Bluegrass Gospel great Enoch Sullivan, patriarch of the Sullivan Family of Alabama, passed away on February 23. He was 79 years old.
Together with his wife, Margie Sullivan, Enoch performed all over the United States, had a number of very popular radio programs and was a frequent performer on The Grand Ole Opry. The Sullivans received the IBMA Distinguished Achievement Award in 2005 for their lifetime commitment to the music, among many other honors that have been bestowed over the years.
An obituary appearing in Variety shares these details about Enoch and Margie.
They met in their teens, when Sullivan was playing mandolin in a group led by his father, the Rev. Arthur Sullivan. Their repertoire favored traditional old-time music and bluegrass gospel standards.
The group – dubbed “the first family of bluegrass gospel music” by Bill Monroe — included such young performers as future country star Marty Stuart, who debuted with the Sullivans at age 12.
Other members of their band over the years include Carl Jackson and Joe Stuart.
Visitation and burial services will be held February 26 at the Clearwater Assembly of God Church in Wagarville, AL from 1:00-3:00 p.m.
Another tribute to Enoch can be found at Tributes.com.
