Dottie Rambo (March 2, 1934 — May 11, 2008) was an American Southern Gospel singer, songwriter, and musician. Rambo was both a Grammy and Dove award winning artist. She penned more than twenty-five hundred songs, including her most notable He Looked Beyond My Fault and Saw My Need and I Go To the Rock. In 2000, Rambo was awarded the ASCAP Lifetime Achievement Award. Her music is known for its simple melodies and often dealing with themes such as heaven, Christian sacrifice, and the born-again Christian experience.[1] Rambo suffered hard times in the 1990s with severe health problems and the breakup of Reba Rambo-McGuire her marriage to Buck Rambo. She co-authored numerous songs with her daughter, Reba Rambo-McGuire and her son-in-law, Dony McGuire. Dottie had two grandchildren, Destiny McGuire and Israel Anthem , both accomplished musicians. Prior to her solo career, she performed with The Rambos, the family group composed of Dottie, Buck and Reba.
Early life
She was born Joyce Reba Luttrell in Madisonville, Kentucky at the height of the Great Depression. She was the daughter of Jerald Vernon “Chick” and Elizabeth Luttrell (The Legacy of Buck & Dottie Rambo by Buck Rambo). According to personal accounts, she grew up in poverty and developed an early affinity for country music. She learned to play guitar while listening at night to the Grand Ole Opry on WSM radio in Nashville. At eight years of age, 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 age ten she was singing and playing country music cover tunes on a local radio program.
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] "The Gospel Echoes" would consist of several members over the years including "Pat Green" and "Little Joe Hatfield".
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 "The 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 say 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 the then-governor of Louisiana, Jimmie Davis, who was also a popular country and gospel music recording artist. 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] Though Jimmie Davis appears as a co-writer on Rambo's compositions during this time period she publicly stated he did not write any music or lyrics to her compositions but required a writer's share upon the publishing agreement. Jimmie Davis Music is now owned by Peer Music.
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] While in Vietnam Rambo ministered in field hospitals The Kittyhawk, and Ticonderoga. While in Vietnam the group was billed as the "Swinging Rambos" as the Government feared that a Christian singing group's safety could be at risk. US soldiers presented Dottie with a Viet Cong flag and other personal mementos from the war.
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. In addition to her solo and trio recordings, Rambo has appeared on other artist's recordings including Jimmie Davis, Barbara Mandrell, Dickie Betts, The Dunaways and David Robertson.
Her dynamic vocal along with her ability to minister would find Rambo working with nearly every popular minister in modern history including: Billy Graham, Oral Roberts, Benny Hinn, Kathryn Kuhlman, John Hagee, Jim Bakker, Tammy Faye Bakker-Messner, Paul and Jan Crouch, Paula White, Reinhard Bonnke, E. V. Hill, Pat Robertson and more.
Composer
Rambo reportedly wrote and co-wrote 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 database.[13] She was nevertheless a prolific composer and her hits included "We Shall Behold Him", "Holy Spirit Thou Art Welcome (In This Place)", "I Go To The Rock", “Sheltered In The Arms Of God”, “I Will Glory In The Cross”, “He Looked Beyond My Fault”, “Tears Will Never Stain The Streets Of That City”, “What Earthly Reason”, “If That Isn’t Love”, and many more.
Her songs have been recorded by many gospel and secular artists including the original recording of Dottie singing "We Shall Behold Him" recorded with The Bobby Jones Gospel Choir, Carol Channing ("One More Valley"), 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”, "I Don't Have The Heart", "Brand New Breed Of Believers"), The Oakridge Boys (“Sailing Toward Home” "He Looked Beyond My Fault And Saw My Need", "Mama's Teaching Angels How To Sing" among others), Whitney Houston & The Georgia Mass Choir (“I Go To The Rock”), Mark Lowry (“I Call Him Lord), Jessy Dixon (“I’ve Never Been This Homesick Before”, "Too Much To Gain To Loose", "One More Valley", "I Go To The Rock"), Amy Lambert ("The Hills of Home"), The Hayes Family ("The Church Triumphant"), Sandi Patty ("He Was The Talk Of The Town" “I Will Lift You There”, “Keeper Of The Well”, "We Shall Behold Him"), Dolly Parton (“Stand By The River” "Jeanie's Afraid Of The Dark" duet w/Porter Wagoner), Bill & Gloria Gaither (“If That Isn’t Love”), Steve Green (“When His Kingdom Comes”), Imperials (“We Shall Behold Him”), Dottie West. (“Tiny”), Lily Tomlin ("Mama's Teaching Angels How To Sing", "Germs"), Albertina