Dianne has been writing Southern Gospel music since the 1970s. Her first recorded song was “Behold the Lamb” by the Song Masters in 1976. The song was also recorded by other groups, including the Hoppers, and was recorded in 2001 by the Dove Brothers. Dianne started performing at the age of 12 with her mother and aunt as the Ross Sisters primarily in Arkansas, Missouri, and Tennessee. Having been “raised” on Gospel music, she has a rich background of history dating back to the 1950s. Her favorite music remains the traditional quartet style of Southern Gospel, with a particular fondness for the “old convention” style songs.
Dianne was nominated as SGMA Songwriter of the Year in 2000…the first woman to be so honored. She was a top five finalist for SGMG Songwriter of the Year in 2004. Dianne was a top five finalist for the Singing News Fan Awards Songwriter of the Year in 2007. And she won the SGN Music Awards Songwriter of the Year in the Professional Division in 2008.
Dianne had a close relationship with the legendary Cathedrals Quartet for two decades, beginning in the early 1980s and continuing until they retired in 1999. They recorded 16 of Dianne’s songs during that time. “We Shall See Jesus” won the SGMA Song of the Year in 1984, and “Boundless Love” was #1 on the Singing News chart for two months in a row in 1987 and was their #2 song for that year. Another Cathedrals’ song, “O Come Along”, was nominated for a Dove award in 1996. And “Jesus Has Risen” by the Cathedrals won the Singing News Fan Award for Song of the Year in 1995. Dianne has had songs recorded by most of the major groups including the Kingdom Heirs, Legacy Five, Ernie Haase and Signature Sound, Gold City, the Hoppers, Greater Vision, The Dove Brothers, the Kingsmen, Brian Free and Assurance, the Talley Trio, The Booth Brothers, Karen Peck & New River, Triumphant, the Collingsworth Family, the Mike LeFevre Quartet, Paid In Full, The Melody Boys, the Mark Trammell Trio, Crossway, the Rick Webb Trio, the Palmetto State Quartet, Ricky Atkinson and Compassion, the Pfeifers, and the Ball Brothers.
Dianne is a contributing editor to the Gospel Music News, published by Steve and Christie Bradford. She lives in Dyersburg, Tennessee, and has a busy, full-time career in healthcare (for 30+ years), currently working for a large hospital system in West Tennessee. Dianne has been a church pianist since age 12 and is pianist and teacher of the Open Door Sunday School class of Springhill Baptist Church in Dyersburg where her brother, Reverend James Branscum, is her pastor…from whom she gets a LOT of song ideas! Dianne is born again by the grace of God and is Southern Baptist by conviction and by choice. She holds to the King James Authorized Version of the Bible and highly recommends it to you!
Dianne’s greatest objective in writing Gospel songs is to get the message out through lyrics that are grounded in the true doctrine of the Word of God. It is her strong conviction that Gospel songs should bring the lost to Christ, comfort Christian people and increase their faith in these perilous times, and bring glory to Jehovah God. To Him be the glory forever!
