Alvin M. Keeling 
Longtime musician Yakima who led a popular youth choir at a local church for 10 years plans to organize a new children’s singing group.
Sonny Salsbury formed the Gospel Press in 1969 at the First Presbyterian Church in Yakima, now Grace of Christ Presbyterian Church. The First Presbyterian Youth Choir included high school and college students from across the community and grew from 30 to a maximum of 110. Members have performed on the West Coast on an annual tour and even recorded a disk.
He calls his new singing group the Gospel Kids, Salsbury said in a press release. It will include children from the third to the seventh year.
Like Gospel Press, participation in Gospel Kids will be open to anyone in the community, Salsbury said. The first meeting is scheduled for 3:45 p.m. to 5:15 p.m. on January 6 in the choir room of the Grace of Christ Presbyterian Church at 9 S. Eighth Ave. in Yakima.
Deb Wagner will accompany the group on the piano, Salsbury said. Wagner has accompanied the Gospel Press, as well as many years of service in the Davis High School Music Program, Elementary School Music, and the Yakima Children’s Choir.
Salsbury is well known in Yakima as a singer and musician, minister of youth and artist. The California native and his wife, Linda, first moved to Yakima in 1969. They have held various roles in the Yakima Valley over the years as they keep coming back after moving elsewhere and say that they are here to stay now.
For more information on the Gospel Kids, call Salsbury at 805-709-6605.
