Southern gospel patriarch Buck Rambo dies aged 84

A KEY figure in the development of Southern gospel music, Richard Fay "Buck" Rambo recently died aged 84. As the leader of The Singing Rambos, Buck received numerous awards and in 2001, together with other group members, was inducted into the Gospel Music Association's Hall Of Fame.

Buck was born on 15th December, 1931. After becoming a Christian in 1949 he entered full time ministry in 1954 starting a gospel singing group The Gospel Echoes with his wife Dottie. When his daughter Reba joined the group at the age of 12 they changed their name to The Singing Rambos. Their style of singing has been described as "a harmonic blend of Buck's country-style singing and Dottie's mountain-style black soul music."

Throughout the '60s and '70s The Rambos recorded numerous bestselling albums for Benson's Heart Warming label. They were a huge part of the early beginnings of Christian TV's The 700 Club and the weekly TV show Gospel Singing Jubilee. Buck and Dottie were divorced in the mid-1990s. Buck wrote the book The Legacy Of The Rambos and was featured in the first ever Bill & Gloria Gaither Present Their Homecoming Friends video. Buck Rambo died in Palmetto, Florida on 21st February.