Dixie Melody Boys

The Dixie Melody Boys are an American Southern Gospel quartet from Kinston, North Carolina. They have been active for over 50 years.

History

The group was founded in 1961 by Avis Adkins with Eugene Payne, Ralph Walker and Tony Brown on piano; Ed O'Neal, their bass singer, joined in 1963, and subsequently became the group's leader and manager. Under O'Neal, the group has discovered singers who have gone on to become prominent in Gospel music, including McCray Dove with the Dove Brothers, Rodney Griffin with Greater Vision, Bryan Walker, who went on to become a contestant on Season 9 of American Idol and then later joined The Perrys, and Devin McGlamery with Signature Sound. The group was nicknamed the "Ed O'Neal University" because of the impact that Ed O'Neal has had on the industry of Gospel music.

The group has had more than twenty hits in the Southern gospel field, including "Antioch Church Choir", "Double Dose", "Don't Point a Finger" and "Jesus In My Boat". The group has released a large number of albums and numerous VHS videos and DVDs. They have also won countless awards and even received a Grammy nomination.

Ed O'Neal has received the Marvin Norcross Award and was inducted into the Southern Gospel Museum and Hall of Fame in 2004.

The current group has re-established themselves as one of Gospel music's top groups. The Dixie Melody Boys released their 50th anniversary project The Call Is Still The Same and held their anniversary reunion celebration at the National Quartet Convention. The group added newcomer, Aaron Dishman, in June 2013 and the quartet veteran, Josh Garner, to their line up in September 2013, marking a new chapter in their history.^[1] Tenor, Doug Pittman, joined the group at the National Quartet Convention in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, in September 2014 to create one of the most stellar line-ups in the group's 50+ year history.

In January 2013, the Dixie Melody Boys were honored in the Southern Gospel Music Fan awards.

• Favorite Quartet: The Dixie Melody Boys
• Favorite Bass: Ed O'Neal

The group also won the Favorite Male Quartet and Favorite Bass Singer awards in 2012.^[2] On November 9, 2013 the Dixie Melody Boys were presented with the 2013 AMG Sandy Hosey Lifetime Achievement Award.^[3]

Personnel

Discography

• Jesus Use Me (1963)
• Answering Requests (1964)
• Listen (1965)
• Favorite Instrumentals of the Dixie Melody Boys (1966)
• Together (1973)
• Alive (1974)
• Unlimited (1974)
• Refreshing Soounds (1975)
• He Came Back (1975)
• Refreshing (1976)
• Are You Ready for Gospel (1977)
• Sending Up Boards (1978)
• Favorite Hymns (1978)
• Campmeeting Gospel (1978)
• The Sing-Sational (1979)
• Sing Happy Gospel (1979)
• Live! (1980)
• Just As We Are (1981)
• And Friends Live 1982
• Antioch Church Choir (1982)
• More Than Just Good Ole Boys (1983)
• Too Much Thunder (1984)
• Streetwise (Benson RO3899, 1985)
• Run Little Brother (1986)
• Back Home (1988)
• Ridin' High (1989)
• On Fire (1990)
• Sing The Classics 1990
• Dynamic (1991)
• Gonna Praise the Lord Live (1992)
• No Compromise (1993)
• Masterpiece (1994)
• Traditions & Harmony (1996)
• Old Time Religion (1996)
• 100% Pure Southern Gospel (1997)
• Live in Music City (1998)
• Heading Home (1999)
• Something Old, Something New (2001)
• Quartet Classics (2001)
• Request Time (2001)
• Vintage (2002)
• A Seat in the Heavenly Choir (2004)
• Like Never Before (2005)
• Live at Pigeon Forge (2005)
• Hymns (2006)
• Traditions (2006)
• Smooth and Easy (2006)
• Serenade (2007)
• Back to the Good Ole' Days (2007)
• Singing the Classics (2009)
• Hits Live (2010)
• The Call Is Still the Same (2011)
• Have You Heard (2013)
• Revived (2015)

In 2004 and 2005, the group released seven compilation albums, entitled Historic Journey vols. 1-7.

Between 2011-2015, several compilations were released:, including Ed O'Neal University: EOU Alumni Vols 1-3, Sights of Heaven, Best of Ed O'Neal, Classic Live Performances, and Radio Hits.

References

• Ivan M. Tribe. Dixie Melody Boys. Encyclopedia of American Gospel Music. Routledge, 2005, p. 102.
• Ed O'Neal at the Southern Gospel Music Association
• Dixie Melody Boys at sghistory.com