Born: March 11, 1917, Oneonta, Alabama.
Died: April 30, 1988, Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Buried: Memorial Park Cemetery, Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Vesphew was the son of Evan Manson Ellis and Ollie Mary Dresser Campbell, and husband of Essie Mae Hardin.
He sang and wrote songs for Oral Roberts Ministries, and Gaither Homecoming videos. Ellis is said to have written over 500 songs, and recorded 200 of them.
He was inducted into the Southern Gospel Music Association’s Hall of Fame in 2001.