My Story! His Song! Blessed!

By Sherman Andrus Sr. and Pat Boone

Catch a glimplse into the life of the first African American known to break the “color barrier” of Gospel Music. His story is filled with challenge, triumph, loss and victory at a time when the United States was transitioning from segregation to integration. Share in the disappointment and success Sherman experienced while moving to the top of the Gospel Music industry, blazing the way for other African Americans and other young people to follow. Hear the heartbeat behind his songs. Be inspired as he shares how faithfully following God shaped his choices and decisions all along the way. Sherman Andrus shares his blessed and incredible run in life in Gospel music with compelling frankness and humor!

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: Apr 5, 2021
• ISBN: 9781664223295

Sherman Andrus Sr.

Sherman Andrus Sr. is a living legend in Gospel music and is 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. He sang professionally with Andrae Crouch and The Disciples, The Imperials, Andrus, Blackwood and Company, and Andrus and Bingle. As a member of The Imperials he also sang with Pat Boone and Jimmy Dean and was a friend of Elvis Pressley. Sherman is a Godly man, a Grammy and Dove Award winner, Gospel Music Hall of Fame inductee, song writer, producer, soloist, friend, mentor, father and husband. From humble beginnings in Louisiana to top performance venues like Carnegie Hall and Las Vegas, concert halls and churches throughout the world, Sherman has lived a life of “firsts” filled with joy and heartbreak. He has been forever faithful to God and has consistently shared the Gospel, speaking and singing the truth in love.

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Copyright © 2021 Sherman Andrus Sr.

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Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale

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Scripture taken from the King James Version of the Bible.

Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), Copyright © 2001

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ISBN: 978-1-6642-2330-1 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-6642-2329-5 (e)

WestBow Press rev. date: 03/29/2021

Contents

Foreword by Pat Boone

Dedication

Introduction

Growing up in Louisiana

School Days!

Winnie, the Love of My Life!

Our Son, Sherman Jr.

California Connections

Life with Andrae Crouch

Andrae Crouch and The Disciples

Andrae Crouch and The Disciples: First World Tour

Transitioning from The Disciples

The Imperials

Shalom Records

Andrus, Blackwood and Company

Prison Ministries

Ministry on the Road-Solo

Imperials Part II

Andrus and Bingle

Elvis Presley

Cancer Survivor!

Life with the Right Partner, Winnie Holman Andrus

Where Do Songs Come From?

So, You Want to Be A Gospel Singer!

Final Reflections

Sherman Andrus Sr.

Co-Author: Dr. Peggy L. Stark-Wilson

Endorsement: Sandi Patty, Grammy and Dove Award Winner, Gospel Artist

Endorsement: Jon F. Stemkoski, Founder and President of Celebrant Singers

Endorsement: Lonny Bingle, Gospel Artist, Song Writer, and CEO, Lonny Bingle Ministries

Endorsement: Dr. Kevin McAfee, Hollywood Film Maker

Endorsement: Todd Thurman Director of Athletics Metropolitan State University of Denver

Endorsement: Bob Hoffman Head Men’s Basketball Coach Central University of Oklahoma

Foreword by Pat Boone

God loves singers.

That’s just a fact. If you read through the Bible carefully, as I have many times now, you find so much evidence that He loves, hears, enjoys, and actually inspires singers to tell His story and draw people to Him.

We all know David was a man after God’s own heart, though he had flaws and made some grievous mistakes in his life, which God made sure we knew about. But He loved David’s singing so much that He preserved most of the Psalms, written and sung by David, in His Bible!

In Genesis 4, God lets us know that a grandson of Cain was the first to play the flute and harp!

And in the fervid excitement and celebration right after the Israelites emerged on the other side of the Red Sea, having watched God drown the Egyptian army behind them--Moses’ sister Miriam led all the women in a spontaneous song on the spot, "Sing to the Lord, for He has triumphed gloriously!’’

In 2 Chronicles 20, when King Jehoshaphat cried out to the Lord when confronted by a far superior army, the King appointed singers to march ahead of the army of Israel, singing Give thanks to the Lord, His faithful love endures forever! And the larger, better equipped army fell into confusion, and were utterly destroyed, hundreds of thousands of them.

Under the Law of Moses, singers were selected and utilized in worship powerfully, just like the priests who taught and led. In one of the psalms God is described as singing over us in love.

