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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:

Click To See Article & Video About Sherrill Nielsen NEW ADDRESS FOR BRENDA NIELSEN: Post Office Box 9565 TYLER, TX 75711 256.736.3556 vocalsand88@aol.com Website Designed and Maintained by Bob Rice & Judy Gardner Great American Dreams Web Site Design