Charles F. “Rusty” Goodman (1933 – 1990)
Inducted in 1997

For 41 years, Rusty Goodman wrote and performed songs that touched the lives of millions.

Rusty began singing with his family at age 16 before serving in the United States Army Signal Corps during the Korean War. Upon his return, he worked with country-gospel singer Martha Carson and then served for several years as bass singer for the Plainsmen Quartet.

By the early 1960s, Rusty had returned to sing again as a member of the Happy Goodman Family and, alongside his brothers Howard and Sam and Howard’s wife, Vestal, rose to the top of the gospel music industry. Many of the group’s best-known hits were Rusty Goodman compositions, including “Had It Not Been,” “Who Am I,” and “I’ve Got Leavin’ On My Mind”.