My point in all this? I consider Sherman Andrus a faithful and powerful servant of our Creator God. We’ve known and traveled and sung praises to the Lord together over many years. On his own--and as a vital part of The Imperials, a longtime premier Gospel singing group--he’s used his excellent singing ability to honor the Lord and call countless thousands to become Jesus’ disciples for decades.

We’ve traveled the country, my family, and the Imperials, singing and praying and laughing and rejoicing in our Christian lives, and the indescribable fun of knowing we were doing exactly what God wanted us to do!! You can imagine what it meant to me, as a dad of 4 teenage daughters, to be on the road with young men who loved the Lord and encouraged my girls to enjoy singing for Him like they did.

But that’s just our part of Sherman’s colorful, intriguing life.

Though we shared some important chapters in his life and career--I didn’t know all the other chapters he’s about to share with you! Like most of us, like most everybody really, he’s had his ups and downs, successes, and disappointments, and has come more than once to decision points that would determine where the rest of his life would take him.

If you’re not fully aware of his music and his life through the years, I make a prediction right here--once you’ve read this book, you’ll want to seek out all the glorious music he helped create and appreciate the life God led him through as he created it.

I repeat--God loves singers. Especially the ones who devote their talents to Him.

Dedication

"I dedicate this book to the memory of my late son, Sherman Andrus Jr., and to my beautiful wife, Winnie Holman Andrus. Winnie, you have been my greatest source of support and love, without which I could have done none of this. You have inspired me beyond words. Sherman, the boy who thought I could do anything, grew up to be a fine, accomplished young man! Winnie, you are the love of my life. You’ve been the greatest supporter and sport, going all over the world with me and helping me make sense of my life as a musician on the road. Thank you for raising our son when I was on the road. Thank you for being my chauffeur on countless road trips! I also dedicate this book to my mom and dad, all my brothers and sisters and many other relatives. There is so much talent in my family, yet you all coalesced behind me and supported me wholeheartedly! I am so thankful for your love and support."

Introduction

For many years I have procrastinated about writing a book; not just an autobiography but also a history of Gospel music—of which I have been a part for more than sixty years. I have been a professional singer for more than fifty years. There are so many people I would like to thank and to mention in this book, people who have had an impact on my life. I am getting up there in age and I want to have an opportunity to share with young people, who are now in the Gospel Music business, a little bit of the history from my perspective. Hopefully, my story causes them to be inquisitive about the great artists who have gone before. Currently there is quite a history that Bill Gaither has memorialized through the Gaither videos. Some of the greats were Jake Hess, the Goodman Family and James Blackwood. My hat is off to Mr. Gaither for what he did to provide a living history of Southern Gospel music. We are standing on the shoulders of those artists. I was fortunate to work with three great Gospel groups: Andrae Crouch and The Disciples, The Imperials, and Andrus, Blackwood and Company. We were inspired and influenced by those earlier groups. My personal experience came from black Gospel groups like the Caravans, the Dixie Hummingbirds, the Five Blind Boys of Alabama, and the Five Blind Boys of Mississippi. We also listened to Brother Joe Mayes and Alex Bradford. I don’t know if they made a lot of money, but they sure made a great impact on my life! As I listened to the songs they sang, I was inspired to become a Gospel singer. I hope you will have a better understanding about Gospel music and come to see how God led and directed my life as you read further in this book.

Thank you for being a part of my life. I might miss naming some of you, but you all know who you are, and I just thank God for you! I thank you for the prayers, but not only the prayers but also the support that all my fans have provided over the years! I am thankful for my prayer partners and fellow Christians who have walked beside me on this journey. I thank you for all that you have done to bless me and to assist me to fulfill the call of God on my life.

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Growing up in Louisiana

W orld War II began with Nazi Germany’s attack on Poland in September 1939. The U.S. did not enter the war until the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. On June 23, 1942, I was born into a world conflicted with war. I was the fifth child born to Simon and Mable Andrus. I was born in Mermentau, Louisiana, a town of 135-140 people. At the time I was born there were two boys and two twin girls, older than me. Later, I would have one more sister and one more brother. My mom lost three children at birth so there were seven of us. As far back as I can remember, I was a happy child. I loved and admired my older brothers and sisters, and