On Tuesday, March 12, members of the Southern Gospel Music Guild gathered at BMI in
Nashville, TN, to honor industry leader, Greg Bentley, with the 2024 SGMG Lifetime
Achievement Award.
A positive force in gospel music, Greg began his full-time career in the industry in 1984 as tenor
for the legendary family group, The Hoppers. He went on to travel with the Down East Boys,
then toured for a decade with beloved industry icon, Squire Parsons, as a member of Squire’s
trio. Greg is a multiple Singing News Fan Award nominee for both Favorite Tenor and Favorite
Young Artist.
Greg has been an integral part of the team at Crossroads Label Group since 1993 and has made
an indelible mark on the careers of numerous artists, including The Talleys, The Kingdom Heirs,
Ivan Parker, The Kingsmen, The McKameys, 11th Hour, Endless Highway, Mark Bishop and
many more. He currently serves as head of publishing and artist relations for the stalwart label
group.
“Greg Bentley has a heart for God and a passion for gospel music,” shared SGMG Vice President
and Director of Membership, Beckie Simmons. “He approaches everything he does with
professionalism and kindness and works tirelessly to serve this great industry. We are thrilled to
present Greg with the 2024 Lifetime Achievement Award! So deserving!”
Gospel music luminary and co-founder of Crossroads Label Group, Chris White, lauded Greg for
his dedication, “I’ve known and worked with Greg for over 35 years. I’ve said this before, and I’ll
say it again. Greg is as solid as a rock. Yes, I’ve seen that rock crack a few times over the years,
but I’ve never seen it break! His character, integrity and his devotion to everything he believes
in is as good as it gets!”
Longtime member of the gospel music community and SGMG President, Elliott McCoy, stated,
“As president of the Southern Gospel Music Guild, I want to express my heartfelt thanks and
gratitude to Greg Bentley. His contributions to the gospel music community as both an artist
and record label executive have been profoundly impactful. It is a well-deserved honor.”
Greg conveyed his gratefulness for the award. “From the time I was 12 years old and saw the
Gospel Singing Jubilee on TV, I was hooked. I loved the harmonies of it and the passion in it, and
I still love gospel music as much today as I did back then. I am honored and humbled to receive
this award, and I appreciate the Guild, the record labels, the promoters and the artists for what
they do for the Kingdom. That is the main thing; that we do it for the Kingdom.”
