Sherman Andrus (born June 23, 1942) is an American gospel singer, who is probably best known as the man who broke the "color barrier" by becoming the first African-American lead singer of a mainstream Christian music group (

The Imperials The Imperials is an American contemporary Christian music group that has been active for over 60 years. Originating as a southern gospel quartet, the innovative group would become pioneers of contemporary Christian music in the 1960s. There ...

). He has been a very prolific artist who has been involved in one way or another with forty gospel albums to date.http://www.shermanandrus.com/Biography2.html, paragraph 1. Retrieved June 17, 2008.

Biography

Andrus began in gospel music by singing with his mother's gospel group in his boyhood hometown of Mermentau, Louisiana. His next step came with a band called COGICs named after the denomination of the church that the band's founder,

Andraé Crouch Andraé Edward Crouch (July 1, 1942 – January 8, 2015) was an American gospel singer, songwriter, arranger, record producer and pastor. Referred to as "the father of modern gospel music" by contemporary Christian and gospel music profess ...

, attended (

Church of God in Christ The Church of God in Christ (COGIC) is an international Christian perfection#Holiness Pentecostalism, Holiness–Pentecostal Christian denomination, and a large Pentecostal denomination in the United States. Although an international and multi ...

). Andrus continued his association with Crouch as he formed the popular

contemporary Christian music Contemporary Christian music (CCM), also known as Christian pop, and occasionally inspirational music, is a genre of modern popular music, and an aspect of Christian media, which is lyrically focused on matters related to the Christianity, Chri ...

act Andraé Crouch and the Disciples in 1964. That group would not only gain notoriety within the gospel music field for merging funkier rhythms with the gospel message but a measure of fame outside of gospel fandom with an appearance on late night television's ''

The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson ''The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson'' is an American television talk show broadcast by NBC. The show was the third installment of ''The Tonight Show''. Hosted by Johnny Carson, it aired from October 1, 1962 to May 22, 1992, replacing ''T ...

''. Andrus would tour with the group through 1970. Andrus joined

in February 1972, replacing the departing Greg Gordon. He sang as baritone and co-lead singer along with Terry Blackwood. He appears on their albums ''Imperials'' (1972), ''Imperials LIVE'' (1973), ''Follow the Man with the Music'' (1974), Grammy winning ''No Shortage'' (1975), and ''Just Because'' (1976). He then join with Blackwood to form a contemporary duo Andrus, Blackwood and Company. That pairing would release six albums from 1977 to 1984. Andrus began a solo career in 1986 which continues today. In 1997, he joined Elvis: The Concert, sponsored by Elvis Presley Enterprises, to commemorate the 20th anniversary of Elvis's death. Andrus and other original musicians and backing singers appeared alongside live video recordings of Presley to successfully recreate a 1970s-era Presley concert appearance. On April 2, 1998, Sherman Andrus was inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame twice, as a member of The Imperials and as a founding member of Andraé Crouch and the Disciples. Sherman studied music at Southern University, now resides in the greater Oklahoma City area with his wife Winnie. In April 2002, Sherman joined with longtime friend, Lonny Bingle, to form Andrus and Bingle. Together they have written every song on their first two releases, with the most current, "A Servant's Heart," in 2013. In September 2016, Andrus and Bingle will be doing a live album benefitting the Youth and Police Initiative in Spokane, Washington. They are currently touring and writing music for their fourth album entitled "Seize the Moment" scheduled for release in 2017. Very sadly, their son Sherman Jr. died on August 28, 2013, just 44 years old. Survivors included their daughter-in-law Mary, and grandchildren Patrick, Sherman and Samantha.

Partial discography

Sources:Powell, Mark Allan. (2002) Hendrickson Publishers, Inc: Peabody, MA, 1st ed. . P. 39 "Encyclopedia of Contemporary Christian Music" * 1973: ''I've Got Confidence'' (Impact) * 1976: ''Soon Coming'' (Shalom) * 1978: ''How The Years Pass By'' (Shalom) * 1982: ''Revisited'' (Christian World) * 1988: ''Caution To the Wind'' (Amethyst) * 1993: ''Seize The Moment'' (Exodus Records) * 1994: ''Live: Hit Me Band'' (Exodus Records) * 2003: ''Merry Christmas From Sherman Andrus'' * 2002: ''Think Upon These Things'' – Andrus and Bingle * 2013: ''A Servant's Heart'' – Andrus and Bingle * 2017: ''LIVE'' – Andrus and Bingle

Video

*1987: ''Toymaker's Dream'' (soundtrack) *1999: ''He Touched Me – The Gospel Music of Elvis Presley'' *2002: ''New Orleans Homecoming''; solo on " Precious Lord, Take My Hand" *2002: ''Let Freedom Ring'' "A Few Good Men" *2006: ''Elvis Lives: The 25th Anniversary Concert'' (recorded 2002)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Andrus, Sherman People from Mermentau, Louisiana Musicians from Honolulu African-American Christians American Pentecostals Living people American performers of Christian music 1942 births Christians from Louisiana 21st-century African-American musicians 20th-century African-American musicians