Welcome to the website of Sherrill and Brenda Nielsen, VOICE. Sherrill and Brenda, performing as a duo
offer an amazing variety in entertainment. They are available for concerts, churches, cruises, backup
singing, recording sessions, etc. Sherrill is a Grammy award recipient, is in the Gospel Music Hall of
Fame with three different groups: The Singing Speers, the Imperials and the Statesmen. Sherrill is a
songwriter, arranger, producer, performer and musician. 2008 was a very busy year for Sherrill and Brenda.
They held concerts in Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Holland, Netherlands, and throughout the United States.
Because of Sherrill’s years of working with Elvis, he is in much demand to share those treasured memories of
time he spent with the King. In 2008, he received a Living Legend Award from the Alabama Country Gospel
Music Association, received a Proclamation from the Governor of Alabama and this year (2009) he will be
inducted into the North America Country Music Hall of Fame for his 50 years dedication in the music industry. So
you can see that time has not slowed him down. Sherrill just released a new CD, From the Heart and Pen of
Sherrill Nielsen. This CD contains 18 of some of the songs that he has written.
SHERRILL AND BRENDA TOGETHER AGAIN...“VOICE”
“God’s Love” …as penned by Sherrill…spun me
around, turned my world upside down, His love
showed to me, how marvelous life could be, His love
gave forever, when all I’d known was never, such a
wonderful endeavor, God’s love made my life brand
new.” Their LOVE was captured with the reunion of
Sherrill and Brenda Nielsen. Their re-marriage has
developed into a duet of two voices blending in such
beautiful harmony that it almost matches the love
and harmony in their hearts. Make sure you read their “Love Story.” They are together again after forty years, and
dedicated to sharing the message of salvation to the world through their gift of music. They hope that you will in
some way, experience “God’s Love” through their music. Sherrill first organized the group “VOICE” in the 1970’s.
VOICE was the group that opened all of the Elvis Presley Shows….with the gospel Spiritual “In My Father’s
House”. Elvis named the group “VOICE” after a Christian periodical that he had read. Since Sherrill’s re-marriage
to Brenda, he has recreated “VOICE”. VOICE consists of Sherrill and Brenda Nielsen. Elvis may have left the
building, but his “VOICE” is still here.
SHERRILL (SHAUN) and BRENDA NIELSEN PERFORMING AS “VOICE”
SHERRILL (SHAUN) NIELSEN
In 1961, because of Dad Speer’s health problems, the Singing Speer Family asked Sherrill to join their group.
Sherrill, at that time, was singing with the Songfellows Quartet from Los Angeles, CA. Sherrill was excited at the
prospect of singing with the legendary Singing Speer Family, a group that were members of the Nazarene
Church in Montgomery, AL, where Sherrill and his grandparents attended when he was just a small boy.
Little did Sherrill know that this was the stepping stone to his legendary career (some 50 plus years). While he
was with the Singing Speer Family, Jake Hess approached Sherrill about singing tenor for a group that he was
planning to organize. In 1963, Sherrill became a member of the legendary Jake Hess and the Imperials Quartet.
He traveled with the Imperials until the spring of 1966 where he returned to California and the Songfellows. In
1967, he joined the Plainsmen Quartet in Baton Rouge, LA. In 1970, Sherrill moved to Atlanta, GA to join the
Hovie Lister and the sensational Statesmen Quartet.
In 1973, Sherrill took a new direction by moving to Nashville, TN to organize a gospel group that opened the
show for Elvis Presley. Elvis’ love for Sherrill’s tenor voice and gospel music led him to claim the group as his
own and Elvis named the group VOICE (after a name he saw on the cover of a religious periodical). According to
Felton Jarvis, Elvis’ producer, Sherrill was Elvis’ favorite singer. In 1977, Elvis and Sherrill’s duet, “Softly As I
Leave You” was nominated for a Grammy as duet of the year. Sherrill stayed with Elvis until Elvis’ death in 1977.
In 1983, the Masters V was looking for a “master tenor voice” to replace Rozie Rozell,. who had suffered a
stoke. They immediately contacted Sherrill and he performed with this legendary group which consisted at that
time of Jake Hess, James Blackwood, J. D. Sumner and Hovie Lister. He left the Masters V for a short time and
returned for a second stint with jack Toney, Ed Hill, J. D. Sumner and Hovie Lister. For the past 12 years, Sherrill
has been performing gospel music in churches and schools in the beautiful Country of Denmark and other parts
of Europe. Denmark is the homeland of his grandfather, C. R. Nielsen, who raised him. Papa Nielsen was
Sherrill’s hero. One of the most exciting experiences of Sherrill’s life was the opportunity to sing in the church
where his grandfather was baptized on the night that would have been his 100th birthday. Living in Denmark,
with bicycle paths and a much slower pace afforded him the serenity and inspiration to pen the words and
music to approximately 40 songs.
SHERRILL (SHAUN) and ELVIS
In 1966, Shaun’s first meeting with Elvis as a
backup singer on his gospel album “How
Great Thou Art”, led to their friendship and an
eventual contract drawn up by Elvis himself.
This contract stated that Shaun and the group
VOICE would open his shows, sing back up
on his records and write songs for his
publishing company.
Shaun is recognized by millions as the singer on Elvis’ recording of “Softly As I Leave You” on which Elvis does a
recitation behind Shaun’s vocal. First released in 1978, this single rose to number 6 in the nation and was
nominated for a Grammy Award. Shaun’s vocal of “O Sole Mio” as the introduction to “It’s Now or Never” is
featured on Elvis’ last album titled “In Concert”.
