The Statesmen Quartet
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The Statesmen Quartet | |
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Also known as | Hovie Lister and The Statesmen Quartet |
Origin | Atlanta, Georgia, United States |
Genres | Southern gospel, Gospel, Contemporary christian |
Years active | 1948–2001 |
Labels | RCA Victor, Skylite, Chime, Artistic, Temple |
Past members | Hovie Lister, Bobby Strickland, Mosie Lister, Bervin Kendrick, Gordon Hill |
The Statesmen Quartet (also known as Hovie Lister and The Statesmen Quartet) were an American southern gospel quartet founded in 1948 by Baptist Minister Hovie Lister. Along with the Blackwood Brothers, the Statesmen Quartet were considered the most successful and influential gospel quartet of the 1950s and 1960s and had a wide influence on artists during that time from the gospel, country, pop, and rock and roll genre.[1] Along with hits spanning many decades, The Statesmen Quartet had many notable successes including being the first Gospel group to receive endorsement deals. Additionally, they made television commercials, appeared on numerous radio and TV shows, and were signed to RCA Victor before launching their own record label, Skylite Records, with The Blackwood Brothers.
Formation (1948)
The Statesmen Quartet was founded in 1948 in
Broadcasting & recording (1948-1952)
After having several radio programs in the Atlanta, Georgia, area, The Statesmen "became the first Southern gospel quartet to have a nationally syndicated TV program, Singing Time in Dixie, sponsored by Nabisco."[2] The group recorded 36 songs for Capitol Records from 1949 to 1953. They switched to RCA Victor in 1954, recording more than 30 albums during their years with that company. In 1968, they began recording for Skylite.[2] Though most fans were inclined to support the group in terms of religious inspiration and/or entertainment, a 1964 profile of the group in Billboard magazine noted, "The Statesmen ... are known as a complex organization to the music industry." In addition to the broadcasting and recording activities already mentioned, the article cited ownership of four gospel music publishing companies that "print and distribute song books and sheet music."[3]
Pinnacle years (1953-1957)
In 1952, The Statesmen Quartet entered into a business partnership with
Rosie Rozell era (1958-1973)
In 1957, Crumpler died after seeking medical attention for what was at the time diagnosed as a heart condition, but was revealed to be diabetic shock. Former tenor Cat Freeman came back briefly, but was replaced in 1958 by former Oklahoma police officer Roland "Rosie" Rozell. The Rozell-Hess-Ott-Wetherington lineup recorded such classics as "Faith Unlocks The Door" and Rozell's signature songs "Oh What A Savior" and "There's Room at the Cross," both songs becoming gospel music mainstays for decades after. In 1963, Hess left The Statesmen to form his own quartet, Jake Hess and The Imperials. Lister recruited Jack Toney to replace Hess. Before long, Toney's powerful voice helped The Statesmen to press on and continue with their success. Another setback occurred when Wetherington died suddenly of early heart disease on October 3, 1973, while attending the National Quartet Convention in Nashville. It was around this time that the group was losing stability on its own and more changes to the line-up were inevitable.
Later years (1974-2001)
Later incarnations of The Statesmen would include tenors Sherrill "Shaun" Nielson, Willie Wynn, and Johnny Cook; lead singers Roy McNeil and Jim Hill; baritones Chris Hess, Biney English and Rick Fair; and bass singers Ray Burdett, Tommy Thompson, Bob Caldwell and Doug Young. Over the years, Jake Hess, Jack Toney, Doy Ott and Rosie Rozell would rejoin The Statesmen at various times, most notably a couple years after Wetherington's death when Lister brought back Rozell, Hess, and Ott as "The Statesmen" sans bass. A comical pairing of this classic Statesmen "trio" with longtime Blackwood Brothers/Stamps Quartet bass singer
, which would include Rosie Rozell, Jake Hess, and Hovie Lister in its lineup. The Statesmen would continue to travel with rotating lineups through 1981, and began to tour again from 1992 to 2001, until Lister's health failed.Doy Ott was the first of the original group that had survived Crumpler and Wetherington to die, having suffered a
Legacy and cultural impact
The Statesmen influenced both gospel and non-gospel artists alike.
