NASHVILLE, Tenn. (October 11, 2024) — Dorothy “Dottie” Leonard Miller was born on August 10, 1945 and passed away on October 11, 2024 at the age of 79. She was an incredibly generous and compassionate woman who touched countless lives. We work to spread the gospel through Christian music and distribution entrepreneurship.
Guided by the Holy Spirit and giving glory to God for all she has accomplished, she uses her communication skills and unwavering determination to provide products and services that help spread the gospel of Jesus Christ throughout the world. I started several businesses and was always surrounded by talented people who supported me. achieve her goal.
From humble beginnings in Wilmington, Delaware, the eldest child of William and Dorothy Gault discovered his true calling late in life. A single mother raising two children in Hendersonville, Tennessee, Dottie learned about business through office jobs at an accounting and law firm and gained sales experience selling G-Mac hair products throughout Nashville. I honed my communication skills working for the Democratic Party. He talks about the successful campaigns of Nashville, Sen. Jim Sasser, and President Jimmy Carter. All this time, she worked as a side job in the ER admissions at Hendersonville Hospital to make ends meet. With no musical experience, she took a job as a receptionist at Calvary Records and worked her way up in radio promotion and selling to Christian bookstores.
She followed producer Ronnie Drake to Windchime Records and continued her sales career before receiving a small sum from her father William Galt, brother Bill Galt, and family friend Ray Lorig in 1981. He founded his own company in his garage with funding from New Day Christian Distributors initially focused on selling sheet music and albums by independent artists such as Mike Adkins and Jimmy Swaggart, but eventually expanded to include Word/Curb, Capitol Christian, Provident, Gotee, Centricity, and Integrity. , has become a one-stop distributor for major labels such as Fair. We trade as well as sell many other Christ-centered products to Christian bookstores from our offices on Shibel Drive in Hendersonville, Tennessee. Needing a unique product, she reunited with Ronnie Drake to start Daywind Soundtracks and Daywind Records, which provided resources for church singers and led Opryland gospel quartet Cumberland Records. Boys, Steels, New Hinsons, Greater Vision, Club Family, Gold City, Karen Peck & New River, Brian Free & Assurance, Triumphant Quartet, Down East Boys, Perrys, Hoppers, Tribute Quartet, Guardians, Jonathan Wilburn, Steeles, Joseph Habedunk, Scotty Inman, Blackwood Brothers, Nelons, Southbound, Lefebvre Quartet, The Sound, High Road, Michael English, TrueSong, Legacy Five, and more. to the world.
Dottie later added Daywind Music Publishing. Daywind Music Publishing is currently a leading music company in the Southern Gospel and Bluegrass music genre with notable songwriters such as Lee Black, Jason Cox, Sue C. Smith, Bill White, and Jonathan Smith. He is a publisher and owns two recording studios and one CD. Manufacturing facility. More recently, Daywind Worship (choral products), Spiritus Distribution (Catholic products), Daywind Music Foundation (Tree Radio), which broadcasts Southern Gospel music 24/7, Billy Blue and Billy, home to artists such as Appalachian Road. We are expanding our business, including Jam Records. Show, Authentic Unlimited, Doyle Lawson and Quicksilver, Alex Miler, Darling and Brooke Aldridge, Tennessee Bluegrass Band, Carson Peters and Iron Mountain, Christy Cox and Glasstime, Joe Mullins and Radio – Ramblers, Bob Miner, Dave Adkins, Alan Bibby and Glasstown, Caroline Owens, Marty Raybon, etc.
Dottie’s impressive career has been recognized in the form of Lifetime Achievement Awards by the Gospel Music Association, BMI, Southern Gospel Music Guild, Singing News Magazine, and Absolutely Gospel Music. She has been inducted into the Southern Gospel Music Hall of Fame and the Gospel Music Hall of Fame. Her artists and songwriters have won countless Dove Awards, Singing News Fan Awards, BMI Christian Music Awards, Grammy® nominations and one Grammy® Award (Jason Crabb), and over 125 #1 songs. has been awarded.
One of the most successful female music business executives in history, Dottie has worked with musicians such as Ronnie Drake, Sylvia Mays, Wayne Horn, Marty Funderburk, Rick Shelton, Norman Holland, and Brenda Wilcox. He was quick to point out the people who used their talents to help him along the way. , Lisa West, Dusty Wells, Vince Webby, Janice Hoback, Teresa Richards, and more.
Dottie’s greatest joy in life is her family. She is survived by her daughter, Susan Leonard Sovin, and grandchildren, Taylor McKellar and Kennedy Sovin. her son, Ed Leonard, wife Kathleen, and their children Eddie Leonard, Mary Leonard, Evan Leonard, Aidan Leonard (Caroline Leonard), Rachel Zackett (Joey Zackett), and Caroline Leonard; , Ian Leonard, Liam Leonard, Emily Leonard. her great-grandchildren, Leo Zackett and Eloise Joyce; her sister, Cynthia Palanchuk; And Jere Miller. Dottie was preceded in death by her brother Bill Gault and her parents William and Dorothy Gault.
Dottie became an avid bridge player after moving from Wilmington, Delaware to Hendersonville, Tennessee in 1972. She loved reading and listening to the ocean in Florida and spending time at her cabin in Lafayette, Tennessee. Alpacas, donkeys, goats and chickens. She was blessed to travel throughout the United States, Europe, and the Caribbean, but primarily enjoyed spending time with her family, colleagues, friends, and artists. She will be remembered by all as a warm, loving and generous woman who had a great sense of fashion and could brighten up any room with her charming personality.
In lieu of a funeral, a memorial service to honor Dottie’s life will be held at a later date.
