The Lewis Family
The Lewis Family was an American family ensemble known for combining bluegrass instrumentation with gospel singing and for its multigenerational place in Southern gospel music.
Last updated August 31, 2026
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Overview
The Lewis Family was a family-based American gospel and bluegrass group from Lincolnton, Georgia. The ensemble became widely identified with the phrase “First Family of Bluegrass Gospel,” reflecting both its early role in combining bluegrass performance with gospel repertoire and its unusually long multigenerational career. The group was founded by Roy Lewis Sr., known as Pop Lewis, and Pauline Lewis, known as Mom Lewis. The couple had married in 1925 and later organized their children and other relatives as a performing family. They adopted the name The Lewis Family in 1951 while appearing at a Woodmen of the World meeting, and made their first recording sessions later that year for Sullivan Records. The group’s early professional visibility came through broadcasting. In 1954, The Lewis Family obtained a weekly television performance slot on an Augusta, Georgia, program. They remained associated with that show until 1992, giving the group a sustained regional platform during a period when television, radio, church events, and local concert circuits were important channels for Southern gospel music. Recording activity expanded in 1957 when the family began working with Starday Records. Over subsequent decades, it recorded for labels including Canaan, Riversong, and Daywind, among others. The group released nearly 60 albums, making recorded music a major part of its identity alongside touring and broadcast work. Beginning in the 1960s, The Lewis Family toured regularly. The touring organization changed over time as additional generations entered the group, allowing the family name and musical approach to continue across several decades. Its repertoire and presentation linked gospel singing with bluegrass-associated instrumentation and performance traditions, placing the ensemble at the intersection of Southern gospel, bluegrass, and family music. The group also maintained a strong local identity through the Lewis Family Homecoming & Bluegrass Festival, an annual event held in its hometown of Lincolnton. The Lewis Family’s work extended beyond its own recordings. In 1991, the group participated with producers Randall Franks and Alan Autry and members of the television series In the Heat of the Night on the cast Christmas album Christmas Time’s A Comin’. The release was issued through Sonlite and MGM/UA and became a prominent Christmas release in Southern retail markets in 1991 and 1992. Lewis family members Travis Lewis and Lewis Phillips also assisted with the cast’s performance of “Jingle Bells,” while Franks, a bluegrass fiddler, made repeated concert appearances with the family over the years. Recognition came from both Georgia’s music institutions and the bluegrass community. The group was inducted into the Georgia Music Hall of Fame in 1992 and the International Bluegrass Music Hall of Honor in 2006. It also received multiple Dove Awards, reflecting recognition within Christian and gospel music. The family’s original home, built by Pop Lewis, has been associated with preservation efforts and was being restored by Jeff and Sheri Easter; Sheri Easter is the daughter of Polly Lewis Copsey, another member of the Lewis family tradition. After several members experienced declining health, The Lewis Family announced its retirement in May 2009. Its final regular concert took place on September 5, 2009, in Dover, Pennsylvania, followed by a farewell performance in Lincolnton on November 7, 2009. The family later appeared at a Dukes of Hazzard festival in Sperryville, Virginia, in 2011. The group is therefore best understood as a concluded performing ensemble whose brand legacy rests on family continuity, gospel repertoire, bluegrass presentation, extensive recording, regional broadcasting, and long-term touring.
History
The Lewis Family emerged from the musical activities of Roy Lewis Sr. and Pauline Lewis of Lincolnton, Georgia. Known within the family and performing community as Pop and Mom Lewis, the couple married in 1925. Their family-based music-making developed into a formal ensemble, and in 1951 they selected The Lewis Family as the group’s name while performing at a Woodmen of the World meeting. The family made its first recording sessions later that year for Sullivan Records. A major early turning point came in 1954, when the ensemble was offered a weekly television slot on an Augusta, Georgia, program. The group continued appearing on the program until 1992, giving it an exceptionally durable broadcast presence. In 1957, it began recording for Starday Records and subsequently worked with Canaan, Riversong, Daywind, and other labels. Across its career, the group released nearly 60 albums and became known for presenting gospel songs through a bluegrass-oriented family ensemble format. The Lewis Family began touring regularly in the 1960s. Touring continued into the 2000s, with successive generations joining as earlier members aged. This changing membership helped preserve the group’s family identity while maintaining continuity in its gospel and bluegrass presentation. The ensemble also organized the Lewis Family Homecoming & Bluegrass Festival in Lincolnton, creating a recurring local event tied to its musical heritage. The group participated in the 1991 cast Christmas album Christmas Time’s A Comin’, associated with In the Heat of the Night and produced by Randall Franks and Alan Autry. The album was released through Sonlite and MGM/UA and was particularly successful among Southern retailers in 1991 and 1992. Travis Lewis and Lewis Phillips assisted the cast with “Jingle Bells,” while Franks also appeared with The Lewis Family in concert on numerous occasions. Institutional recognition included induction into the Georgia Music Hall of Fame in 1992 and the International Bluegrass Music Hall of Honor in 2006. The group also won multiple Dove Awards. Its original family home, built by Roy Lewis Sr., became the subject of restoration efforts involving Jeff and Sheri Easter; Sheri Easter is the daughter of Polly Lewis Copsey. In May 2009, the family announced that it would retire because several members were experiencing declining health. The last regular concert was held in Dover, Pennsylvania, on September 5, 2009, and a farewell concert followed in Lincolnton on November 7. The group made a later appearance at a Dukes of Hazzard festival in Sperryville, Virginia, in 2011. Although its regular performing career ended, The Lewis Family remains associated with the history of bluegrass gospel through its recordings, television work, touring legacy, awards, and multigenerational family model.
