Take
Southern Gospel Music, add a touch of Country, then blend in a batch of
unique and original songs, and you have the music ministry of Lewis &
Lewis. Ray and Laura Lewis have been singing and writing Gospel songs for
over twenty-five years. Shortly
after his conversion in the mid-sixties, Ray penned a song entitled, "It
Happened", which was immediately recorded by the Happy Goodman Family.
This launched
his songwriting career. The Goodmans continued to record his compositions as
did other popular artists like The Kingsmen, Dixie Melody Boys,
Fox Brothers, Doug Oldham, Carroll Roberson, and even Grand Ole Opry Star Connie Smith. It was
also Ray who found and first recorded the classic Gospel song, "God Walks the Dark
Hills."
For eight
years, he served as Publishing Coordinator for Chestnut Mound Music Group,
one of the nation's most successful publishers of Gospel music. He left that
post to devote full time to the music ministries of Lewis & Lewis.
Laura
started writing songs as a teen-ager, but it wasn't until just a few years
ago when her song, "Walking Back Down", recorded by the Chandlers, zoomed to
the top of the national charts that she began to impact the Gospel music
industry. A whole string of hit songs followed that initial success like, "I
Won't Trade The Old Rugged Cross (To Sing 'Your Cheatin' Heart')", recorded
by the Kindlers, "I'll Go On For You", by the Perry's, and "The Blood Is
Still Here", by the Inspirations. Her song, "I'm A Winner Either Way",
has been recorded by
scores of artists through the years, but Mike Upright and Standing Tall,
claimed the number #14 spot on the Singing News Charts with this song. Then
The Inspirations recorded it and sent it to radio, taking it to the #5 spot
on the Singing News Charts. It was voted the #33 Song of the Year out of the
Top Forty by the Singing News Magazine in 2006.
Laura's songs have now been recorded by literally hundreds of groups, making
her one of Gospel music's most prolific songwriters.
Each holiday season the couple's recording of
"Christmas, 1954" continues to be one of the most requested songs on both
Gospel and Country radio stations, and has also been released as a concept
video. It can be viewed on Youtube, along
with many other videos by Lewis & Lewis.
It's music that touches hearts...
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