As a young developing singer, Shaun learned by singing along with the recordings of the Irish tenor John
McCormick, Roy Orbison, Mario Lanza, Hank Williams and Elvis. When these diverse influences delivered with
his soul as a gospel singer touch you, they privilege a moving and unforgettable excursion through the gamut of
your emotions. Upon reviewing an album recorded by Shaun, Elvis’ record producer Felton Jarvis wrote: “Shaun
was Elvis’ favorite singer”. Elvis brought such happiness to so many of us with his music, Shaun brought such
happiness to Elvis with his music. Shaun, an undisputed legend in gospel music, is the only person to be
inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame as a member of 3 different groups: The Speer Family, The Imperials
and the Statesmen. Shaun’s first international recognition as a solo artist came with a song titled “Lights of L.A.,
which charted in Billboards’ country chart. Sherrill, then and now: In 1963, Sherrill met the lovely and talented
Brenda Hall. His first love and the love of his life while singing in Harrisburg, PA. They married and moved to
Atlanta, GA. Then onto Nashville, TN and Ontario, CA. In 1967, they went their separate ways because of the
many hardships brought on by the music business. In 1965, they had a beautiful baby girl, SherRee’ Elicia who
was killed by a drunk driver in 1985. In April 2004, Brenda’s Secretary, JoAnn Garza found Sherrill on the
Internet. Sherrill flew from Denmark, Europe to Houston, TX and the two love birds were reunited and were
married on June 28, 2004 (some 40 years later). In July 2005, Brenda retired from her Architectural/Engineering
position in Houston, TX and the two recently moved to Cullman, AL.
BRENDA (HALL) NIELSEN
Brenda (Hall) Nielsen, has had a very exciting career not only in music but in Architect/Design and Engineering.
Brenda is recognized in the music world as a singer and keyboard musician. Her credits in gospel music include
performing with the Weatherford Quartet, Love Revival Singers and Manager/Promoter of Sacred Artist
Productions. Growing up in a musical family, her natural talent led to mastery of the keyboard as well as brass
and woodwind instruments. She started singing in church at an early age and performed on weekly radio and TV
program’s In the private sector , she has worked as a professional Historian for the Government, as an
architectural Engineer designing and building state-of-the-art office buildings, and as a CEO and President over
several Texas Corporations. Sherrill & Brenda Nielsen (VOICE) are available For bookings. They can be
reached at:
THE MOST BEAUTIFUL LOVE STORY EVER TOLD
In 1963, Sherrill Nielsen (tenor singer with the Speer Family) met the lovely Brenda Hall, his first love and the
love of his life while performing in a concert hosted by the Couriers Quartet in Harrisburg, PA. It was love at first
sight for both of them. On December 12, 1963, they were married in Gettysburg, PA and moved o Atlanta, GA to
team up with and organize the Imperials Quartet. In1965, the Imperials moved to Nashville, TN, where their
beautiful daughter, SherRee’ was born. In 1966, Sherrill and Brenda moved to Ontario, CA to team up with the
Songfellows and the Brush Arbor Jubilee. In 1967, Brenda assessed the situation and realizing that Sherrill did
not need the strain of a wife and baby, at this point in his career, she released him like a cherished butterfly to
pursue his musical career. In 1985, SherRee’ was killed by a drunk driver in Tyler, TX. SherRee’ was Sherrill and
Brenda’s only child.
Sherrill left CA and joined the Plainsmen, then later the Statesmen. In 1973, he became a part of the Elvis
Presley Show. After Elvis’ death in 1977, Sherrill continued his own career. In the mid 1980’s, Sherrill joined the
Masters V to replace Rozie Rozzell (who had suffered a heart attack). Brenda, who was busy with her
Government career, took out a few years and performed with the Weatherford Quartet and James Clark and the
Love Revival Singers. Sherrill, never got over his love for Brenda and has carried a torch for her for the past 40
years. In fact, the very first song that Sherrill wrote was “Times Gonna Heal the Pain”. A song that describes the
pain he suffered after their separation. He never dreamed it possible that he might be able le to find her again,
but Brenda’s secretary in Houston, TX, JoAnn Garza, found Sherrill in Europe, where he had been living for the
past 12 years. His work there included performing Elvis music and lecturing about its place in history in schools
and universities all over Denmark. However, a major part of his time was spent introducing Southern Gospel
Music to churches, some that were built as far back as the 15th Century. One of his most memorable services
was one in Denmark in which he sang in the church were his grandfather was baptized at the age of six weeks
old on the night of which would have been his 100th birthday. I guess you could say that Sherrill was a Southern
Gospel missionary of sorts since most of the music in their churches consisted of anthems and hymns. Some 40
years later the cherished butterfly flew back from Denmark to Houston, TX, where Brenda was living and
the two were remarried on June 28, 2004 in Las Vegas NV. The rest is history in the marking.
Brenda just recently retired from her Architectural/Designer and Manager position with the Government in
Houston, TX. After her retirement in July 2005, Sherrill and Brenda moved from Houston, TX to the
Cullman, AL area. The happy couple can be contacted through:
VOICE of Nashville, Inc.
Post Office Box 2626
Cullman AL 35056
256.736.3556
Website Designed and Maintained by
Bob Rice & Judy Gardner
Great American Dreams Web Site Design
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