Canaan Records was originally launched in 1965 as a vehicle for Southern Gospel Music. Under the guidance of Marvin Norcross, Canaan Records and Canaanland Music Publishing rose to become one of the leading organizations in Southern Gospel Music in the late 1960s and early 1970s. The roster included Southern Gospel greats: The Florida Boys, The Inspirations, The Happy Goodmans, The Rex Nelon Singers, The LeFevres, The Lewis Family, Wendy Bagwell & The Sunliters, The Hemphills, The Dixie Echoes, Hovie Lister, The Thrasher Brothers, The Plainsmen Quartet, The Blue Ridge Quartet, and The Cathedrals.
After being absent from the industry for a number of years, Word Entertainment revived the label in 2007. Since then, Canaan has signed several more artists, including Mike & Kelly Bowling, The Mike LeFevre Quartet and Kim Hopper, all of which are taking the Southern Gospel industry by storm. In addition to overseeing projects for new artists, Canaan is also proud to be re- releasing many of the treasured classics from "The Vault" to digital music providers. These releases are being digitally restored and enhanced so as to provide the listener with the highest quality recordings available using today's most up-to-date technology.
