Stan Whitmire is a

Christian Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι ...

pianist from

Atlanta, Georgia Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,71 ...

, United States.

Life and work

Whitmire was born May 4, 1963, in Atlanta, Georgia and studied to learn to play the piano from the age of four. He graduated from

The Westminster Schools The Westminster Schools is a Kindergarten –12 private school in Atlanta, Georgia, United States, founded in 1951. History Westminster originated in 1951 as a reorganization of Atlanta's North Avenue Presbyterian School (NAPS), a girls' school a ...

and

Georgia State University Georgia State University (Georgia State, State, or GSU) is a public research university in Atlanta, Georgia. Founded in 1913, it is one of the University System of Georgia's four research universities. It is also the largest institution of hig ...

in Atlanta. He has been part of the music ministry, playing piano for worship services at Mount Paran Church of God in Atlanta since December 1978. His first professional music gig was with the

Southern gospel Southern gospel music is a genre of Christian music. Its name comes from its origins in the southeastern United States. Its lyrics are written to express either personal or a communal faith regarding biblical teachings and Christian life, a ...

family group

The Nelons The Nelons are an American southern gospel group based in Atlanta, Georgia. Group members are Kelly Nelon Clark, her husband Jason Clark, and Kelly's daughters Amber Nelon Kistler and Autumn Nelon Clark. The Nelons were inducted into the Gospel M ...

(

Rex Nelon Rex Lloyd Nelon (January 19, 1932 – January 24, 2000) was a southern gospel musicician, who had a career spanning over 40 years of both singing and publishing gospel music. He was a longstanding member of The LeFevres, which later became The ...

) in the mid-1980s and early 1990s. He often accompanies

Greater Vision Greater Vision is an American Southern gospel music trio founded in 1990. It is one of Southern gospel's most popular trios and has been noted for their prolonged commercial and musical success spanning over two decades. As of 2017, the group i ...

on special occasions. He has ministered frequently with the

Billy Graham Evangelistic Association The Billy Graham Evangelistic Association (BGEA) is a non-profit Christian outreach organization that promotes multimedia evangelism, conducts evangelistic crusades, and engages in disaster response. The BGEA operates the Billy Graham Traini ...

since 1997 as an accompanist and vocalist at Graham's & associate evangelists' crusades and conferences. He also appears frequently as part of

Bill Bill(s) may refer to: Common meanings * Banknote, paper cash (especially in the United States) * Bill (law), a proposed law put before a legislature * Invoice, commercial document issued by a seller to a buyer * Bill, a bird or animal's beak Plac ...

and

Gloria Gaither Gloria Gaither (born March 4, 1942) is a Christian singer-songwriter, author, speaker, editor, and academic. She is married to Bill Gaither and together they have written more than 700 songs. She performed, traveled and recorded with the Bill Gai ...

Homecoming videotapings & concerts and

In Touch Ministries In Touch Ministries is a Christian evangelical organization that produces and distributes media and resources, including radio and television programs, podcasts, articles, and books, with the goal of spreading the message of the Gospel and help ...

(Dr.

Charles Stanley Charles Frazier Stanley (born 1932) is Pastor Emeritus of First Baptist Church in Atlanta, Georgia, after serving as senior pastor for 49 years. He is the founder and president of In Touch Ministries, which widely broadcasts his sermons through t ...

) cruises & other events across the country. Since April 2003, Whitmire has been playing for

Mark Lowry Mark Alan Lowry (born June 24, 1958) is an American singer, comedian, minister and songwriter. He is best known for co-writing the song "Mary, Did You Know?" and being a member of the Gaither Vocal Band from 1988 to 2001, and 2009 to 2013, alo ...

as part of his solo concerts and videos. Whitmire has released several award-winning CDs throughout his career. His 2009 album, ''Joy Comes In The Morning'', received a

Dove Award A Dove Award is an accolade by the Gospel Music Association (GMA) of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the Christian music industry. The awards are presented annually. Formerly held in Nashville, Tennessee, the Dove Award ...

for Instrumental Album of the Year at the

41st GMA Dove Awards The 41st Annual GMA Dove Awards presentation was held on April 21, 2010 recognizing accomplishments of musicians for the year 2009. The show was held at The Opry Entertainment Complex in Nashville, Tennessee, and was hosted by Bart Millard. Nomin ...

. His 2011 album, "Unfailing Love" received a

in the same category in 2012. "Everlasting Praise 3," & "Everlasting Praise 4," both collaborations with prolific choral arranger,

Mike Speck Mike Speck is a Gospel musician and ordained minister from Lebanon, Tennessee. Together with his wife, Faye, and daughter Melody VanNus, Speck tours with a Gospel music trio called the Mike Speck Trio. Speck has performed as a guest artist in mi ...

each garnered the accolade of Choral Collection of the Year at

GMA Dove Award A Dove Award is an accolade by the Gospel Music Association (GMA) of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the Christian music industry. The awards are presented annually. Formerly held in Nashville, Tennessee, the Dove Award ...

ceremonies in 2012 & 2014.

Discography

Most of Whitmire's recordings continue to be on sale: *"A Piano Christmas" (1994) *''Piano On Broadway'' (January 1, 1995) *''Classic Movie Love Songs: Volume 2'' (July 15, 1995) *''Piano Hymns'' (March 1, 1996) *''Piano On Broadway: Volume 2'' (June 15, 1996) *''Old Time Gospel Piano'' (1996) *''Classic Movie Love Songs: Volume 3'' (January 15, 1997) *''Piano Praise & Worship'' (1997) *"Songs Of The Resurrection" (1999) *"Timeless Praise" (1999 with

) *" Close To You: Love Songs of

The Carpenters The Carpenters (officially known as Carpenters) were an American vocal and instrumental duo consisting of siblings Karen (1950–1983) and Richard Carpenter (born 1946). They produced a distinct, soft, musical style, combining Karen's contr ...

" (2000) *"God And Country" (2002) *''Unforgettable Love Songs'' (November 25, 2003) *''Piano Inspirations'' (July 27, 2004) *"Seasons Of Life" (2006) *''Christmas Around the Piano'' (September 14, 2006) *"Everlasting Praise 2" (2008 with

) *''Joy Comes In The Morning'' (July 28, 2009) *''Shelter In The Storm'' (May 18, 2010) *"Unfailing Love" (2011) *"Everlasting Praise 3" (2011 with

) *"Everlasting Praise 4" (2014 with

) *"He Leadeth Me" (2015)

Books

References

External links

Official siteStan Whitmire
on

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the dat ...

Stan Whitmire
on SoundUnwound {{DEFAULTSORT:Whitmire, Stan Gospel music pianists Living people Southern gospel performers American male pianists 21st-century American pianists 21st-century American male musicians The Westminster Schools alumni Year of birth missing (living people)