The Announcers, a Southern Gospel group; Gentlemen South, a Virginia Opry group; Emanuel Quartet, reunited having performed for 30 years; Mountain Thunder, reunited; and New Horizon, reunited; helped make Dennis Nicely’s 90th birthday special.
Dennis was entertained by The Announcers, a gospel music group that was formed at the Lone Star Advent Christian Church 52 years ago, a group that William Nicely, Dennis’ son performs with as a vocalist.
William, Dennis’ youngest son, is a former member of and director of The Virginia Opry, the Commonwealth of Virginia’s official Opry that was established in Clifton Forge in 1992, and Dennis was a board member of Appalfolks of America Assoc., the founding organization that placed Dennis in charge of overseeing The Virginia Opry.
Stephen Peery, Dennis’ grandson who is a member of The Virginia Opry and a member of Gentlemen South, performed on the piano and joined in singing with The Announcers on some songs.
The Announcers called Dennis to the stage, and at 90, he sat on a stool beside Stephen who was joined by Justin Peery, Stephen’s younger brother, and Robert Steven Peery, Stephen and Justin’ father who is the husband of Pat Peery, Dennis’ only daughter.
Marion Nicely, Dennis’ eldest surviving son; joined Dennis, Steven and William to reunite as the Emanuel Quartet which performed throughout the Alleghany Highlands and beyond for decades.
Chad Nicely and Brad Nicely, Marion’s twins; performed as New Horizon for several years in the Alleghany Highlands. They too sang to entertain Dennis.
Mountain Thunder, a group that was on the verge of touring nationally, was a quartet, and Marion and William made up half of the country music group that opened for nationally prominent country music acts.
Clifton Forge Town Councilman Ben Nicely, William’s son, joined in the singing with the Announcers, and the other groups joined in celebrating Dennis’ birthday.
Pastor Lloyd Camp of White Sulphur Springs sat at Dennis’ table where Peggy, Dennis’ wife, and Camp’s wife, Nancy, sat. Both Peggy and Nancy are pianists, and Nancy joined in playing for The Announcers as she had done decades earlier.
Dennis is the last surviving charter member of the Emanuel Baptist Church in Alleghany Co., the church where Lloyd served as pastor from 1964-84 before moving to pastor a church in Anchorage, Alaska.
Lloyd held the position of pastor at the Maranatha Church there for seven years before returning to his hometown of White Sulphur Springs, W. Va. where he pastored the Greenbrier Valley Baptist Church until he retired.
Asked about his age, Lloyd replied, “I am just a couple of years behind Dennis.”
Gentlemen South sang the “National Anthem” for 6,000 who had gathered at the Virginia Horse Center in Lexington for the Lone Star Rodeo in Feb.
Dennis, a successful entrepreneur, now serves as the pastor of the Gospel Light Baptist Church in Covington.
During his birthday party, Dennis was surrounded by his wife, his three sisters, his daughter and his two sons, along with his six grandchildren, and his great-grandchildren who were content to play outside the church on the warm, sunny day.
As for The Announcers which was formed at the Lone Star Advent Christian Church in 1970, the group will perform its free, annual Easter Eve gospel music concert in the church’s Advent Christian Church Family Life Center on Sat., April 8, at 7:00 p.m.
