DOTTIE RAMBO

Dottie Rambo
Dottie Rambo
Born	March 2 1934 Madisonville, Kentucky, United States
Occupation	Gospel Singer/Songwriter
Years active	1960's–present
Genre(s)	Southern Gospel, Country Gospel, Black Gospel, Contemporary Christian
Label(s)	Warner Bros. Records Benson Heartwarming
Formerly recorded with	The Gospel Echoes and The Singing Rambo's
Official website	www.dottierambo.net

'Dottie Rambo' (born March 2 1934) is an American singer, songwriter, and musician in the genre of southern gospel and country gospel music. Her music is renowned internationally for its simple melodies and articulate, evocative lyrical qualities, often dealing with themes such as heaven, Christian sacrifice, and the born-again Christian experience.^[1] She was born Joyce Reba Lutrell in Madisonville, Kentucky at the height of the Great Depression. According to personal accounts, she grew up in poverty and developed an early affinity for country music. She learned to play guitar at night listening to the Grand Ole Opry on WSM radio in Nashville. At eight, she started writing songs while sitting on a creek bank near her Morganfield, Kentucky home.^[2] She had the support of her mother and father and by the age of ten she was singing and playing country music cover tunes on a local radio program.

Contents

Early life

Recording artist

Composer

Hard times

Later years

Honors

Song list

Discography

Solo

As "The Rambos"

Awards

References

External links

Early life

At twelve-years old, she became a born-again Christian and made a commitment to write and sing Christian music. The decision turned out to be pivotal in more than one way; it did not sit well with her father who gave her an ultimatum – give up Christian music or leave. She left home and went on the road, with her first engagement being at a church in Indianapolis, Indiana. She formed a trio called “The Gospel Echoes” and traveled throughout the Midwestern and southern United States.^[3]
In 1950, at age sixteen, she met Buck Rambo at a revival meeting. They married shortly thereafter and began traveling and singing together with ‘’The Gospel Echoes” and later as "The Singing Rambos" and "Rambos". In 1952 she and Buck gave birth to a baby girl they named Reba Faye. Accounts differ as to their daughter’s entrance into the group some saying she was singing as early as three,^[4] while Reba Rambo-McGuire’s personal bio says she began at age twelve.^[5]
Through an introduction by the Happy Goodman Family, another gospel group, Rambo sang for then governor of Louisiana, Jimmie Davis, who was also a popular country and gospel music recording artists. Davis signed her to a writing contract with his publishing company, Jimmie Davis Music (BMI). She received a signing bonus of around $3,000, the most she had ever earned to that time.^[6]
Throughout the 1960s her star began to rise and with Buck and Reba as “The Singing Rambos” she traveled internationally, including a 1967 trip to Vietnam to perform for American troops.^[7]

Recording artist

It was her first big break and Davis’ company’s promotion of Rambo’s songs resulted in a Warner Bros. Records recording contract for her and The Gospel Echoes. After earning as little as $50 a week for years, often working day jobs to make ends meet, Rambo’s fortunes began to improve. Their records were selling and her songs were being noticed within the industry, with other gospel groups beginning to record them.^[8] In 1968 she won a Grammy Award for Best Soul Gospel Performance for her album ''It’s The Soul Of Me''.^[9] Upon leaving Warner Bros., she signed with the Benson Records and their Heartwarming label of Nashville and maintained a long-term relationship with them.

Composer

Rambo has reportedly written and co-written between 700 and 2,500 songs.^[10] However ASCAP has registered 205 titles in its online database to date^[11] and BMI shows an additional 87 songs.^[12] In the case of ASCAP, this disparity may be attributed to the possibility that all of a given writer’s titles may not yet have been uploaded to their data base.^[13] She is, nevertheless a prolific composer and her hits include " We Shall Behold Him", "Holy Spirit Thou Art Welcome (In The Place)", "I Go To The Rock", “Sheltered Within The Arms Of God”, “I Will Glory In The Cross”, “He Saw Beyond My Fault”, “Tears Will Never Stain The Streets Of That City”, “What Earthly Reason”, “If That Isn’t Love”, and many more. She co-wrote a number of songs with former Louisiana governor Jimmie Davis.^[14]
Her songs have been recorded by an impressive list of gospel and secular artist alike, including Andrae Crouch (“He Looked Beyond My Fault”), Elvis Presley (“If That Isn’t Love”), Walt Mills (“Just In Time”), Barbara Mandrell (“I Will Glory In The Cross”), The Whites (“He Hasn’t Lost His Touch”), The Oakridge Boys (“Sailing Toward Home”), Cynthia Clawson (“Teach Us To Pray”), Whitney Houston (“I Go To The Rock”), Mark Lowry (“I Call Him Lord), Jessy Dixon (“I’ve Never Been This Homesick Before”), Sandi Patty (“I Will Lift You There”, “Keeper Of The Well”), Dolly Parton (“Stand By The River”), Bill & Gloria Gaither (“If That Isn’t Love”), Steve Green (“When His Kingdom Comes”), Imperials (“We Shall Behold Him”) and Dottie West. (“Tiny”).^[15]
Throughout her career, beginning with the sixties "Gospel Singing Jubilee", Rambo has appeared on numerous television programs on virtually every Christian network as well as the TNN, PAX, and GMT channels. She had her own successful series, "Dottie Rambo Magazine" in the 1980s on TBN which was the No.1 rated program on the network for six years and has rerun on and off since.^[7] She also has been a regular guest on Bill Gaither’s syndicated Gaither Homecoming program^[17]

