Wendell Lee Bagwell, also known as Wendy Bagwell, born on May 16, 1925, in Chamblee, Georgia, was the founding member and leader of the Southern gospel music and comedy trio Wendy Bagwell and the Sunliters. After serving in the United States Marine Corps during World War II, Bagwell formed Wendy Bagwell and the Sunliters in 1953 with Geraldine Terry (later known as Jerri Morrison) and Georgia Jones. The group gained popularity for their comedic performances, notably "Here Come the Rattlesnakes", a million-selling song about snake handling at a church performance. In 1970, Bagwell was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Gospel Performance (Other Than Soul Gospel) for the album Talk About the Good Times. Bagwell died on June 13, 1996, from a brain aneurysm. Posthumously, he was inducted into the Southern Gospel Music Association Hall of Fame in 1997 and the GMA Hall of Fame in 2001.
