SOUTHERN GOSPEL MUSIC IS BIG TIME IN THE SOUTH AND

HAS BEEN FOR 50 years. I love Gospel Music as much as Elvis did. Yep, that is right. Elvis grew up on Gospel Music and learned the Southern Gospel sound of delivery. Every "jivation" that Elvis had already been done, in the Gospel arena. So, I asked Vicki to do some research on J.D. Sumner, but I will spill-the-beans here.

Elvis's mother was very religious and she loved Gospel Singing. One of the first LPs done by RCA on Elvis was "Peace in the Valley," a 45 rpm of that Gospel song and a "B' side. It sold millions, after the Ed Sullivan show. So, ... what is Gospel Music?

I would call it, Christian Fundamental music with Pizzaz. In the 30s and 40s it was THE KING of Music for the "the southern white folks." They sang their music with the same Jive that the Afro Americans sang their songs with. When Elvis moved to Memphis, he was just a few blocks from a facility, where they would have Gospel Quartet "sing-offs" - chicken fighting, but with Gospel Quartets and Groups.

It was, because of Gospel Music, that Elvis ever started singing professionally. He went down to Sam Phillips of Sun Records, to record a song for his mother. Ah, ... that little song, changed the world of music. Even the President of Japan crumbles when he thinks about Elvis. He has many of Elvis's songs memorized. Pictured is J.D. Sumner and Elvis. J. D. holds the Guiness World Book of Record as hitting, vocally, the lowest note, ... below the lowest key on a regular piano.

Elvis saw J. D. Sumner as his hero. J. D. Was 6ft 4 inches tall, and must have had the longest vocal chords in the business. Marcella brought me ANOTHER J.D. Sumner Quartet that she found in a book or electronic store. It was a re-issue, of many of J. D.'s "Favorite" selection. He has at least 4 solos that J. D. goes so low, that it rattles the speakers. He was just incredible at singing the Bass.

Gospel Music Quartets are still big. I think I have mentioned, IIIrd Time OUT, but we have hundreds of Gospel Quartets, including Afro Americans. Look up "The Blind Boys of Alabama, with Tony Harper." Yep, I have it. They have been singing for 50 years before they won a Grammy.





Gospel Quartets can be spotted all over the United States, just like Country Stars, driving their converted buses into living and sleeping places. They pull into these RV parks, dump their septic tank, and head out the next day for another engagement. Usually the Gospel Buses, have their names on them. Not so, with Country Music. They don't want the crowd's of fans Bugging them. They leave their buses running on diesal all day long, even if they have a concert. I mean they have some "snazzy" buses. But Willie Nelson flaunts his bus, with a huge picture of Willie on the side of it.

Without a good backup group, Elvis wouldn't have been able to do what he did. He had the Stamps and a "Black" womens trio. In his later years, he carried or had an orchestra to back him up. To the day, he died, his favorite music was Gospel.

J.D. as a bass singer, sang in several Quartets over the years. He was the bass for the Statesmen, and then moved over to the Masters Five Quartet.

Now, let me tell you, that I am not getting any of this information from the Internet. Marcella and I have gone to so many Gospel Quartet singings, that we couldn't count them. The Texans, The Gospel Lads, The Kingsmen, Florida Boys, The Happy Goodmans, Andre Crouch, ... I just can't remember all of them. When Hovie Lister and The Palmetto State Quartet came to sing at one of the Electrical Rural Coop meetings, the first week of July, Hovie was the piano man. We had brought three "Pow Wow" chairs, and Hovie Lister, came over and sat down in the extra chair. We talked for a couple of hours about Southern Gospel Music. I mean, this was the Genesis man of Quartet singing. I could write tons on what we talked about, but it was my priviledge to meet and talk with him.

The first Gospel group to back up Elvis was The Jordanaires. After they resigned, I am sure that they lived fairly well just with the money received by Elvis's recording. They became a "STAPLE" sessions group in Nashville, and never toured. Monty Matthews and his brother were initially involved in the formation of the group. Both died. Randy Matthews, Monty's son, is still singing. We have heard him many times, and Bro. C. knows him from college days. For fun, look him up on the internet.

google, which is now considered a verb and has been entered in the latest English Dictionaries, The Jordanaires, Stamps quartet, and Randy Matthews. Or even most of the others I mention. Two of my favorite groups are The Staples and Dotty Rainbow, consisting of the mother, father and daughter. Incredible song writer, was Dotty. I still sing several songs of Dotties today.

Here is a picture of Reba McIntire, an Oklahoman, with the Stamps Quartet. All single Country Singers have musicians who do harmonies. Evidentally, The Stamps did the harmonies for REBA.
Go check out jdsumnerandthestamps.com

One of the songs I sing is "He Looked Beyond my Faults and Saw my needs," to the tune of O'Danny Boy. That is a Dotty Rambo song. Their daughter, Reba, has one of the most distinct and beautiful voices in Gospel Music.

The Hensons

I have sung "The Lighthouse" by The Hensons for years. We've seen them at Festivals many times. There was a Mexican Quartet, named, "The Galleleans," who we have seen performing. Another one of my favorite Quartets, was formed by the music director during high school. They already had a booking agent, when they graduated from high school. Once the students graduated, the Music teacher, Mr. Cook, quit teaching and started playing for the quartet all over America. The name of the group is "The Inspirations."