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Lewis Family, The

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THE LEWIS FAMILY

  • From Lincolnton, Georgia.
  • They were known as “The First Family of Bluegrass Gospel Music.”
  • 1950, they were first known as the Lewis Brothers: Talmadge, Esley and Wallace, along with Dad (Roy) and Miggie.
  • In the mid-fifties, they changed the name of the group to The Lewis Family, and included sisters Miggie, Polly and Janis, brothers Wallace, Talmadge and Little Roy, and Pop (Roy, Sr.)
  • They were one of the first bluegrass groups to feature female vocalists.
  • Over their 50-year career in music, they recorded more than 100 albums of bluegrass gospel music for such record labels as Starday, Canaan, Hollywood, Benson, Crest, Federal, Thoroughbred, Riversong, Gusto, Mountain Home, Music Mill, Sullivan, Daywind, Ember, Nashville, Melodisc and Timberline.
  • 1954, began their own TV show in Augusta Georgia (final broadcast: September 13,1992.)
  • 1993, purchased the late Conway Twitty’s bus and matching trailer.
  • 2000, Pop Lewis was inducted into the Southern Gospel Music Association Hall of Fame (May 24).
  • 2002, they received IBMA’s Distinguished Achievement award.
  • 2003, Mom Lewis died, 2/8.
  • 2004, Pop Lewis died, 3/23.
  • 2006, they were inducted into the Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame.
  • 2007, Wallace Lewis died 5/16.
  • 2009, after winning two more Dove Awards (Gospel music’s highest award), the Lewis Family officially retired. Little Roy Lewis began performing as a duo with his foster daughter Lizzie Long.
  • 2010, Travis Lewis (son of Wallace) and his son Jameson, Janis Lewis and her son Lewis Phillips formed a new band called The Lewis Tradition and released “Precious Memories” album (Thoroughbred).
  • 2015, they were inducted into the Blue Ridge Music Hall of Fame (Wilkesboro, North Carolina).
  • 2017, Miggie Lewis died, 12/26.
  • 2018, Polly Lewis died, 8/19.

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