Deep River Boys
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The Deep River Boys were an American gospel music group active from the mid-1930s and into the 1980s.[1] The group performed spirituals, gospel, and R&B.
Members
The original group consisted of Harry Douglass (
Musical career
The group began at Hampton Institute, now known as Hampton University in Hampton, Virginia.[1] Initial success came about through their winning a talent competition on the radio which, in turn, led to further radio and stage appearances.[1] During World War II, they toured extensively for the USO entertaining US troops abroad. In 1952, their song "Recess in Heaven" became their first hit.[1] They also toured with Bill "Bojangles" Robinson.
In 1950, they left for Canada where they had a long engagement in Montreal. Upon return, they appeared on TV on
Despite their success in England and in Canada, their records were not selling well in the US, so they left their former record company,
In Europe, they were especially popular in countries such as
The last surviving early member of the group, Jimmy Lundy, lived in Portsmouth, Virginia and died in October 2007, in Maryview Hospital in Portsmouth, Virginia.
Ronnie Bright was the bass of the Deep River Boys from 1964 until 1968. After leaving the group, he joined the Coasters. He died in 2015.
Eddie Whaley Jr. (the son of Eddie Whaley of the comedy duo Scott and Whaley), the last surviving member of the Deep River Boys, was tenor from 1969 until 1971. He was born in Brighton, England, had a role as a child in the film Black Narcissus, and now lives in Florida.
Awards and honors
In 2019, their 1941 single "They Look Like Men of War" was selected by the Library of Congress for preservation in the National Recording Registry for being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".[5]
References
- ^ ISBN 1-85227-937-0.
- ^ "DEEP RIVER BOYS". Official Charts. Retrieved 12 September 2023.
- ^ "Tyneside Forum," January, 1957, Newcastle-on-Tyne
- ^ "Tyneside Forum," Autumn Edition, 1958
- ^ Andrews, Travis M. (March 20, 2019). "Jay-Z, a speech by Sen. Robert F. Kennedy and 'Schoolhouse Rock!' among recordings deemed classics by Library of Congress". The Washington Post. Retrieved March 25, 2019.
External links
- Deep River Boys at AllMusic
- Deep River Boys discography at Discogs
- The Deep River Boys at IMDb