In his book They Heard Georgia Singing, former Georgia Governor and Senator Zell Miller said that Lister and his group "more than anyone else, put style and flair into gospel music. ... Hovie was first of all a minister, and he ministered with his music," said Sen. Miller. "But he used to say religion did not need to have a long face, and he made religion upbeat." Lister defended his musical style that was considered "worldly" by many churches by retorting "If it takes shaking my hair down, beating a piano like Liberace or Piano Red to keep these young people out of beer joints or the rear seats of automobiles, I'll do it. The devil's got his kind of entertainment. We've got ours."
The group was elected into the
Members
Lineups
1948
(Under the Name "The Statesmen") |
1948–1949 | 1949 |
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1949–1951 | 1951 | 1951–1953 |
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1953–1956 | 1956–1957 | 1957-1958 |
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1958–1963 | 1963–1966 | 1966–1967 |
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1967–1968 | 1968–1969 | 1969–1972 |
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1972–1973 | 1973 | 1973–1974 |
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1974 | 1974-1975 | 1975-1977 |
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1977–1978 | 1978–1979 | 1979 |
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1979–1980 | 1981 | 1981 |
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1992–1993 | 1993 | 1993 |
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1993 | 1993-1994 | 1994 |
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1994 | 1994-1998 | 1998–2001 |
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Grand Ole Gospel Reunion Statesmen Members
1988-1991
(Under the Name "Hovie Lister and the Statesmen Quartet") |
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Grand Ole Gospel Reunion Quartet
2001
(Under the Name "Grand Ole Gospel Reunion Quartet") |
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Pianist
- Hovie Lister (1948–2001, owner)
- Boyce Hawkins (1951) (filled in for Hovie Lister)
- Doy Ott (1951) (filled in for Hovie Lister)
Tenor
- Bobby Strickland (1948–1951)
- Earl Terry (1951)
- Claris Freeman (1951–1953, 1957–1958) (died March 21, 1989; aged 67)
- Denver Crumpler (1953–1957) (died March 21, 1957; aged 44)
- Rosie Rozell (1958–1969, 1973, 1978, 1977–1981) (died February 28, 1995; aged 66)
- Shaun Neilsen (1969–1973, 1975)
- Willie Wynn (1973–1974)
- Wayne Hilton (1974–1975)
- Johnny Cook (1992–1993) (died May 14, 2000; aged 51)
- Tank Tackett (1993)
- Steve Warren (1994)
- Gene Miller (1994)
- Wallace Nelms (1994–2001)
Lead
- Mosie Lister (1948) (died February 12, 2015; aged 93)
- Jake Hess (1948–1963, 1975, 1977–1979, 1988, 1992–1993) (died January 4, 2004; aged 76)
- Gary McSpadden (1960) (filled in for Jake Hess) (died April 15, 2020; aged 77)
- Les Roberson (1953) (also filled in for Jake Hess)
- Jack Toney (1963–1966, 1967–1968, 1979, 1994–2001) (died April 15, 2004; aged 70)
- Roy McNeal (1966–1967)
- Jim Hill (1968–1971)
- Gary Timbs (1971–1973)
- Elmer Cole (1973–1974)
- David Will (1975)
- Buddy Burton (1979–1981, 1993–1994)
- Wayne Little (1993)
Baritone
- Bervin Kendrick (1948–1951)
- Troy Posey (1951)
- Doy Ott (1951–1978) (died November 6, 1986; aged 67)
- Chris Hess (1978–1979)
- Ed Hill (1979–1980) (died July 13, 2020)
- Richard Coletrane (1981)
- Buddy Burton (1988, 1993)
- Biney English (1992–1993)