Walker ("He Looked Beyond My Fault and Saw My Need", "I Go To The Rock"), Porter Wagoner ("Sheltered In The Arms Of God"), Mel Tillis ("Remind Me Dear Lord"), Hank Snow ("Just One Of A Kind"), Bill Monroe ("It's Me Again Lord"), Rhonda Vincent ("Sheltered In The Arms Of God", "Just One Of A Kind"), Jerry Lee Lewis ("He Looked Beyond My Fault and Saw My Need", "Too Much To Gain To Lose"), Vince Gill with Tim Surrett ("Tears Will Never Stain The Streets Of That City"), Crystal Gayle ("Tiny"), Larry Gatlin ("Sheltered In The Arms Of God", "Too Much To Gain To Lose"), Wanda Jackson ("I've Never Been This Homesick Before", "It's Hard To Sing The Blues", "I Will Glory In The Cross" among others), Jim and Jesse ("Just One Of A Kind"), Connie Smith ("In The Valley He Restoreth My Soul", "Don't Let Me Walk To Far From Calvary", among others), Charlie Louvin ("When Is He Coming Again"), Alison Krauss and The Cox Family ("Remind Me Dear Lord"), The Isaacs ("He Ain't Never Done Me Nothing But Good"), Jeannie C. Riley ("Love Letters" "I Won't Ask For More" among others), Jean Shepard ("Too Much To Gain To Loose"), Vickie Winans ("We Shall Behold Him"), CeCe Winans ("He Looked Beyond My Fault and Saw My Need"), David Phelps("Behold The Lamb", "If That Isn't Love", He Looked Beyond My Fault and Saw My Need"), The Gastineaus (" I've never Been This Homesick Before"), Larnelle Harris ("I Go To The Rock, He Looked Beyond My Faults, I Will Glory In The Cross), Nancy Harmon ("When I Life Up My Head, The Whole World Is A Vineyard"), Commissioned, ("We Shall Behold Him), Angelo & Veronica ("I Go To The Rock"), Jimmy Swaggart ("I've Never Been This Homesick Before") Janet Paschal ("I Call Him Lord"), Aaron Geoffrey with DC Talk ("I Go To The Rock"), Truth ("He Was The Talk Of The Town, "I Go To The Rock") Albertina Walker ("I Go To The Rock" duet with Dottie, "He Looked Beyond My Faults") and a host of other artists.
Rambo's compositions have appeared on countless television series and specials including "Saturday Night Live" and "Dr. Phil". Movie soundtracks such as "The Preacher's Wife" ("I Go To The Rock") and 2004's "Undertow" ("Sheltered In The Arms Of God") BET's "Sunday Best" two of the contestants sang, "I Go To The Rock" & "We Shall Behold Him".
Throughout her career, beginning with the sixties "Gospel Singing Jubilee", Rambo appeared on numerous television programs on virtually every Christian network as well as the TNN, PAX, and GMT Women's Entertainment channels. She had her own 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 was also a regular guest on Bill Gaither’s syndicated Gaither Homecoming program.[2]
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.
Rambo toured as often as her health would permit during that time. She finally returned to full time ministry and touring in 2002.
Later years
In the late 1990s, she again performed in concerts, evangelistic meetings and churches across the United States. In 2007, she performed nationwide and appeared in concert at country singer Dolly Parton’s Tennessee theme park, Dollywood.
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’’.[2]
In November 2007, Rambo completed another studio album with the working title of "Sheltered". This album has a projected release of Spring 2008. The project features 12 tracks including duets with Porter Wagoner, Mel Tillis, The Whites and Lulu Roman. Upon completing this project Rambo started another project that will feature new compositions and music for a 2009 release. A tribute CD of artists from various genres of music is also being produced.
In 2007, the Annalee Mobiltee doll company released a limited edition collector's "Dottie Rambo Anniversary Doll".
Death
Rambo died on May 11, 2008, as a result of injuries sustained in a bus accident along Interstate 44 just outside of Mount Vernon, Missouri. She had just finished a performance at Calvary Life Church, Pastor Mark Maynard, in Granite City, IL. Rambo was en route to a Mother's Day show in Texas when the 1997 Prévost bus she was traveling in ran off the road, struck a guard rail and hit an embankment. Rambo was pronounced dead at the scene. The 2 a.m. accident was reported as possibly being weather related after severe storms had recently passed through the area.[14][15]
Her funeral was held at Christ Church in Nashville, Tennessee on May 19, 2008. In addition to Dottie's family, there were many industry executives and artists which included country singer, Barbara Mandrell, Sandi Patty, Andrae Crouch, The Perrys, Larry Strickland, Linda Davis and many others. Rambo was interred at the Woodlawn Memorial Park Cemetery in Nashville.
Honors
Dottie was recently inducted into the Christian Music Hall of Fame where she was to be formally inducted on June 14, 2008. She received numerous awards and other honors over the years and was 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).[16]
References
External links
