Organized in Bowling Green, Kentucky in 1964, The Angelic Specials, led by John Edmonds, made a name for themselves in Louisville when they competed in the gospel singing competition at the Louisville Defender Home Show and Exposition. In 1970, the group moved to Los Angeles and changed their name to John Edmonds' Gospel Truth. They performed for U.S. soldiers in Vietnam and other overseas locations as affiliates with the Hollywood Overseas Committee and the USO. In 1974, after returning to Bowling Green from Los Angeles, the group signed with Opryland in Nashville, TN, the first African American gospel group to have regular shows there. John Edmonds served as the music director at Mt. Zion Baptist Church in Bowling Green for years. He recorded 14 albums and performed with the likes of Clara Ward and James Cleveland.
