Rosa Nell Powell (née Speer; September 22, 1922 – May 16, 2017)
was an American
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 ...
singer who sang with the well-known
Speer Family
The Speer Family was a Southern gospel family musical group. It was founded in 1921 by George Thomas ("Dad") Speer (1891–1966), his wife, Lena Darling ("Mom") Speer (née Brock; 1899–1967), and his sister and brother-in-law, Pearl Claborn (1 ...
. She was born in
Double Springs, Alabama
Double Springs is a town in Winston County, Alabama, Winston County, Alabama, United States. The city is the county seat of Winston County. The county seat was initially located at Houston, Alabama, Houston, but by referendum in 1883, Double Spri ...
, the second child (and oldest daughter) of George Thomas "GT" Speer and Lena (née Brock) Speer (known to most people in Southern gospel music as "Dad" and "Mom" Speer), who led and helped founded the family group.
Speer began singing with the group at age 3, and eventually became the singing group's pianist. Along with her parents, she performed with her brothers,
Jackson Brock and
Ben Lacy, and sister,
Mary Tom.
She continued to perform with the group/family until 1948, when she left to get married.
[ Eventually Speer-Powell would return decades later to perform sporadically with the group (till its end in 1997), and sometimes with the Gaither Homecoming Series as well. Speer was inducted into the ]Southern Gospel Music Association
The Southern Gospel Music Association (''SGMA'') is a non-profit corporation formed as an association of southern gospel music singers, songwriters, fans, and industry workers. Membership is acquired and maintained through payment of annual dues. T ...
in 2005.
Personal life
Speer married Edwin Powell in 1948. He died in May, 1979.
Death
Speer-Powell died on May 16, 2017. She was 94 years old. A pioneer of the Gaither homecoming, she left behind 3 kids and grandkids.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Speer, Mary
1922 births
2017 deaths
20th-century American singers
20th-century American pianists
Gospel music pianists
Southern gospel performers
20th-century American women pianists
21st-century American women
People from Winston County, Alabama