Hard times

In 1987, Rambo suffered a ruptured disk which led to paralysis in her left leg. She underwent a series of surgeries that eventually reinstated limited mobility.
During this time her husband left her, and was involved with other women.^[18] Dottie and he divorced in the April of 1994 and he remarried. She remains single. After the divorce, unable to work, she struggled with finances and was forced to rely on the support of family and friends. Following those life-altering experiences, Dottie's secretary absconded with all of Dottie’s and her ministry's finances and disappeared. ^[19]

Later years

In the late- 90s, she was able to make selected appearances, performing in concerts, evangelistic meetings and churches across the nation. Her calendar has become more robust in recent years and in 2007, she will perform nationwide and will appear in concert at country singer Dolly Parton’s Tennessee theme park, Dollywood. She is currently booked for about fifty dates and will probably include more as the year progresses.^[20]
In 2003 Rambo reentered the studio to record her first solo album in eighteen years. The result was the award-winning hit ‘’Stand By The River’’.^[21]
She is now back in the studio and has begun the recording of a new album. This album will be a continuation of the perseverance that she has shown to the world. There will be some oldies, but there will also be some new hits that Dottie will be adding to her portfolio. Stay tuned to her website www.dottierambo.net for the release dates.

Honors

She has received numerous awards and other honors over the years and has being inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame on two occasions; once with The Rambos and once as a solo artist. In 1994 the Christian Country Music Association awarded her with the Songwriter of the Century Award. In 1999, she won a GMA Dove Award for “I Go To The Rock” which Whitney Houston performed in the Hollywood film, ''The Preacher's Wife''. She was given the "ASCAP Lifetime Achievement Award" in 2000, and two "Christian Country Music Association" (CCMA) awards; the “Pioneer Award” in 2003, and in 2004, “Songwriter of the Year”. She was inducted into the 'Kentucky Music Hall of Fame' in 2006. Her most recent CD, ''Stand By The River'' won two "Christian Music Fan Awards", for “Song of The Year” and “Duo of The Year” (with Dolly Parton).^[22]

Song list

List of songs by Dottie Rambo

Discography

Albums released in North American

Solo

0 The Good Ole Days
0 Big Heart Warm Voice
1965 Dottie Rambo and The Imperials
1967 It's The Soul Of Me/Sings Spirituals
1972 Heart Prints
1973 Dottie Rambo Song Book
1977 Love Letters
1978 Choral Concert Of Love
1981 Makin' My Own Place
1992 Hook Line, Subject & Rhyme
1993 Walkin Toward Recovery
1993 Dottie Rambo (self title)
1994 Mama's Favorite Hymns
1994 Oil And The Wine (Son of Thunder, Daughter of Light)
1996 Down By The Creek Bank
2004 Stand By The River

As "The Rambos"

0 Rambos
1965 Gospel Echoes "Those Singing Rambos" (Introducing Buck and Dottie's Daughter, Reba)
1966 Come Spring
1967 Gospel Ballads
1968 The Soul Singing Rambos
1969 This Is My Valley
1970 An Evening With The Rambos
1970 Live
1971 Soul Classics
1971 Reflections
1972 The Best Of The Rambos
1972 Soul In The Family
1973 Sing Me On Home
1973 Spotlighting The Rambos
1973 Belief
1973 Sonshine
1974 Yours, Until He Comes
1974 Rambos Alive and Live at Souls Harbor
1975 There Has To Be A Song
1975 These Three Are One
1976 The Son Is Shining
1976 Rambo Country
1977 Naturally
1978 Queen of Paradise
1978 Down By The Creek Bank
1979 Rambos Silver Jubilee
1979 Crossin' Over
1981 Rambo Reunion
1982 We Shall Behold Him/Muical
1983 Son Of Thunder, Daughter of Light
1983 Memories Made New
1984 Destined For The Throne
1984 The Perfect Rose Single & Interview
1986 Reaching Around The World
1987 The Legend Continues
1990 Greatest Hits Vol. 1&2
1990 Greatest Hits Video
1990 Christian Video Magazine "The Rambos Special"
1992 Masters of Gospel
1992 Lost Recordings of The Rambos/Gospel Echoes
1993 Walking Toward Recovery
1993 Dottie Rambo (self title)
1994 Mama's Favorite Hymns
1994 Oil And The Wine (Son of Thunder, Daughter of Light)
1994 20 Gospel Classics
1996 Best Of The Jubilee Years The Rambos
1998 Rambos Collection Vol. 1&2

Awards

Dove Award Winner:

★ 1981

★
★ Songwriter of the Year

★
★ Song of the Year -- "We Shall Behold Him"

★ 1991

★
★ Gospel Music Hall of Fame
Grammy Winner:

★ 1968

★
★ Best Soul Gospel Performance -- "The Soul of Me"

References

1. ”I Will Glory In The Cross”, John T Benson Publishing Co Inc
2. http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=52921194 Dottie Rambo Bio from myspace.com Captured