Gaither To Host 2-Day Event In MN

Alexandria IN – On May 1 & 2, 2026, Gospel Music legend Bill Gaither (pictured in attached jpg) will present a Homecoming Weekend musical celebration at Grace Church in Eden Prairie, MN. Over the course of two days, nearly two dozen Homecoming friends will gather for two exciting concert events. After decades of unprecedented musical success, in 1992 two former school teachers turned songwriters were on the verge of retirement. An avid fan of Gospel quartets throughout his childhood, Bill Gaither founded his first group, The Bill Gaither Trio in 1956 while in college. A few years later he would meet his future wife, Gloria Sickal. The two would marry in 1962 and go on to become arguably the most successful Gospel songwriting team in history, collectively penning more than 700 songs and becoming ASCAP Songwriters of the Century. Before retiring, Gaither gathered his multi-talented quartet, The Gaither Vocal Band, and a few of his long-time heroes like Jake Hess, Hovie Lister, Howard and Vestal Goodman, James Blackwood, Glen Payne, George Younce and JD Sumner to record the classic song, Where Could I Go. “The plan was to go in that morning, record the song, eat some fried chicken and go home,” Gaither remembers. “We had a camera guy in the room video taping, really just for my own personal pleasure, and we decided to take a picture before everyone left. After we took the picture, Eva Mae was sitting at the piano and someone said, ‘Hey Eva Mae, play this’…then everyone started singing. About four hours later, we were still sitting around, singing, sharing stories, laughing and crying, and no one wanted to leave. We had lost all track of time.” When Gaither got the video footage home, he showed it to his wife, Gloria, and the two decided it was something that needed to be shared with the world. Now, 30 years later the Homecoming music collection has become a phenomenon that has captured the hearts of millions worldwide. The series gave birth to the Gaither Homecoming concert tour, which has taken place in cities worldwide with collective attendance figures exceeding more than 1.1 million, while nearly every volume in the the DVD & CD series has certified gold or platinum. For over three decades, Bill and Gloria Gaither have taken their exciting Homecoming Tour on the road, touring internationally and enjoying sold out crowds in cities worldwide. The exciting tradition continues in Eden Prairie as this 2026 Homecoming Celebration brings together dozens of artists on one stage for a weekend that has the promise of being quite historical. This special weekend will feature Gaither’s own Vocal Band, consisting of Wes Hampton, Reggie Smith, Adam Crabb and Todd Suttles, as well as Gaither alum Mark Lowry, Grammy-winning male vocalist, Jason Crabb, as well as popular multi-award winning groups like The Martins, The Hoppers and Karen Peck & New River. Additionally, popular Homecoming artists set to appear include Gordon Mote, Joseph Habedank, Angela Primm, Lynda Randle, Gene McDonald, Ladye Love Smith, Chris Blue and other popular Homecoming friends. This two-day concert event promises to be exciting for the entire family. Make plans now to be a part of the Gaither Homecoming in Eden Prairie at Grace Church on May 1 & 2. Those interested in purchasing tickets for the event may sign up for the pre-sale that will happen on December 17 at bit.ly/GVBHS26SignUp. Tickets go on sale to the general public on December 19. Additional information regarding this exciting event is available at gaither.com or tprlive.co.