J. D. Sumner

J. D. Sumner
Birth name John Daniel Sumner
Born (1924-11-19)November 19, 1924
Lakeland, Florida U.S.
Died November 16, 1998(1998-11-16) (aged 73)
Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
Genres Southern gospel
Occupation(s) Bass singer
Instruments Vocals
Years active 1945–1998
Associated acts J. D. Sumner and the Stamps, Elvis Presley, The Blackwood Brothers, Masters V
Website jdsumner.org

John Daniel "J. D." Sumner (November 19, 1924 – November 16, 1998) was an American gospel singer, songwriter, and music promoter noted for his bass voice. Sumner sings the final note on the Elvis Presley song Way Down, a C1. His vocal range extended below the lowest playable note on the piano, reaching the note G0 in a 26-second vocal slide at a concert while singing backing vocals for Presley. There are some claiming he reached an Eb0 in a recorded live concert while singing with the Blackwood Brothers, however this cannot be verified. He was famous for his group J. D. Sumner and the Stamps Quartet and his associations with the Blackwood Brothers and Elvis Presley.

Career

Sunny South Quartet and Dixie Lily Harmoneers

J. D. Sumner first sang with The Sunny South Quartet from 1945 to 1949. The quartet was headquartered in Tampa, Florida and was sponsored by the Dixie Lily Flour Company. In 1949, Sunny South manager Horace Floyd relocated the quartet to Orlando, but J. D. stayed behind in Tampa where he maintained the sponsorship and started a new group, the Dixie Lily Harmoneers, which he sang with for a few months.[1]

Sunshine Boys

Later in 1949, J. D. Sumner left the Dixie Lily Harmoneers and moved up to Atlanta, Georgia, where he joined the Sunshine Boys. They split their time between Atlanta and Wheeling, West Virginia with the occasional trip to Hollywood to sing in Western movies. The lineup of Fred Daniel on tenor, Ed Wallace on lead, Ace Richman on baritone, and J. D. on bass continued on for five years until June 30, 1954.[2]

Blackwood Brothers Quartet

On June 30, 1954, tragedy struck the Blackwood Brothers Quartet when a disastrous test run in their private plane cost the lives of baritone R.W. Blackwood and bass singer Bill Lyles. J. D. Sumner was immediately hired by the Blackwood Brothers to sing with them to replace Lyles. Cecil Blackwood joined at the same time to replace his brother R. W. on baritone. J. D. sang with the Blackwood Brothers Quartet from 1954 until 1965.[3]

Stamps Quartet

In 1962, J. D. Sumner became the manager of the Stamps Quartet, and three years later, he left the Blackwood Brothers to sing with them. Sumner was most noted as the leader of the Stamps Quartet, which became known as J.D. Sumner & The Stamps. Elvis Presley, while as a teenager, idolized Sumner's singing after seeing him perform with the Sunshine Boys. Presley hired Sumner & The Stamps as his back-up singers in 1971. The group toured and recorded with Presley from November 1971 until Presley's death in 1977. He not only sang at Elvis' funeral but had previously sung at the funeral of Elvis' mother, Gladys, in 1958.[4]

Masters V

After the Stamps Quartet disbanded in 1980, Sumner with Hovie Lister, Jake Hess, Rosie Rozell, and James Blackwood formed the Masters V as a special consolidation of members of the Blackwood Brothers Quartet and Statesmen Quartet. The group was a showcase for Sumner's voice and compositions and won the 1981 Grammy Award for best traditional gospel performance. Sumner was credited not only for his singing, songwriting, and concert promotions, but was also noted for being the first to customize a coach bus for the entertainment business to use for music groups.

Later career with Stamps

After the Masters V disbanded in 1988, Sumner reformed the Stamps Quartet and performed with the group until his death in 1998. He was often seen in his latter years appearing as a guest artist on the Bill Gaither Homecoming videos. The Stamps Quartet is currently led by Ed Enoch,[5] a member since 1969.

Range and awards

For 18 years, Sumner held the Guinness World Record for recording the lowest bass note. As of 2011, he has been surpassed only three times by the following vocalists: Dan Britton (1984), Tim Storms (2002 and once more in 2012), and Roger Menees (2011).[6] Sumner was inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame in 1984 and the Southern Gospel Music Association Hall of Fame in 1997.[7][8]

Other activities

In 1964, Sumner founded the Gospel Music Association with James Blackwood. He was also the founding force behind the National Quartet Convention.

Songwriting

Sumner wrote more than 700 songs including the following:

  • A Land Where Milk And Honey Flows
  • A Million Years From Now
  • Aloha Time
  • Because Of Him*
  • Behind Your Tears
  • Beyond God's Horizon
  • Crossing Chilly Jordan
  • Each Step I Take
  • Eternal Paradise
  • Everybody Ought To Love
  • For I've Got The Lord
  • Give Me The Strength To Stand
  • God Made A Way
  • He Means All The World To Me
  • He Will See You Through
  • Heaven For Me
  • He's All That I Need
  • His Love
  • I Believe In The Old Time Way
  • I Can Feel The Touch Of His Hand
  • I Do Dear Jesus I Believe
  • I Don't Mind
  • I Found God
  • I Know It's So
  • I Serve A Living God
  • I Wanna Rest
  • I Want To Meet You Up In Heaven
  • I Wouldn't Trade
  • I'll Follow Where He Leads
  • I'm Happy And Free
  • In That Land
  • Inside The Gate
  • I've Got To Walk That Lonesome Road
  • Jesus Is Mine
  • Keep Me
  • Listen
  • Mammy's Boy
  • My All I Give
  • Never
  • Old Man Death
  • On That Happy Golden Shore
  • On The Other Side Of Jordan
  • One Day
  • Only One Touch
  • Paradise Valley
  • Pay As You Go
  • Rolling Along
  • Some Wonderful Day
  • Someday Soon
  • Something Old Something New
  • Sweet Peace
  • Thank God For Calvary
  • The Old Country Church
  • The Touch Of His Hand
  • The Victory Road
  • There Is A Light
  • Walking And Talking With My Lord
  • Walking In The Light
  • What A Glorious Morning That Will Be
  • What A Morning
  • When I'm Alone
  • When The Clouds Roll By
  • Wonderful Love
  • Wonderful Savior

Discography

Solo albums

Compilations

With The Blackwood Brothers

J.D. Sumner & The Stamps

Compilations

With The Masters V

See Masters V discography

References

  1. ↑ http://www.sgma.org/gogr_history/rebels.htm
  2. ↑ http://www.sgma.org/gogr_history/sunshine_boys.htm
  3. ↑ http://www.sgma.org/gogr_history/blackwoods_romans828.htm
  4. ↑ Cusic, Don (January 1990). The sound of light: a history of gospel music. Popular Press. p. 119. ISBN 978-0-87972-498-6.
  5. ↑ http://www.thestampsquartet.com/bios.html The Stamps Quartet official biographies
  6. ↑ McNeil, W.K. (September 2005). Encyclopedia of American gospel music. Routledge. ISBN 0-415-94179-2.
  7. ↑ J.D. Sumner, Hall of Fame, Gospel Music Association, retrieved 13 August 2010
  8. ↑ "John Daniel "J.D." Sumner", Hall of Fame Inductees, Southern Gospel Music Association, retrieved 13 August 2010

External links

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