Cybergrass Bluegrass Music News: Elizabeth 'Lady' Mull a Southern Gospel Music Association Hall of Fame inductee

BMNN wrote: on Nov. 03, 2009:

Radio and TV personality, concert promoter Elizabeth "Lady" Mull of Knoxville, Tenn., originally from Lenior City, attended her induction into the Southern Gospel Music Hall of Fame at Dollywood recently in Pigeon Forge, Tenn. "Best known as "Mizz Mull" or "Lady Mull" to listeners of the "Mull Singing Convention." The wife of the late Rev. J. Bazzel Mull co-hosted the landmark television broadcasts," said Charlie Waller, SGMA executive director. "She and her husband appeared on radio stations throughout the country and owned numerous stations including WJBZ, Praise 96.3, in Knoxville."

The couple promoted gospel music concerts throughout the Southeast and published a successful church songbook series, he said. The Chuck Wagon Gang sang "Lord, Lead Me On" to honor Mrs. Mull. Dr. Jerry Goff welcomed the inductee to the stage and SGMA board member Earl Eleton officially inducted her by placing the medallion around her neck.

"I want to thank the SGMA for this award. I am not use to talking too much because when the preacher was living, he did most of the talking," she said. "In other words he was the voice and I was the echo. We were on stations all across the country. Five of those stations were 50,000 watts. We received mail from Bahamas, Canada, Alaska, and for a while we were on a station in Hawaii and we were on XERF in Del Rio, Texas and then we received mail from Mexico. The station we have now, named after the preacher, is WJBZ Praise 96.3 Knoxville. Knoxville has been on the air for 18 years day and night in Knoxville. Our grandson – Doug is the manager of that station.

"We were on television in Chattanooga for 26 years and Asheville on WLOS-TV for several years," she said. "Our daughter Charlotte helps me with the television show in Knoxville now. ‘Mull Singing Convention' has been on television in Knoxville for over 53 years. It's the longest locally produced program in the country you can see it every Sunday morning from seven to eight on WBLT-TV Channel 8. The preacher was inducted in 2003. Now that I am honored with this award, they will stand together in my home. Because that's the way we were hand in hand, side by side for 62 years. Please remember the Mull family in your prayers."

The other 2009 SGMA class of inductees are Neil Enloe, Ed Hill, Harold Lane, Don Light, Bill Lyles, Billy Todd and Charlie Waller. Country Music Hall of Famer Barbara Mandrell received the James D. Vaughn Impact Award at the event.

The Southern Gospel Music Association is a non-profit organization that maintains the Southern Gospel Museum and Hall of Fame, the only facility honoring this genre of music, for the historic preservation of the accomplishments of the music and its people. Museum hours match those of Dollywood. Donations are tax-deductible. Individuals and businesses may donate to assist with honoring inductees with special bronze plaques that are displayed in the Hall of Fame. For more information about the museum or its inductees, visit www.sgma.org.

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