Jerry Kirksey was the

editor Editing is the process of selecting and preparing written, photographic, visual, audible, or cinematic material used by a person or an entity to convey a message or information. The editing process can involve correction, condensation, orga ...

of ''

Singing News Singing is the act of creating musical sounds with the voice. A person who sings is called a singer, artist or vocalist (in jazz and/or popular music). Singers perform music (arias, recitatives, songs, etc.) that can be sung with or without ...

magazine A magazine is a periodical publication, generally published on a regular schedule (often weekly or monthly), containing a variety of content. They are generally financed by advertising, purchase price, prepaid subscriptions, or by a combinatio ...

from its inception in 1969 through 2010. He has been involved in the

Southern Gospel Southern gospel music is a genre of Christian music. Its name comes from its origins in the southeastern United States. Its lyrics are written to express either personal or a communal faith regarding biblical teachings and Christian life, as ...

industry for over 45 years and was inducted in the Southern Gospel Music Hall of Fame in 2011.

Biography

Jerry Kirksey was born in Panama City, Florida, United States June 13, 1940. After World War II he and his family moved back to his parents' native home of

Pensacola, Florida Pensacola () is the westernmost city in the Florida Panhandle, and the county seat and only incorporated city of Escambia County, Florida, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, the population was 54,312. Pensacola is the principal ...

. He attended public schools in Pensacola and graduated with the class of 1958. Jerry began working in radio during his junior year of high school. After graduation he moved back to Panama City and worked at radio station WTHR. In March 1960 he returned to Pensacola and began working for the Florida Boys, a nationally recognized

quartet In music, a quartet or quartette (, , , , ) is an ensemble of four singers or instrumental performers; or a musical composition for four voices and instruments. Classical String quartet In classical music, one of the most common combinations o ...

. His job at that time was radio promotions and office manager for the quartet. J.G. Whitfield, owner of the Florida Boys quartet, and Jerry founded the ''

'' magazine in May 1969. Jerry married Carolyn Sue Rhodes on October 1, 1967. They had their first son, Kenneth Bryan, on March 9, 1969 and their second son, Kenton Brett, on March 6, 1971.

Boone, North Carolina Boone is a town in and the county seat of Watauga County, North Carolina, United States. Located in the Blue Ridge Mountains of western North Carolina, Boone is the home of Appalachian State University and the headquarters for the disaster and ...

businessman Maurice Templeton had been advertising his

music cruises in ''

'' for several years when he purchased the

from J.G. Whitfield and moved the new corporation to Boone in July 1987. Jerry continued as editor of the

through the changes in ownership—including the purchase by Salem Communications in January 2006—until his retirement in 2010. Jerry was inducted into the Southern Gospel Music Association's Hall of Fame in 2011.

References

* Goff, Dr. James R. ''Close Harmony: A History of Southern Gospel''. Chapel Hill, NC: The University of North Carolina Press, 2001. * Terrell, Bob. ''The Music Men: The Story of Professional Gospel Quartet Singing'', p. 276. Asheville, 1990. * Caires, Craig. Carolina Calls SRIA's Kirksey. '' Pensacola News Journal''. 25 Apr 1987. * ''

'', 1969–2010. * Kirksey, Jerry. eblog Jerry's JournalJuly 2004-Oct 2005. ''

''. Accessed 4 Jun 2006. rchived. * SGMA, "Jerry Kirksey." Accessed 28 Dec 2011. . {{DEFAULTSORT:Kirksey, Jerry 1940 births American magazine editors Living people Southern gospel performers