Mary Tom Speer was born on June 13, 1925 in Double Springs, Alabama, the youngest daughter and the third of four children born to George Thomas "GT" Speer (March 10, 1891–September 7, 1966) and Lena (née Brock) Speer (November 4, 1899–October 6, 1967).
She also sang with the Gaither Homecoming Series from 1995 until her death. Her parents formed the Speer Family Gospel Choir in 1921 (see more information below). The Speer Family The group became the first gospel choir in history to include women.
This and distinct sound made the group popular in the 1920s and 1930s.
When the Claborns left in 1925, GT and Lena began training 4-year-old Jackson Brock and 3-year-old Rosa Nell to be musicians. She would eventually return in the 1980s and would stay until the official retirement of the group in 1997.
Singing career after The Speer Family She went back to singing in the 1980s when she returned to the Speer Family. She stayed with the group until they officially retired in 1997.
She would remain with the group until her death in 2014.
After her return to Nashville, Speer decided to return to the Speer Family. She would only return for special appearances and reasons just as for concerts or special occurrences. She would continue performing with the group she had not been associated with for 30 years until the group officially retired in 1997.
She sang with the Gaither Homecoming Series for nineteen years from 1995 until her death in 2014.
Speer died on September 16, 2014, aged 89, from natural causes in Nashville.
