William Rayborn

WILLIAM H.(Bill)RAYBORN, Grapevine, Texas. Born in Tulsa, Oklahoma and attended Will Rogers High School where he was a member of the band, choir, yearbook photographer, photographer and reporter for TULSA SCHOOL LIFE and President of the school Photography Club

Rayborn is a graduate of Oklahoma Baptist University in Shawenn, OK with a BME Degree in voice. He wsa member of the nationally known Bison Glee Club for five years and was an officer in that organization for four of those years. He was a reporter and photographer for the university school paper and photographer for the year book

After collegee he served churches in MO, SC, TX, KS and CA as Minister of Music. He was vice president and president-elect of South Carolina ministers of music. During his service at First Baptist Church, Nederland, TX he had one of the largest choral programs in the state of Texas with a youth choir with an enrollment of over 130 young people. During tat time he was asked to premiere several youth musicals at a time when they were extremely popular.

He was hired by Word Music of Waco,TX, the nation's largest Christian record company, to be their first Director of Record Promotion During that time his reasponsibilities led him to friendship with Andrae' Crouch, one of the top Christian artists at that time. Crouch was in need of leadership in his California office and Rayborn moved to Southern California to run the office of Andrae' Crouch & the Disciples.

His work with Andrae' led him to organize THE RAYBORN AGENCY and served as booking agent for such artists as Andrae' Crouch, Walter Hawkins, Edwin Hawkins, Kathie Epstein (Lee Gifford), Billy Preston, Paul Johnson, Lympic and Rayburn and many others.

Rayborn then served as Director of Music Publications for Tempo Music in Kansas City. While there he began the music review program Music in Review and was the main Tempo Music leader in nationwide Church Music America Music Sessions.

From Kansas City, he moved to the Dallas, TX area where he was hired to serve as Vice President of MSI Press whch owned Crescendo Music Service, Music in Review and Myriad Music Service, three discount music product buying services. At that time these three buying services were the largest music sales outlet in the nation.

In 1984 he began THE CHURCH MUSIC REPORT, a newsletter and later magazine for church musicians which is today one of the leading sources of information for church musicians and worship leaders. The web site for TCMR ENTERPRISES, INC is <http://www.tcmr.com>.

Rayborn has two daughters; GAYLE REYNOLDS of Colleyville, TX and BRENDA ANDERSON of Southlake TX.