RIP: Pastor Joseph A Peay Sr., Singer, Songwriter, Founder of the Triumphs Gospel Group

By Robert M. Marovich

JGM was saddened to learn of the passing of Pastor Joseph A. Peay Sr. He transitioned from earth to glory on October 11, 2025, at age 85.

Joe Peay was a founding member of the Triumphs, a male gospel group based in Los Angeles. He organized the group in 1963, about a year after arriving in Los Angeles from serving military duty in Korea. According to Peay, the Reverend James Cleveland helped the Triumphs land a record deal with Vee-Jay Records, which by that time had a Los Angeles office. The group recorded a single for Vee-Jay in 1965, “Come to the Savior” / “I’m A Rolling.” An album was also recorded, but likely due to the company’s mounting legal and financial troubles, only the single saw daylight at the time. The full Triumphs album, Come to the Savior, was not released until 1974, on VJ International.

“We recorded that whole album without stopping,” Peay remembered, years later. “It was ten songs, and we went from song to song. We would hardly take a break because [Producer] Richard [Simpson] would say, ‘Next!’ We didn’t have time, so it wasn’t as tight as I would have liked it to be, but we were just so excited – our first album.”

The Triumphs would go on to record a couple of additional singles for other imprints, but none had the traction of their Vee-Jay product. On the other hand, the Friends of Distinction sung Peay’s composition, “This Generation,” and placed it on the B-side of their hit (and my personal favorite of theirs), 1970’s “Love or Let Me Be Lonely.”
The record did very well and Peay said that as composer of the B-side, he received a nickel per record sold. “Never underestimate the power of nickels,” he laughed.

In later years, Joe and I had plenty of conversations over our mutual concerns about the troubling state of the nation and the world.

We express our deepest and most sincere condolences to the friends, family, and many fans of Rev. Joe Peay.