Life and work

Whitmire was born in Atlanta, Georgia and learned to play the piano from the age of four. He graduated from The Westminster Schools

The Westminster Schools

The Westminster Schools is a private school in Atlanta, Georgia, USA. Founded in 1951 and tracing its origins to 1878, Westminster has the largest endowment of any non-boarding school in the United States...

 in Atlanta and Georgia State University

Georgia State University

Georgia State University is a research university in downtown Atlanta, Georgia, USA. Founded in 1913, it serves about 30,000 students and is one of the University System of Georgia's four research universities...

.

He has been part of the music ministry at Mount Paran Church of God in Atlanta for more than 30 years. His first professional Southern Gospel gig was with the Nelons in the late 80's and early 90's. He often accompanies Greater Vision

Greater Vision

Greater Vision is a Southern Gospel trio founded in 1990 by Gerald Wolfe, Mark Trammell, and Chris Allman, and often accompanied by pianist Stan Whitmire . Over the last several years, this trio has consistently been named Southern Gospel's favorite trio of the year in the Singing News Fan Awards...

 on special occasions. He has also been working for the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association

Billy Graham Evangelistic Association

The Billy Graham Evangelistic Association is an organization started by Billy Graham in 1950. The main focus of the BGEA is to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ to as many people as possible...

 since 1997 as an accompanist and vocalist at Graham's crusades and conferences. He also collaborates frequently with Bill and Gloria Gaither

Gloria Gaither

Gloria Gaither is a Christian songwriter, author, speaker, editor, and academic. She is the wife of Bill Gaither and also sang in the Bill Gaither Trio, one of the most influential groups in recent Christian music.-Early Years:...

 Homecomings and In Touch Ministries

In Touch Ministries

In Touch Ministries is a Christian Evangelical non-profit ministry founded by Charles Stanley, the former head of the Southern Baptist Convention...

 events across the country. Since 2003, Whitmire has been playing for Mark Lowry

Mark Lowry

Mark Alan Lowry is a Christian comedian, songwriter, and singer, best known for co-writing the song “Mary, Did You Know?”. Lowry performed with the Gaither Vocal Band from 1988–2001 and, in January 2009, he re-joined the group along with other "GVB" alumni Michael English and David Phelps...

 during his solo concerts and videos.

Whitmire has released several award-winning CDs throughout his career. His 2009 album, Joy Comes In The Morning, received a Dove Award for Instrumental Album of the Year at the 41st GMA Dove Awards

41st GMA Dove Awards

The 41st Annual GMA Dove Awards were held on April 21, 2010 recognizing accomplishments of musicians for the year 2009. The show was held at the The Opry Entertainment Complex in Nashville, Tennessee, and was hosted by Bart Millard....

.

Discography

Many of Whitmire’s recordings continue to be on sale:

• Seasons of Life
• Timeless Praise (with Mike Speck)
• Everlasting Praise 2 (with The Specks
  Mike Speck
  Mike Speck is a Gospel musician and ordained minister from Lebanon, Tennessee. Together with his wife, Faye, and daughter Melody VanNus, Speck tours with a Gospel music trio called the Mike Speck Trio. Speck has performed as a guest artist in ministries with Dr. Charles Stanley, Dr...
  
  )
• Piano On Broadway (January 1, 1995)
• Classic Movie Love Songs: Volume 2 (July 15, 1995)
• Piano Hymns (March 1, 1996)
• Piano On Broadway: Volume 2 (June 15, 1996)
• Old Time Gospel Piano (1996)
• Classic Movie Love Songs: Volume 3 (January 15, 1997)
• Piano Praise & Worship (1997)
• Unforgettable Love Songs (November 25, 2003)
• Piano Inspirations (July 27, 2004)
• Christmas Around the Piano (September 14, 2006)
• God & Country (June 10, 2008)
• Ultimate Movie Romance (March 24, 2009)
• Joy Comes In The Morning (July 28, 2009)
• A Piano Christmas (October 6, 2009)
• Close To You : The Love Songs of The Carpenters
  The Carpenters
  Carpenters were an American vocal and instrumental duo, consisting of sister Karen and brother Richard Carpenter. The Carpenters were the #1 selling American music act of the 1970s. Though often referred to by the public as "The Carpenters", the duo's official name on authorized recordings and...
  
  (October 20, 2009)
• Shelter In The Storm (May 18, 2010)

External links

• Official site
• Stan Whitmire on AllMusic
• Stan Whitmire on SoundUnwound