Introduction

Biography

William was the son of James Hick­man Wal­bert and El­vi­na J. Sim­mons, and hus­band of Grace Ma­ble Vaugh­an, daugh­ter of James Vaugh­an.

He at­tend­ed State Nor­mal College of Bowl­ing Green, Ken­tuc­ky, and Da­na’s Mu­sic­al In­sti­tute, War­ren, Ohio. He stu­died un­der Ben­ja­min Un­seld, Franz J. Strahm, Lynn B. Da­na, W. W. Combs, Ad­ger Pace, George W. Se­bren, and H. A. Van­der­cook.

Walbert sang with va­ri­ous Vaugh­an Quar­tets, the most fa­mous be­ing the Vaugh­an Ra­dio Quar­tet. He be­came Dean of the Vaugh­an School of Mu­sic in 1941, and ed­it­ed Vaugh­an’s Fa­mi­ly Vis­it­or.

He was in­duct­ed in­to the Sou­thern Gos­pel Mu­sic As­so­cia­tion Hall of Fame in 1999.