Ben Pegues used to play football in the middle of N. Pacific Street in Mineola.

“You had an odd car pass-by every now and then, but it wasn’t a big deal,” he stated. The family home was at 1025 N. Pacific. 

The family consisted of father Ben ‘Big Ben or Bennie,’ mother Audrey, ‘Little Ben’ and brother Steve.

“Growing up in Mineola at that time, the late ‘50s and early ’60s, was a great experience.” 

Pegues remembers leaving elementary school, in the middle of the day, and walking a block and a half to take his piano lesson from Eva Vandiver. Upon completion he would walk back and rejoin his class at school. It was a different time.

Piano wasn’t his only interest growing up. He was active in school sports and also took voice lessons from vocalist Philip Point of Tyler.  

It was in his high school years when he attended his first gospel music concert. It changed his life. 

“It was the power behind the music, it’s what drew me to it,” Pegues explained. He continued, “from a spiritual perspective, it was a major game-changer for me.”

The 1966 Mineola graduate began his adult life immersed in gospel music. His commitment to the art form was recognized on Feb. 22 when he was inducted into the Texas Gospel Music Hall of Fame.  

Pegues was honored for his many roles in the gospel music world as a singer – Pegues sang bass – as a quartet founder, as a manager, as a historian, an advisor to other artists and as a long-time member of the Texas Gospel Hall of Fame board. In short, from the time he attended that first gospel concert to today, Pegues has been a part of the gospel music scene.  

Family and his musical career have brought him back to the area on many occasions. He has performed at First Baptist Church (FBC) Mineola, Sand Springs Baptist, Lake Country Bible Church, FBC Hawkins, FBC Quitman and churches in Lindale and Hainesville and others. 

Those local churches were only a sampling of the thousands of venues where Pegues has performed. It all had to start somewhere, and for Pegues, it began in earnest when, as a college underclassman, he started a gospel music quartet, The Ambassadors.

At the time Pegues was majoring in Bible studies with a minor in music. It was a time in the gospel music world which was quite controversial.

“It was called worship wars,” Pegues explained. The new gospel quartets that were forming were often deemed to be too flashy, too secular, too worldly. The rift could even cause congregations to split. 

Pegues saw no conflict with the gospel quartets of the day. He related, “Gospel music took me spiritually to places I’d never been before.… I became a real believer in the message.” 

The Ambassadors were only the first step. Among the more memorable groups Pegues was involved in were the Masters Four which had a long run including gigs at Branson, Mo., The Patriots and a mixed group Thorns and Roses. 

Thorns and Roses had a 20-year run and produced a number of recordings. Pegues was involved in some 25 recording projects over the years, from 33 1/3 vinyl to 8-tracks to CDs and video.

It was the live performances, however, which Pegues treasures most – from his performances with Anne Criswell in the early ’70s to weekend ‘singings’ (on Friday and Saturday nights at small churches throughout Texas) to singing with Ethel Waters at the Dallas Convention Center in front of 12,000 people. 

One venue was historically noteworthy. For 45 years (1950-1995) the Will Rogers Auditorium in Fort Worth was the major gospel music venue. It was the equivalent of Nashville for country music. 

A gospel singing was hosted at the Rogers Auditorium each month. Pegues spoke of those experiences with great reverence.  

The bass singer and gospel enthusiast had finished his degree at Dallas Baptist University in 1970 and graduated from the Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in 1973. He served on the staffs of five churches, most in the Dallas area, with exception of a three-year stint in Hawaii. He also completed 30 years of service on the staff of a Bible college in the Metroplex and taught voice at the Stamps School of Music.  

All the while he was involved in gospel music. Pegues recognizes the contributions of the gospel quartets of yesteryear. The Blackwood Brothers, The Imperials and The Weatherfords are among those that he specifically acknowledged. 

Like all musicians, Pegues has his favorite songs. “Do You know my Jesus” a Vep Ellis song as performed by The Plainsmen, “How about your Heart” by the Blackwood Brothers and “Sinners Plea” by The Prophets Quartet are among his favorites. 

The Texas Gospel Music Hall of Fame began in 1985 through the efforts of native sons Calvin Willis, Tom Ellis and James Fudge. The objective was to recognize Texans who made significant contributions to Christian music and who represented the values of that music. Notable members are Les Beasley, Larry Ford, John Hall, Lou Hildreth, Pat Hoffmaster, W.B. Nowlin, V.O. Stamps and Glen Payne among others. 

It is located on Panola Street in downtown Carthage.

The Gospel Music Museum and Hall of Fame are housed in the same building as the Texas Country Music Museum and Hall of Fame. The two organizational boards met in 2020 and decided to co-locate for mutual support and benefit. Pegues has been a board member of the organization since 2004.   

In February, Pegues was inducted along with vocalist and musician Ralph Green. 

In addition to his musical talent and leadership, the Hall of Fame described Pegues as a nationally-recognized gospel music historian.

“I am so honored at the selection,” Pegues acknowledged, “I feel so fortunate to get to know the legends of gospel music.” 

While reflecting on the value of gospel music, Pegues related a story of a woman who had called him out of the blue. She had attended a singing some 30 years ago and had just lost the CD which she had purchased that evening. 

She advised Pegues that one specific song on that CD had great personal meaning to her. Pegues gladly sent her a replacement.

“Gospel music can change your life,” he said.

Pegues is still at work in the music world. Most recently he is collaborating with Rudy Gatlin, once of the Gatlin Brothers band, on a variety of projects.