Known around the world as the “First Family of Bluegrass Gospel Music,” the Lewis Family of Lincolnton performed a type of music that blended the old-time string-band tradition and the time-honored “all-day-singing-and-dinner-on-the-ground” style of vocal harmony known as southern gospel. The Lewises began entertaining in 1951 at festivals and other gospel and bluegrass music venues. They performed their gospel harmony–sung to the accompaniment of banjo, guitar, autoharp, and upright bass–until they disbanded in 2009 due to the deaths and retirements of several members.
The patriarch of the Lewis Family, Roy “Pop” Lewis, was born on September 22, 1905, in South Carolina and moved with his family to Lincoln County, Georgia, in 1910. He married Pauline Holloway in 1925. Having been brought up in musical families, Lewis and his wife, in turn, exposed their children to music from birth. As they matured, the children learned to sing and play various instruments. At first the family made music for their own enjoyment, but in response to the encouragement of their friends and neighbors, they soon organized a band and began performing in public. Between 1954 and 1992 the Lewis Family hosted their own weekly television program on Augusta’s WJBF-TV, Channel 6.
The the Lewis Family went on to consist of three generations. In addition to Pop Lewis, the group included his daughters, Miggie, Polly, and Janis; his sons, Wallace, Talmadge, and Roy “Little Roy”; and later his grandsons, Travis and Lewis. The possibilities for program variety were vast as each member was able to sing more than one part and play several instruments. A typical program included vocal solos, duets, and trios, as well as instrumental numbers featuring guitar, banjo, and autoharp. Their repertoire included gospel standards, spirituals, country gospel fare, and modern pieces penned by some of the top songwriters in Nashville, Tennessee.
The Lewis Family, traveling in a customized tour bus outfitted with all the conveniences of home, traveled more than 100,000 miles a year to fulfill more than 200 festival and concert dates throughout the United States and Canada. They performed at such places as the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C., and New York’s Lincoln Center and appeared on national syndicated gospel television shows.
The Lewis Family’s musical style has been preserved on hundreds of recordings that have sold millions of copies. Their music has received high marks from critics for their upbeat approach to gospel music. John Roemer, in Bluegrass Unlimited, wrote, “The Lewises, unlike many gospel singers working in bluegrass, always bring the voice of spiritual optimism and religious joy to their music. In their hands, religion doesn’t stop at somber reflection on man’s suffering or misdeeds; it goes on to an affirmation of laughter and joy.”
The Lewises were honored with numerous awards, including membership in the Georgia Music Hall of Fame (1992). In 2000 Pop Lewis was inducted into the Southern Gospel Music Hall of Fame, located at Dollywood in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, and in 2006 the family was inducted into the International Bluegrass Music Association’s Hall of Fame, located in Owensboro, Kentucky.
The Lewis Family retired in 2009, following the deaths of “Mom” Pauline Lewis in 2003; Pop in 2004; and Wallace in 2007. Their final performance was held at the Lewis Family Pavilion in Lincolnton, Georgia in October 2009. In 2015 they were inducted into the Blue Ridge Music Hall of Fame.
