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The trio sang traditional gospel songs along with original compositions by the Gaithers that gave them a more contemporary feel. In about 1964 Bill's wife, Gloria, took the place of Mary Ann. The trio originally consisted of Bill, his brother Danny Gaither and his sister Mary Ann Gaither. Since Gaither first began singing with the Bill Gaither Trio in the 1950s, he has constantly been performing. As of 2005, they had composed 600 songs and by 2012 that number had increased to over 700. Gloria Gaither often writes the lyrics while Bill writes the music, although composing is usually a collaborative project between the two. They have performed that song on the Billy Graham crusade and around the world. The Gaithers have even delved into writing Christian music for children over the years, with their most notable song being "I Am a Promise". Gaither and his wife, Gloria, have written many songs including: "The Longer I Serve Him," " Because He Lives," "The King Is Coming," "Sinner Saved By Grace", "Something Beautiful," "He Touched Me", "It Is Finished," "Jesus, There's Something About That Name" "I'm Gonna Sing", and "Let's Just Praise The Lord." His songs have been performed by Christian artists ( David Crowder Band, Carman, The Imperials, Sandi Patty, The Cathedral Quartet, The Speers and the Heritage Singers), country singers ( The Statler Brothers) and pop artists ( Elvis Presley). Gaither was influenced by Southern gospel singers such as Jake Hess and Hovie Lister and by groups such as the Speers, the Statesmen, and the Happy Goodmans. He recorded his breakthrough song " He Touched Me" in 1964. He tried for a few years to manage both a music career and his full-time teaching job, but he quit his teaching job in 1967 and worked full-time in the Christian music industry. He married the former Gloria Sickal in 1962. He graduated from Anderson in 1959 with a major in English and a minor in music, after which he worked as an English teacher. He formed his first group the Bill Gaither Trio (consisting of Bill, his sister Mary Ann (1945–2018), and brother Danny Gaither) in 1956 while a college student at Anderson College, to which he had transferred after one year at Taylor University. Bill Gaither was born in Alexandria, Indiana in 1936 to George and Lela Gaither.