This month, I’d like to focus on a number of gospel music artists rather than just one, and in so doing, I’d like to claim that this is a unique idea that came first to my mind.
Unfortunately, with regard to the second half of that opening paragraph, as much as I’d LIKE to claim I was the first one to address this topic, I can’t so claim that in all honesty.
Like everyone else who writes articles on a regular basis, I like to do a lot of reading myself. And when it comes to gospel music, there are many people that I read who provide me with learning and inspiration for ideas for my own writing.
Recently, one of those people, Daniel Mount, has run a series of historical analyses on his own successful blog, deigning to list the top ten gospel groups from each decade of the genre in terms of how each artists’ music has stood the test of time, which I interpret to mean as that music that is not only as powerful and lasting as when it was first made, but how lasting that group’s influence in that time remains today.
It’s a good premise for a historical evaluation, so this month, I thought I’d expand on Daniel’s idea and make a list of my own of the most durable and lasting gospel music artists of all time, not just limit the parameters to one decade or one generation.
Before I begin, I must draw my own parameters here. Since this is a southern gospel music site, I will limit my choices to those artists that were at or near the top of the genre during most of their careers. This would leave out some notable names.
Also, to make this a manageable article, I’ll need to limit the number of artists I discuss. Daniel listed his artists in groups of ten, and that number seems to be a manageable enough number to consider. Plus, ten seems like a good place to stop. So I’ll stop there, too.
One final thing I want to emphasize, this is NOT a list of the “best”, nor are these artists being “ranked” in any way here. The sequence in which I’ll evaluate them is chronological, so, for example, the first group I’ll discuss here is NOT necessarily the “best” or my favorite of all the groups. I am NOT comparing these groups to each other, nor to anyone else in particular. This is just a list of 10 groups who have proven their significance historically in gospel music, and the chronological approach seems to be as sensible a way to organize this as any, so that’s what I’ll be doing.
What follows will be brief synopses of who I consider to be the most lasting and durable (in terms of longevity and influence) artists operating primarily in the southern gospel genre in that genre’s history. Sure, it’s a little subjective (one can’t write a piece like this without some sort of evaluative judgment seeping in!) , but I’m trying to base this list on the most objective criteria I can. So with that, away we go,
1. THE SPEER FAMILY-This illustrious group was a vital force in southern gospel music for almost seventy years. G. T. (Dad) Speer, his wife, and their four children were the longtime core of what probably was the first popular family group, but their style and material was right out of the always-more-popular male quartet tradition. “Dad” Speer was one of the rop managers and songwriters in the genre’s history, son Brock and Ben are in the genre’s Hall of Fame, and they were always among the top draws on the concert circuit and top sellers of recordings.
In addition, Brock and Ben were extremely active in the production of records and artists, as well as accompanying them in the recording studio. They were widely known for their professionalism in all they did, and they were always at the forefront of whatever trends the industry had going. As the Speer daughters let the group to form their own families, the group hired many talented no-family members to keep their sound and stature intact. In the 1970s, Harold Lane (who’d established himself with the Gospel Harmony Boys years earlier, became widely known as one of the industry’s premier writers and arrangers. The Speers certainly were one of the top groups in the genre for a LONG time.
2. THE LEFEVRES-Right along with the Speers, the LeFevres were another family group that started in the 1920s and was known for a unique sound and sincere approach. Brothers Urias and Alphus were extremely proficient musicians, as was Urias’ wife Eva Mae, whose piano technique was one of the most proficient in the genre. They, too, sold many records for many labels, and with the Gospel Singing Caravan TV show, were among the first groups to be successful on television in a major way.
And the LeFevres were also noteworthy for their accomplishments in recording studios, their own studio in Atlanta was one of the finest facilities of ANY kind in the country when it was built in 1963. And like the Speers, Urias and Eva Mae’s children Pierce, Meurice, and Mylon all became major figures in the genre in their own right.
The LeFevres never did fall out of popularity, they gradually stepped out of the industry and became the Rex Nelon Singers in 1977 after Eva Mae finally retired. As the Rex Nelon Singers (later the Nelons) , the group continued to be one of the industry pacesetters. Between them, the group was a major industry force for nearly 70 years, Speer-like numbers indeed!
