Recognizing the 50th Anniversary of the Gospel Stirrers and congratulating its members for their legendary gospel music.

WHEREAS, The Gospel Stirrers were established in 1955 by five talented young men who were committed to using their voices to spread the spirit of the gospel in song; and

WHEREAS, The Gospel Stirrers have stirred the souls and touched the hearts of church goers for generations; and

WHEREAS, Their peers Solomon Burke, Johnny Taylor, Sam Cook and others switched to rock and roll for success, the Gospel Stirrers remained steadfast in their dedication to bringing spiritual joy and hope to listeners across the region; and

WHEREAS, The Gospel Stirrers have transformed themselves over the past 50 years by adding new members but they have maintained their energy and enthusiasm for sharing both traditional and modern melodies; and

WHEREAS, Most recently the Gospel Stirrers launched a new CD that hit number 29 on the music charts; and

WHEREAS, The original members including Moses Dowd, William Bryant, Robert Bryant and Raymond Bryant are in their 60’s and 70’s they have not lost their flare for harmony with the next generation as the youngest member of the Gospel Stirrers is a twelve year old drummer; and

WHEREAS, The newest members of the group include Jossua Thornton, Arnold McIntash, Earl Tabron and AJ Johnson; and

WHEREAS, Their commitment to sharing the blessings of their musical talent to uplift, entertain, and inspire fans remains strong and should be commended; now therefore

RESOLVED, That the Philadelphia City Council hereby recognizes the 50th Anniversary of the Gospel Stirrers and congratulates its members for their legendary gospel music that has brought pleasure to local church goers and radio listeners for the past fifty years; and

FURTHER RESOLVED, That an Engrossed copy of this resolution be presented to the Gospel Stirrers as evidence of the sincere respect and deep admiration of this legislative body.

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