St. Louis performer Chuck Flowers credits his grandmother for his early interest in music. He would hear her playing the piano as he walked home from school as a child.
“She would have the front door open [and] I could hear her as I'm coming up the street. That was everything to me,” he said. “That started my music appreciation.”
Flowers went on to build a 35-year career as an entertainer through a vast array of genres, from jazz, R&B, gospel, soul and funk, to pop, showtunes and Motown classics. This month, Flowers is being inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame — an honor its founder Monica R. Butler said is long overdue.
“With this class, we inducted legends and people who have passed away: Cissy Houston, Whitney Houston, Kirk Franklin, the Clark Sisters. [Chuck] was along that line. To me, he matched up just as well as they have,” Butler said. “[He’s] a legend in our own area. I'm so proud of him.”
Butler and Flowers first met in the early 1980s. Flowers sang tenor in an interfaith choir alongside Butler’s mother and the influential gospel duo the O’Neal Twins.
“It's full circle for me,” Flowers said, “and quite an honor.”
Flowers, the O’Neal Twins and the other 2025 inductees were honored by the Gospel Music Hall of Fame on Sept. 6 at the museum’s gala in downtown St. Louis.
The institution is gearing up to open a physical location in 2026 at the historic Second Baptist Church in St. Louis’ Central West End. Butler is working with design firm PGAV Destinations to expand the museum from one building into a plaza.
“They have been phenomenal with helping us with our beginning plans and our stages,” Butler said. “The efforts are going great.”
![Steve Smith and Monica R. Butler pose in front of Second Baptist Church near Delmar Blvd. in St. Louis. They plan to convert it into a national center for the celebration and study of gospel music. [8/13/21]](https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/df1391a/2147483647/strip/true/crop/4078x2800+0+0/resize/840x576!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F0b%2F6c%2F3b4a17da43ae84105a49856d4fbe%2Fmonica-steve-exterior-3.jpg)
Butler said that it is important to keep the stories of gospel singers alive for future generations.
“The obstacles that gospel artists had to endure over the years — you can see it in that movie ‘Say, Amen, Somebody’ — what Willie Mae Ford Smith had to go through with her family, what Zella [Jackson Price] had to go through with her family, you know?” Butler said. “The history is the history, but look at where we are today. We have a Gospel Music Hall of Fame that we could be inducted to, and preserve and be proud of.”
To learn more about Chuck Flowers, St. Louis’ gospel music scene and how gospel music has influenced many other genres, listen to St. Louis on the Air on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube or click the play button below.
Related Events
What: Chuck Flowers Sings the Music of Bill Withers (sold out)
When: 6 p.m. Sept. 24
Where: The World Chess Hall of Fame, 4652 Maryland Ave., St. Louis, MO 63108
What: Soulful Swing with Chuck Flowers
When: 10:30 a.m. Oct. 7
Where: Strauss Black Box Theatre at the Kirkwood Performing Arts Center, 210 E, Monroe Ave., Kirkwood, MO 63122
“St. Louis on the Air” brings you the stories of St. Louis and the people who live, work and create in our region. The show is produced by Miya Norfleet, Emily Woodbury, Danny Wicentowski, Elaine Cha and Alex Heuer. Darrious Varner is our production assistant. The audio engineer is Aaron Doerr.
