Truth (American band)
| Truth | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Mobile, Alabama, United States |
| Genres | Contemporary Christian |
| Instruments | Voice |
| Years active | 1971–2001 |
| Labels | Impact, Paragon, Benson, Integrity, Pamplin |
Truth was an American Contemporary Christian group, active from 1971 to 2001. Formed by John Roger Breland, the ensemble's name stands for "Trust, Receive, Unchangeable, True Happiness [in Jesus]". It was initially composed of some 15 members who toured extensively year-round, eventually recording frequently as well. It eventually expanded to 22 members and continued touring regularly for thirty years, dissolving in 2001. In 2000, the group was inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame.
In 1967, Roger Breland, minister of music at Spring Hill Baptist Church in Mobile, Alabama, was inspired by Ralph Carmichael's musical Good News, and introduced the youth choir to a more contemporary sound.
The youth choir at Spring Hill Baptist grew over the course of two years from 7 children to 140 children. Fueled by the inspiration from the group The Spurrlows in concert at his home church, Roger began laying the groundwork for a touring group. Wanting to name the group something with a distinctive identity that did not sound preachy or worldly, Roger's wife, Linda Breland, suggested Truth. The group hit the road in 1971. Traveling in two station wagons, the group sang at barbecues in backyards and opening of service stations in the Southern United States. They were turned away many times from churches because of their contemporary sound. Many times they would do cover work by the Gaithers, with songs like "Get All Excited" and "Because He Lives".
In 1973, Truth performed "The Church Triumphant" to a standing ovation at the annual Southern Baptist Convention in Dallas, Texas. This opened doors for Truth all over the country and would later take them to their first number one hit.
In 1981, Truth had been on the road for ten years. They had success in the local church but not much on the Christian radio stations but that changed when Roger was brought a song written by Gary Driskell entitled "Jesus Never Fails". The song was sung as a duet with the rest of the group singing back-up, and it appeared on the 1982 album Keeper of My Heart. The song rose to number one on the Contemporary Christian chart. More duets brought to the group also made an appearance on the charts such as "You'll Still Be Lord Of All".
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