- 2011
Post-retirement festival appearance
[1]The Lewis Family performed at a Dukes of Hazzard festival in Sperryville, Virginia.
- 2009
Retirement and farewell performances
[1]The family announced retirement in May, performed its final regular concert in September, and held a farewell concert in Lincolnton in November.
- 2006
International Bluegrass Music Hall of Honor induction
[1]The group entered the International Bluegrass Music Hall of Honor.
- 1992
Georgia Music Hall of Fame induction
[1]The Lewis Family was inducted into the Georgia Music Hall of Fame.
- 1991
Participation in Christmas Time's A Comin'
[1]The group joined the In the Heat of the Night cast and producers Randall Franks and Alan Autry on the Christmas album Christmas Time's A Comin'.
- 1960
Regular touring expands
[1]The group began touring regularly during the 1960s, continuing into the 2000s as new generations joined.
- 1957
Recording relationship with Starday begins
[1]The Lewis Family began recording for Starday Records and later recorded for several other gospel and roots-music labels.
- 1954
Weekly television engagement begins
[1]The group began appearing weekly on an Augusta, Georgia, television program, a relationship that continued until 1992.
- 1951
The Lewis Family name is adopted
[1]The family chose The Lewis Family as its performing name at a Woodmen of the World meeting and made its first recording sessions later that year for Sullivan Records.
- 1925
Roy and Pauline Lewis marry
[1]Roy Lewis Sr. and Pauline Lewis, later known as Pop and Mom Lewis, married before developing the family’s performing tradition.
Products and positioning
A multigenerational Southern gospel ensemble positioned at the meeting point of bluegrass musicianship, family harmony singing, church-oriented repertoire, and regional live entertainment.
Gospel and bluegrass albums · 1951
The Lewis Family recorded catalog
The group released nearly 60 albums over a career spanning several decades. Its recordings formed the principal recorded expression of its bluegrass-gospel style and were issued through labels including Sullivan, Starday, Canaan, Riversong, Daywind, and others.
Christmas cast album collaboration · 1991
Christmas Time's A Comin'
The Lewis Family contributed to the In the Heat of the Night cast Christmas album released through Sonlite and MGM/UA. The group performed the title song with the cast, while Travis Lewis and Lewis Phillips assisted with “Jingle Bells.”
Music festival
Lewis Family Homecoming & Bluegrass Festival
The family’s annual hometown festival in Lincolnton connected its performing identity with local community activity and the broader bluegrass and gospel audience.
Brand decisions
2009
Retirement from regular touringStrategyBackground
Several members were experiencing declining health, making continuation of the group’s regular concert schedule more difficult.
Action taken
The family announced its retirement in May 2009, then completed a final regular concert in Dover and a farewell concert in Lincolnton.
Aftermath
The group’s regular performing career concluded, although it later made an appearance at a festival in 2011.
Recent events
- 2011
The Lewis Family appears at a Dukes of Hazzard festival[1]
Other
After its announced retirement and farewell performances, The Lewis Family played and sang at a Dukes of Hazzard festival in Sperryville, Virginia.
- 2009
The Lewis Family announces retirement[1]
Leadership change · Other
The family announced its retirement in May 2009, citing the declining health of several members. It later performed a final regular concert in Dover, Pennsylvania, and a farewell concert in Lincolnton.
Sources2 sources
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