Thomas Earl “Tommy” Bishop joined the staff of Grace United Methodist Church as Organist/Choirmaster on June 4th, 2014 after serving for 32 years as Organist/Director of Music at First Presbyterian Church. A life-long resident of Union, Tommy began taking piano lessons at age 5 with his great aunt, Mabel Malone Godshall. When he was 13, Frank Nabors, who then was organist at First Presbyterian Church, began teaching him organ. He also took lessons from former Grace United Methodist Church organist, Cecil Ringer and attended the Winthrop College Academy of Music where he studied with Dr. David Lowry. After graduating from Union High School in 1980, Bishop attended USC-Union where he received an Associate in Science degree. He also holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Music Education from Limestone College where he studied organ with Robert Sutter and piano with Joyce Welch. While at Limestone, he received the award for Outstanding Achievement in Music Performance. Bishop has been a church organist for the past 38 years having begun at the age of 14 at his home church, the Episcopal Church of the Nativity where he is a 4th generation member. He also has served as organist for mass at St. Augustine Catholic Church for the past 20 years. He has been a private piano and organ teacher for the past 29 years and an adjunct faculty member of USC-U for the past 10 years. Bishop is also a member of the Union County Arts Council Board, the Union Music Club where he is a past president, the Union County Historical Society, and the Spartanburg Chapter of the American Guild of Organists where he is a past dean. He has played for countless weddings, funerals, graduations, community church services, and other events in Union County over the past 38 years.
