Formed in 1952 by parents James and Laura Ridley, daughter and guitarist Bettye Joe, and later their adopted son Clayton McDonald, The Traveling Echoes were arguably the most successful gospel group from Louisville in the 1950s. They toured extensively and released four albums on the powerhouse Jewel label out of Shreveport, Louisiana.
Before forming The Traveling Echoes, Laura was a founding member of The Golden Echoes from 1938 to 1946 (and again from 1951 to 1952) and a member of the Carnation Quintette from 1946 to 1951. James was a member of several quartets including The Moonlite Travelers. In 1967, the Ridleys moved from Louisville to South Bend, Indiana, where James became assistant minister at Mt. Olive Baptist Church. Laura died in 1970, and the group’s fourth and final album, released later that year, was named In Memory of Laura. Mr. Ridley later became the pastor of Bethlehem Missionary Baptist Church in nearby Niles, Michigan, a role he held until his death in 1981.
