Ten years ago, legendary songsmith Bill Gaither spliced together an hour-long video of his quartet singing songs around a piano with a dozen elder statesmen of Southern gospel music. Culled from leftover footage of Gaither's first music video shoot, the tape premiered on The 700 Club in 1990 with a toll-free number. Seven thousand viewers picked up phones. "When those first orders came in, we said, `You've got to be kidding,' " says Gaither, who penned the title track to Elvis Presley's He Touched Me album. Now, about 90 videos later--25 of them platinum--Bill and his wife, Gloria, sit atop the music video charts. Gaither charted 20 titles on Billboard last year through his Spring House Music Group--more than three times as many as Britney Spears's label. "Bill Gaither brought gospel music back from the dead," says Gene House, who runs a gospel Web site in Memphis.
Like the accidental pilot, most Gaither videos feature a battalion of formerly famous Southern gospel crooners, Gaither's troupe, and contemporary Christian vocalists, raising hands heavenward through hymns, gospel classics, and Gaither originals. The videos have soared largely on the wings--and dollars--of middle-aged women. But Gaither pins his success on a hungry American soul. "The need for something more than bread is always present," he says. "These songs talk about an eternal perspective."
In stores February 13: "What a Time!" with 150 artists.