The
Gospel Music Association (GMA) was founded in 1964 to promote Gospel music. It was created as an extension of the National Quartet Convention, a convention devoted to
Southern gospel that had been operating since 1956. Its founding board included Don Butler,
Cecil and
James Blackwood,
Vestal Goodman, Charlie Lamb, Don Light, and
J.D. Sumner, and its first president was
Tennessee Ernie Ford. In its early years, it faced competition from the United States Gospel Music Association, a for-profit entity also focused on gospel music. In the 1970s and 1980s, tension and conflict emerged between
Southern gospel and the newer developments of
Jesus music and
Contemporary Christian music. Southern Gospel conservatives had been resistant to
racial integration, and even as they were slowly becoming more receptive to integration, the new developments in Christian music resulted in Southern Gospel becoming increasingly marginalized by music consumers and losing influence in the GMA. Many Southern conservatives, including members of the GMA, also disapproved of rock music and felt that the newer styles of Gospel music being promoted by the GMA indicated that the organization was essentially moving into an alliance with the "enemy". The Southern Gospel industry became disenchanted with the direction that the GMA was heading and a new organization, the Southern Gospel Music Association, was formed by Charles Waller. However, in 1985, this organization was absorbed by the GMA. ==Southern Gospel Museum and Hall of Fame==