- Scooter Simmons (1993)
- Jerry Candler (1993–1994)
- Mike Loprinzi (1994–1998)
- Rick Fair (1998–2001)
Bass
- Gordon Hill (1948)
- A.D. Soward (1949)
- Jim Wetherington (1949–1973) (died October 3, 1973; aged 50)
- Ray Burdett (1973–1975)
- Rex Nelon (1977;part time)
- Tommy Thompson (1979–1980, 1988)
- J. D. Sumner (1981) (died November 16, 1998; aged 73)
- Larry Strickland (1988)
- Bob Caldwell (1992–1993)
- Hovie Walker (1993)
- Stacy Bragg (1993)
- Nic Val (1987–1988, 1991, 1993)
- Roy Pauley (1993)
- Doug Young (1994–2001)
Discography
- 1957: The Statesmen Quartet with Hovie Lister
- 1958: The Statesmen Quartet Sings with Hovie Lister
- 1958: The Bible Told Me So (RCA)
- 1959: Hymns
- 1959: I'll Meet You By the River (RCA)
- 1959: Get Away Jordan
- 1960: Mansion Over the Hilltop (RCA)
- 1960: On Stage (RCA)
- 1960: Something To Shout About
- 1960: Encores
- 1960: Peace, O Lord
- 1960: Statesmen Blackwood Favorites
- 1961: Out West (RCA)
- 1961: Through the States (RCA)
- 1962: Stop, Look & Listen for the Lord
- 1962: Camp-Meeting Hymns (RCA)
- 1962: Singing Time in Dixie (Skylight)
- 1963: The Mystery of His Way (RCA)
- 1963: Message in the Sky (RCA Camden)
- 1963: A Gospel Concert
- 1964: Hovie Lister Sings with His Famous Statesmen Qt. (RCA)
- 1964: Hovie Lister Spotlights Doy Ott (RCA)
- 1964: Songs Of Faith (RCA Camden)
- 1965: The Best Of The Statesmen Quartet (RCA)
- 1964: Doris Akers & The Statesmen Sing for You
- 1965: The Sensational Statesmen Quartet (RCA)
- 1965: Sings the Golden Gospel Songs (RCA)
- 1965: All Day Sing & Dinner on the Ground
- 1966: The Happy Sound (RCA)
- 1966: Sings the Gospel Gems
- 1967: In Gospel Country (RCA)
- 1967: My God is Real (RCA Camden)
- 1967: Showers of Blessing (RCA)
- 1968: Sing Brother Sing (RCA)
- 1968: Hits of the Decade
- 1968: Happy Land
- 1968: The Best of the Statesmen Volume 2 (RCA)
- 1968: God Loves American People (Skylite)
- 1968: Standing on the Promises
- 1969: Taller Than Trees (RCA Camden)
- 1969: Thanks to Calvary (Skylite)
- 1969: New Sounds Today (Skylite)
- 1970: No Greater Love (RCA Camden)
- 1970: Featuring… (Skylite)
- 1970: The Common Man(Skylite)
- 1971: Put Your Hand in the Hand (Skylite)
- 1972: Keep On Smiling' '(Skylite)
- 1972: Hits of the Decade
- 1972: Hits of the Decade Vol. 2 (Chime, Artistic)
- 1972: They That Sow (Skylite)
- 1973: I Believe in Jesus
- 1973: In Memory Of "Big Chief" Jim Wetherington & Denver "Crump" Crumpler (Lord, I Want to Go to Heaven) (CAM)
- 1973: Time to Remember
- 1974: Ain't That What It's All About
- 1974: Precious Memories
- 1974: Feature Doy Ott
- 1977: The Legendary Statesmen Return
- 1977: Gospel Songs Elvis Loved
- 1977: Get Away Jordan
- 1978: His Love Put a Song in My Heart
- 1978: Oh What a Savior (Skylite)
- 1979: Gospel Gems (Skylite)
- 1979: Hovie Lister & The Sensational Statesmen
- 1980: He is Here (Skylite)
- 1981: Sweet Beulah Land
- 1992: I Surrender All
- 1992: The Bible Told Me So
- 1992: Get Away Jordan
- 1992: Jubilee’s A Coming
- 1992: Revival
- 1992: O What a Savior
- 1993: O My Lord What a Time
- 1996: Saints Don't You Know
- 1997: Hovie Lister & The Statesmen
- 1998: Still Sensational
- 1999: You Can't Shake the Rock
- 2000: Even So Come
- Unknown Year Precious Old Book (Temple)
- Unknown Year Faith Unlocks the Door (Temple)
- Unknown Year How Great Thou Art (Skylite)
References
- ^ ISBN 0-8078-5346-1.
- ^ ISBN 0-415-94179-2. P. 191
- ^ Billboard. July 25, 1964. Profile: The Statesmen Quartet. P. 26
- ISBN 0-929398-57-2. P. 276.