Queen of gospel who had been performing since childhood

Dottie Rambo, who died in a car accident on 11 May, 2008, was regarded as the ‘Queen of Gospel’, a title she earned with more than 60 years of writing, recording and performing sacred music.

From the age of 12 she was resolved to become a gospel singer and at the time of her death, aged 74, she had written more than 2,500 songs, many of which had been recorded by major artists including Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Dolly Parton and Whitney Houston.

As a performer in her own right she was a regular face on Christian television and toured the country throughout her life, except when ill health prevented her. Among her numerous awards, she won a Grammy in 1968 and the Christian Country Music Association named her the ‘Songwriter of the Century’ in 1994.

She was born Joyce Reba Lutrell on 2 March, 1934, in the midst of the Great Depression. Growing up in Kentucky, playing the guitar and listening to the Grand Ole Opry radio show proved welcome distractions from poverty and hardship.

She wrote her first song at eight while sitting by a creek – water would be a recurring theme in her more mature works. With the encouragement of her parents she sung on local country radio and when, at 12, she became a born-again Christian, her future in gospel music was set.

Though her parents had supported her musical career thus far, her father was unhappy about her playing religious music. After being given an ultimatum by him, she left home to tour the South and Midwest in a trio of young musicians called The Gospel Echoes.

At 16, her career, which had already seen her songs being used by other artists, brought her together with fellow singer Buck Rambo. They were married within a year and two years later Dottie gave birth to daughter Reba Faye. The family toured as The Singing Rambos and Dottie was signed by Louisiana governor and country music impresario Jimmie Davis as a writer with his publishing company.

The Singing Rambos (with young Reba Faye now performing too) toured the world during the 1960s, including visiting Vietnam to entertain the American troops there. As her reputation started to grow, Warner Brothers gave her a recording contract and released a solo album and an album by The Rambos called Gospel Echoes (1965).

In 1968 her solo album, It's The Soul Of Me (Dottie Rambo Sings Spirituals), won the Grammy Award for ‘Best Soul Gospel Performance’, further enhancing her renown. She moved to Benson Records’ Nashville-based Heartwarming label and recorded prolifically over the next three decades, often releasing two or more albums per year.

Her songs were often aspirational in nature, with titles like We Shall Behold Him, I Will Glory In The Cross and I Will Lift You There. Her booming voice sang to simple melodies but was accompanied by lavish southern production that complemented the glories she would sing about.

She collaborated with many Nashville stars, including Porter Wagoner (Sheltered In The Arms Of God) and Dolly Parton (Stand By The River). The latter collaboration took place in 2003 and was nominated for three awards by the Christian Country Music Association.

Her career was interrupted in 1987 when an injury paralysed her left leg, but she returned to performing after surgery. Dottie and Buck divorced in 1994 and Buck married the group’s secretary, ending the Rambos’ career. Shortly afterwards, their office manager stole much of their money and vanished. Dottie made a couple of solo records but became increasingly disillusioned with the business and gave up recording for several years.

In the interim she continued to perform and worked at her ministry in Nashville. In 2003 she returned to the studio to make the album, Stand By The River, and made a further three albums, the last of which, Sheltered, was due for release in spring 2008.

Dottie was on her way to a Mother’s Day show in Texas when the bus she was travelling in careered off a wet road and crashed into an embankment. She died at the scene, while seven other people were injured.