Wendell Lee "Wendy" Bagwell (May 16, 1925 – June 13, 1996) was the founding member and leader of the Southern gospel music and comedy trio

Wendy Bagwell and the Sunliters Wendy Bagwell and the Sunliters was a Southern gospel music and comedy trio that was inducted into the Gospel Music Association's Gospel Music Hall of Fame in 2001. Personnel The group originally consisted of Wendy Bagwell, Geraldine Terry (later ...

Early years

The son of Cajer and Arza Bagwell, Bagwell was born in

Chamblee, Georgia Chamblee ( ) is a city in northern DeKalb County, Georgia, United States, northeast of Atlanta. The population was 30,164 as of the 2020 census. History The area that would later become Chamblee was originally dairy farms. During the late ninet ...

. His secondary education was at West Fulton High School in Atlanta, Georgia. Bagwell served in the United States Marine Corps and twice was decorated for bravery. Bagwell returned home where at the age of 21, he adopted an abused nephew.

Career

In 1953, he formed Wendy Bagwell and the Sunliters. He joined with two young singers he met in church, Geraldine Terry (later known professionally as Jerri Morrison), and Georgia Jones (ultimately replaced by "Little Jan" Buckner, the wife of Bagwell's adopted nephew), to form the gospel trio. Bagwell was best known for his comedy monologues, notably the million-selling "Here Come the Rattlesnakes" (also known as "The Rattlesnake Song"), an account of the trio's performance at a small church that engaged in snake handling. Bagwell also was seen in television commercials as a spokesman for Stanback Headache Powders.

Death

Bagwell died on June 13, 1996, of a brain aneurysm.

Recognition

In 1970, Bagwell was nominated for a

Grammy Award The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pr ...

for Best Gospel Performance (Other Than Soul Gospel) for the album ''Talk About the Good Times''. Bagwell was inducted into the Southern Gospel Music Association Hall of Fame in 1997Wendy Bagwell profile
sgma.org; accessed June 29, 2008. and into the GMA Hall Of Fame in 2001.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bagwell, Wendy 1925 births 1996 deaths American performers of Christian music People from Chamblee, Georgia Singers from Georgia (U.S. state) Southern gospel performers 20th-century American singers