children Well", "I'm Forgiven", "Because Of Who You Are", and on and on... but here is a video from a couple years ago giving a bit of history of the group and a medley of some of their greatest hits...