Ben Speer

Ben Lacy Speer (1930–2017) was an American Southern gospel singer, musician, music publisher, and record company executive. He was the youngest child of Lena and George Thomas Speer, the founders of the Speer Family gospel group, and he performed with the family group for over five decades. Beyond his work as a performer, Speer served as the music director for the Gaither Homecoming video and concert series. In 1950, he founded the Ben Speer Music Company, which published gospel standards such as "What a Day That Will Be." He also organized the Ben Speer Stamps-Baxter School of Music to train new generations of gospel artists. Speer was featured on recordings including "Beautiful Star of Bethlehem" and "Lift Me Up Above The Shadows," and the album *Hymns and Gospel Favorites* was released in 2019. His contributions to the genre were recognized with inductions into the Gospel Music Association Hall of Fame in 1995, the Southern Gospel Music Association Hall of Fame in 1998, and the Southern Gospel Piano Roll of Honor in 2002.