Bill Gaither was born March 28, 1936. He grew up a down-home country boy from the farmlands of Alexandria, Indiana where he took piano lessons and listened to the Mills Brothers. Gospel music first caught his attention in 1948, but it would be more than a decade before he started writing music himself. During the next 13 years, Bill's life moved forward, and from am outside perspective there was little interest in gospel music at this time. He went to school, attending both the Stamps School of Music in Dallas, Texas, and Taylor University. Eventually he became a teacher of English for a junior high school and then returned to his native town of Alexandria, to teach at the local high school.It was at Alexandira High School in 1961 that he met his future wife Gloria Sickal, who was a French teacher there. They were married December 22, 1962, and began to write the songs that would influence Christian gospel music for generations to come. Bill's first song to become widely known was "He Touched Me" which he wrote in 1963. The song has been translated into dozens of languages and has spread around the world.The couple had several children together, and through the years they have weathered struggles and trials to bring to Christian music some of its most enduring and popular songs. In 1997 Bill and his wife were inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame. Gaither has been incredibly productive during his more than 40 years as a songwriter. He has published more than 500 songs and has his own television show, The Gaither Gospel Hour. He has recorded over 40 albums and has won five Grammys and numerous Dove awards. Though he and his wife could easily move elsewhere, they have remained homebound, and are still living in their native town of Alexandria, Indiana.