3. THE CHUCK WAGON GANG-One of the most venerable names in gospel music history, this group is still doing well in this, their 73rd year of operation. They are known for one of the most distinctive styles and sounds in the history of the genre, but don’t let that apparent simplicity fool you. They were one of Columbia Records’ most consistent and prolific sellers spanning five decades. They’ve appeared at the largest and smallest venues in the genre’s history, and their charm and sincerity have helped set them apart from the pack and keep them going after all these years.
4. THE BLACKWOOD BROTHERS-This group of Mississippi farm boys began as a family quartet in the mid 1930s, and stayed intact in spite of family commitments, a world war, and a tragic plane crash to emerge out of it all as one of the two top groups in the industry for nearly three decades. They stayed popular until well into the 1980s, when original member James Blackwood finally stopped appearing with them. They always were the top-selling male quartet on record, and their 20+ year association with RCA Records is one of the longer stints involving a gospel group and a major secular label. Along the way, they had tremendous success on radio and on TV as well, when they attracted national attention in 1954 with their win on the popular Arthur Godfrey Talent Scouts’ show.
With members such as James and RW Blackwood, Bill Shaw, Wally Varner, JD Sumner, and London Parris as members, the Blackwood Brothers were among the most influential artists in the history of the genre. Many aspiring quartets BECAME quartets in hopes of emulating the Blackwoods. They worked with and knew artists like Elvis Presley and George Beverly Shea well (even recording an album with Shea in 1967) . They won nearly every award possible for an artist to win, and were a major, major force in the genre for over 50 years. And recently, their name has been revived by descendants of the original Blackwoods, so the Blackwood Brothers’ story may yet have a few chapters remaining.
Author: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
Written: 03/03/2009
| 
Category: SG History 101
Comments: 10
RSS Feed
| (What's an RSS feed?)
|
Ads Sponsored by Southern Spin
Great article John. I have read sg 101 since you started writing it, but this is my first posting. There were a lot of names that could be mentioned with each group, but one name I feel should of been included with the Statesmen, was Rosie Rozell. I say this because it was when he came in after Denver Crumpler, that the group really took off. Rosie, Doy, Jake, The Chief and Hovie are the household nmaes of that group. I believe Rosie's unique style of singing Tenor put the Icing on the cake. Thanks for the articles, they take me back to my childhood when I fell in love with Southern Gospel Music.
Great article John. I have read sg 101 since you started writing it, but this is my first posting. There were a lot of names that could be mentioned with each group, but one name I feel should of been included with the Statesmen, was Rosie Rozell. I say this because it was when he came in after Denver Crumpler, that the group really took off. Rosie, Doy, Jake, The Chief and Hovie are the household names of that group. I believe Rosie's unique style of singing Tenor put the Icing on the cake. Thanks for the articles, they take me back to my childhood when I fell in love with Southern Gospel Music.
Sorry about the duplicate post. Tried to correct nmaes to names and sent a second post.
Another great article, John. Of course, the fact that it mentioned the great Gold City helped IMHO! 
Love those guys.
God is good all the time & all the time God is good.
Elaine Harcourt
As always, a great article. I think that a name that may have been an oversight would be the Weatherfords. They are a major influence on the success of the Cathedrals.
We could all add names of great groups that were influences on the great groups.... as that is what happens, and it passes the torch to the newer groups and the influence remains and gets even stronger.
Gary, you're right about the Weatherfords as they had a huge influence on the style of the early Imperials as well.
Deon Unthank
SoGospelNews.com
My Blog
Some people are like Slinkys… Not really good for anything, but they
still bring a smile to your face when you push them down a flight of stairs - Author Unknown
Don't know how I missed posting to this last month, but all your articles are just what you mentioned in your last sentence........."thought provoking".
Keep me safe ‘til the storm passes by
What's that? We don't have those here, but we've got washed in the blood of Christ, born again children, redeemed, sanctified, all the hmmhmmm of heaven, that's all who enter these pearly gates. There are no tags here of denomination, only one thing counts and that is salvation, friend you just have to be born again...." Just then there came another man, wanted to see the promised land, he asked the angel at the gate if...hhm hmm hmmm hmm mhmmm hmm hmmm hmm hmmmm
It was called "Born Again Children by The Galileeans....
Page 1 of 1 Comment Pages
