Dixie Melody Boys

The group was founded in 1961 by Avis Adkins with Eugene Payne, Ralph Walker Don Henderson and Tony Brown on piano; Ed O'Neal, their bass singer, joined in 1963, and subsequently became the group's leader and manager. Under O'Neal, the group has discovered singers who have gone on to become prominent in Gospel music, including McCray Dove with the Dove Brothers, Rodney Griffin with Greater Vision, Bryan Walker, who went on to become a contestant on Season 9 of American Idol and then later joined the Perrys, and Devin McGlamery with Signature Sound. The group was nicknamed the "Ed O'Neal University" because of the impact that Ed O'Neal has had on the industry of Gospel music.

The group has had more than twenty hits in the Southern gospel field, including "Antioch Church Choir", "Double Dose", "Don't Point a Finger" and "Jesus In My Boat". The group has released a large number of albums and numerous VHS videos and DVDs. They have also won countless awards and even received a Grammy nomination.

Ed O'Neal has received the Marvin Norcross Award and was inducted into the Southern Gospel Museum and Hall of Fame in 2004.

The current group has re-established themselves as one of Gospel music's top groups. The Dixie Melody Boys released their 50th anniversary project The Call Is Still The Same and held their anniversary reunion celebration at the National Quartet Convention. The group added newcomer, Aaron Dishman, in June 2013 and the quartet veteran, Josh Garner, to their line up in September 2013, marking a new chapter in their history.[1] Tenor, Doug Pittman, joined the group at the National Quartet Convention in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, in September 2014. Two years later at that same event, the 2016 National Quartet Convention , Ed O’Neal would introduce Willie Sawrey as the groups baritone who would also become instrumental in managing the affairs on the road. Ed O’Neal suffered an accident in April 2019 which led to the added responsibilities for his new baritone.

In January 2013, the Dixie Melody Boys were honored in the Southern Gospel Music Fan awards.

• Favorite Quartet: The Dixie Melody Boys
• Favorite Bass: Ed O'Neal

The group also won the Favorite Male Quartet and Favorite Bass Singer awards in 2012.[2] On November 9, 2013 the Dixie Melody Boys were presented with the 2013 AMG Sandy Hosey Lifetime Achievement Award.[3]

Current

• Ed O'Neal – bass (since 1963)
• Buddy Bates–tenor (Since 2020)
• Willie Sawrey – baritone (since 2016)
• Cayden Howell–lead (since 2019)

Former

Bass

• Donald Henderson (1961)
• Buddy Hawley (1961-1962)
• Marvin Harris (1962-1963)
• Ed O’Neal (1963-2019, part-time following MVA in 2019)
• Will Lane (2019)
• Earl Roberts (2019-2022)

Baritone

• Gene Payne (1961-1964)
• Delmar Tilghman (1964-1975)
• Henry Daniels (1975-1978)
• Tom Jones (1978-1981)
• Frank Sutton (1981-1983)
• Allen O'Neal (1984–1986)
• David DeLawder (1986–1987)
• Nathan Widenor (1987–1991)
• Bill Bass (1991–1992)
• Rodney Griffin (1992–1993)
• Jamie Bramlett (1994–1995)
• Dave Needham (1995–1997)
• Craig Singletary (1997–1998)
• Kenny Cook (1998)
• Derrick Selph (1998–2003)
• Jeremy Wilkerson (2003)
• Dustin Sweatman (2003–2004)
• Andrew King (2004–2007)
• Bryan Walker (2007)
• Steven Cooper (2007–2013)
• Aaron Dishman (2013–2016)
• Willie Sawrey (2016-present)

Lead

• Avis Adkins (1961-1968)
• John Jarman (1968-1975)
• Dewey Williams (1975-1978)
• David Kimbrel (1978-1982)
• Kent Humphries (1981–1986)
• McCray Dove (1986–1998)
• Jamie Caldwell (1998–2000)
• Devin McGlamery (2000–2004)
• Dustin Sweatman (2004–2006)
• Donald Moris (2006, 2009–2012)
• Bryan Walker (2006–2007)
• Rob Shelton (2007–2008)
• Joe Kitson (2008–2009)
• Mike Rogers (2012–2013)
• Josh Garner (2013-2019)
• Nathan Potts (2019)
• Cayden Howell (2019-2023)

Tenor

• Ralph Walker (1961-1968)
• Charles Forehand (1968-1974)
• Bobby Craft (1974-1975)
• Jimmy Jones (1975-1978)
• Phil Barker (1976-1977, 1978-1983)
• Jamey Ragle (1977–1978)
• Ernie Haase (1983)
• Frank Sutton (1983–1986)
• Gary Coursey (1986)
• David Walker (1986–1987)
• Derrick Boyd (1987-1993, 2019-2020)
• Harold Reed (1993–2004)
• Dan Keeton (2004–2007)
• Jonathan Price (2007–2010)
• Matt Felts (2010–2014)
• Doug Pittman (2014–2017)
• Jerry Skaggs (2017-2019)
• Buddy Bates (2020-present)

Piano

• Tony Brown (1961-1964)
• Everette Harper (1964-1975)
• Greg Simpkins (1975-1978)
• Willie Ollinger (1978)
• Jerry Kelso (1978–1985)
• Bobby Ledford (1986–1988)
• Joe Lane (1988–1989)
• Dwight Young (1989)
• Steve Wood (1989–1992)
• Eric Ollis (1991–2004)
• Dustin Sweatman (2004–2006) (played and sang)
• Aaron Dishman (2013–2016) (played and sang)

Instrumentalist

• JL Marslender (1974–1975)
• Ron Wells (1977-1983)
• Larry DeLawder (1986–1995)
• Jeff Knight (1985–1986)
• Craig Hamm (lead guitar) 1983–1986
• Allen O’Neal (rhythm guitar) 1975-1986
• George Shambaugh (guitar) 1986
• Randy O’Neal (drummer) 1981-1983
• Ricky Horrell (drummer) 1983
• Olan Witt (drummer) 1983–1985
• Darren Humphrey (drummer) 1986–1988
• Jerry Dunbar (bass guitar) 1968-1973
• Reb Lancaster (bass guitar) 1973-1980
• Frank Sutton (bass guitar) 1980-1986
• Gary Coursey (bass guitar) 1986
• David DeLawder (bass guitar) 1986-1987
• Nathan Widener (bass guitar) 1987-1991
• Bill Bass (bass guitar) 1991-1992
• Rodney Griffin (bass guitar) 1992-1993
• Jamie Bramlett (bass guitar) 1993-1995
• David Needham (bass guitar) 1995-1997
• Craig Singletary (bass guitar) 1997-1998
• Jamie Caldwell (bass guitar) 1998-2000
• Andrew King (bass guitar) 2004-2006
• Steven Cooper (bass guitar) 2013

In 2004 and 2005, the group released eight compilation albums, entitled Historic Journey vols. 1–8.

Between 2011–2015, several compilations were released:, including Ed O'Neal University: EOU Alumni Vols 1–5, Sights of Heaven, Best of Ed O'Neal, Classic Live Performances, and Radio Hits.

• Ivan M. Tribe. Dixie Melody Boys. Encyclopedia of American Gospel Music. Routledge, 2005, p. 102.
• Ed O'Neal at the Southern Gospel Music Association
• Dixie Melody Boys at sghistory.com