"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  remarriage to brenda, he has recreated "VOICE."  "VOICE" consists of sherrill & brenda Nielsen & dale ellison.  elvis may hav left the building, but his "VOICE" is still here.

SHERRILL (SHAUN) & BRENDA NIELSEN & DALE ELLISON
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 40 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 stroke.  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 his life was the opportunity to sing in the church where his grandfather was baptized on the night that would have been his 100^th 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 is the only artist to be inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame as a member of three different groups:  The Singing Speer Family, the Imperials and the Statesmen. 

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 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 programs.  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.

DALE ELLISON

Dale Ellison has been singing gospel music all of his life.  He began at a very early age singing with his family and then started traveling with the Dixie Travelers out of Pelham AL for over 16 years.  He also performed with the Embassy Quartet and had a solo ministry with Masters Heart.  His dedication and love of the Lord can be felt in his singing.

"VOICE" today consists of sherrill & brenda nielsen &  dale ellison

Sherrill & Brenda Nielsen & Dale Ellison  (VOICE) are available for bookings. 
They can be reached at:
Nielsen Productions
 Post Office Box 2626
Cullman, AL  35056
256 736-3556

E-Mail:

vocalsand88@aol.com
sherandbren@aol.com 

Website:

www.sherrillandbrenda.com
www.shaunandelvis.com

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 to Atlanta GA to team up with and organize the Imperials Quartet.  In 1965, 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.   According     to Felton Jarvis, Elvis’ producer, Sherrill was Elvis’ favorite singer.  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).  Sherrill is the only artist to be inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame as a member of three different groups:  the Speer Family, the Imperials, and the Statesmen.  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 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 what 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 making.   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 Nielsen Productions at: P. O. Box 2626, Cullman AL 35056.