Jim Gerber

Born to a minister's family in Anoka, Minnesota, Jim and his twin brother John grew up in the 1950s.  They started harmonizing with their siblings around the farmhouse piano from an early age.  Under Jim's brother Jerry's direction, they sang southern gospel, influenced by The Blackwood Brothers and The Statesmen Quartet.  In the early 1960s, Jim and his brothers formed Danny & The Deacons, singing at local church functions and teen rallies.  Pop music was not allowed at home, yet Jim was enamored by it, sneaking over to friends’ homes to listen to Ricky Nelson and Bobby Darin.  He felt particular kinship with many artists who shared his gospel roots, like Johnny Cash, and, of course, Elvis Presley, and dreamed of one day following in their paths.  In 1965, Jim was drafted into the U.S. Army and stationed at Camp Carroll, Daegu City, South Korea. 

Returning from service in 1967, Jim embarked on a 35-year career as a gospel artist.  He recorded 5 albums with his brothers, and together they performed at Christian rallies, crusades, and county fairs across the Midwestern and Southern U.S.; as well as Canada.  The Gerber Brothers opened for some of the biggest southern gospel acts of the time, such as The Imperials and Evelyn “Evie” Tornquist.  This lead to inspiring faithful celebrations lead by evangelists Nicky Cruz and Lowell Lundstrom.  Jim also recorded a solo album, Jesus is Everybody’s Everything, and spent a few years touring on his own.  In 1990, Jim joined The Chancellors Quartet, contributing to 9 albums and touring extensively over the next 14 years. The Chancellors filled venues ranging from small churches, to high school gymnasiums, cruise ships, and auditoriums seating up to 2,000 gospel fans.  Performances included traveling to Canada, and as far south as Texas, where Jim performed in cities from Chicago to Denver and many points in between.