Sand Mountain Reporter

In life, Sardis City born gospel singing great Jack Toney was named a “Living Legend” by his peers.

Recently, the state of Alabama and the community he called home honored Jack posthumously by naming the section of Alabama Highway 205 from the Etowah–Marshall County line to U.S. Highway 431 the “Jack Toney Memorial Highway.”

Thursday, his widow, Gail Toney, Boaz Mayor Tim Walker and long-time friend and fellow gospel singer Glenn Smith of the Southern Gospel group “The Fishermen” paused beneath the sign and remembered the man who authored more than 500 songs, received many awards and was inducted into both the Gospel Music and Southern Gospel halls of fame.

The sign, paying tribute to Toney, became a reality through the efforts of Mayor Walker and the Boaz City Council, and State Sen. Hinton Mitchem’s introducing it to the state legislature.

Gail Toney, who lives not far from the sign, said, “Every time I drive down this road to town and back, I am reminded how proud I am that Boaz did this to honor Jack.”

Smith said, “Jack, while he was alive, was at every one of our recordings. He sang and filled in with us whenever we needed somebody. He was just a good friend – I loved Jack and I miss him.”

Walker said, “In his field he made it to the top. There was no one who reached true stardom and is more famous in Boaz than Jack Toney.”

The man credited with having one of the “smoothest voices” in Southern Gospel music lives on through records, CDs and the Gaither Homecoming television series.

Toney died of a heart attack at his home in Boaz April 15, 2004.

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Serving Albertville and the Sand Mountain region

Publisher: Ben Shurett

1603 Progress Drive
Albertville, Alabama 35950

Tel: 256-840-3000 | Email

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