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 Gaither Trio from 1965 through 1991. Since 1991, she has served as a performer, recording artist, songwriter, scriptwriter and narrator for the Gaither Homecoming series of television broadcasts, video and DVD releases, and audio recordings. Early years. She was born Gloria Lee Sickal in 1942 in Michigan, a daughter of Pastor Lee Sickal and Dorothy Sickal. She spent some  of her childhood and high school years in the Battle Creek area of Michigan, working a brief time for the Kellogg Company. Education. When Gloria graduated from Clare High School in Clare, Michigan, she attended Anderson University in Anderson, Indiana. There, she triple majored in English, French, and Sociology. Her extracurricular activities at the college included participation in the Drama Club, Alpha Chi National College Honor Society and Sigma Tau Delta honor society. Upon her graduation, she took a job at Alexandria Monroe High School as a French teacher. There, she met Bill Gaither, who was teaching English at the  time. She married Gaither in 1962, and they began writing songs recreationally. In 1991, she attended Ball State University and received a Master of Arts in British and American Literature. She taught as an adjunct professor at Anderson University in 1987–88 and 1996–97. Career. Bill and Gloria Gaither began writing songs in the 1960s, and many those songs (including "Because He Lives", "I Am Loved", "Something Beautiful") would go on to become church hymn book standards across North America and around the world. By the end of the 1960s, Gloria, Bill, and Bill's brother Danny Gaither were touring steadily  as the Bill Gaither Trio, singing and recording songs Bill and Gloria had written. After touring with the Bill Gaither Trio for nearly thirty years, Gaither drew her focus to the Gaither Homecoming series. She has been an active presence in every video production. In 1996, she spearheaded the creation of Gaither Family Resources in Alexandria, Indiana, and currently serves as co-owner and managing director. In 2002, Gaither launched Homecoming: The Magazine, and she currently acts as writer, interviewer, and contributing editor. In 2000, Bill and Gloria were named Christian Songwriters of the Century by the American Society of  Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP), an award based on the songwriters who have had the most songs recorded over the past 100 years. Gloria is the recipient of seven honorary doctorate degrees, and she is the author of more than 40 books including 20 children's books.