National touring artists George Dean & G4 (The Gospel Four), have been a fixture in the gospel music industry for more than 40 years now. They have made numerous successful recordings while remaining in demand all over the USA headlining at gospel programs.
The Gospel Four of Memphis, Tennessee was organized by George Dean, Robert Dean and John Whitmore in the year of 1969. During the first year, James Harris (former Southern Bells) and Walter Nelson (former Christian Harmonizers) joined the group. In 1976 Litton Dean joined and in 1977 Larry Neal (former Gabriel-Aires) joined the group. Finally in 1978 Jimmy Coleman joined the group. In 1980 (November 5) Robert Dean passed away. Clifton Boyd was added to the group.
In the early years the group made a couple of recordings behind Elder J. Ward on the local D-Vine label before going on 'their own' with their debut single on the same D-Vine label. Near the end of the 1970s they moved to another Memphis based label; Messenger. After two 45s and an album on Messenger in the early eighties, it took them nearly a decade before they made another album. Again it was a Memphis label on which they released their album, this time it was the E&J Record Company. With three albums in six years' time the recording career of the Gospel Four was going very well. Later, G4 signed with MCG Records recording several successful CDs throughout the 90's and the 00's. In 2013, G4 began a new phase in its recording career by signing with Ecko Records of Memphis, TN.
Throughout the years membership of the group remained pretty stable, not too many changes in the line-up. George Dean is the lead singer and songwriter of G4 as well as a successful songwriter and producer for other national touring artists, most notably Lee Williams and the Spiritual QC's. The Gospel Four's current lineup consists of: George Dean, Littleton Dean, Carl Anthony, and Tony Mason. The G4 band is: Jorgen "Jay" Jackson, Jeremy Menzies, Kendrick Blair, and Devin Taylor.
George Dean and G4's modern sound stays true to traditional rhythms, and has attracted a new generation of music lovers who are now supportive of the current quartet genre. They continue to tour across the country and to attract new fans to their already devoted following.