2006

SG History 101 - Whither A Quartet?

When writing these history articles for Southern Gospel News, I seldom address topical issues of the day. I generally feel my place is more to look at gospel music’s past in order to teach us lessons about today’s gospel music from it. However, since this question comes up every so often in discourse among gospel music fans, and even appears now and then in forums about the music, I thought it might be instructive and helpful to review the historical facts concerning the question, so as to do away with any myth or misunderstandings, and possibly shed some light on those present-day discussions regarding the question.

So, what is the question, John?

Well, to put it simply, why are gospel quartets (by definiton, groups of four) so often pictured with five or more members? Isn’t this a mistake?

And the answer is, no…not really. This article will attempt to explain that conclusion.

This latest renewal of the question, “Whither a quartet?” was brought about due to a recent “Late Night with David Letterman” show, in which the famous comedian did a bit on “Small Town Life”(or something similarly worded)in which he unveiled a concert advertisement for the Dove Brothers Quartet, where he looked at the five people in the picture and wondered aloud, “How does a quartet consist of five people?”

Such a notion was undoubtedly amusing to much of Letterman’s audience, but soon after the program aired, many gospel music observers (who you think would know better) started to seriously wonder aloud the very same question. I have seen people on gospel music message boards who are otherwise very aware of the gospel music business wonder the same thing, which makes me wonder, don’t they know that it’s been that way through much of gospel music’s history? Did they never see pictures of Hovie Lister and the Statesmen (a group always invoked to demonstrate the legitimacy of anyone’s arguments or credibility regarding gospel music)? There were always five men in those pictures.

Furthermore, a simple perusal of pictures of most any professional gospel quartet from the 1940s onward shows that the prevailing unit in each quartet is five men. How can this be, some might say, when we were all taught that a quartet consists of four members?

A simple review of gospel music history will answer that question.

In the 1920s, when the gospel music industry was just beginning, many quartets sang unaccompanied, consisting of merely the four singers. Those that did use instruments usually had one of the singers playing the instrument used, be it a guitar, or piano, or whatever.

Quartets that were fortunate enough to have radio programs were fortunate to be able on occasion to appropriate the station’s musical staff (yes, radio stations had such things back then), which meant that all sorts of musical accompaniment was possible for the resident gospel quartet.

In time, though, instruments like the guitar and piano became the most common, because they were able to go with the quartets to their personal appearances. But still, such instruments were played by one of the singers in the quartet.

This all was to change suddenly however, in 1927 … when the Frank Stamps All-Stars (formerly just the Stamps Quartet) noticed an extraordinarily talented young pianist playing at a drugstore in Haleyville, AL. Odis (Pop) Echols immediately notified Stamps of this youngster, whose name was Dwight Brock, because he was so impressed by Brock’s innovative piano playing that he wanted to make Brock an official member of the quartet.

Upon hearing Brock for himself, Stamps agreed to hire Brock as a member of the quartet, even though Stamps already had his four singers (who were all among the tops in the business at the time, hence the designation “All-Stars”).  Evidently it never occurred to Stamps to suddenly change the group’s designation to a “quintet”, since it still was the four singers and their harmony which was the main selling point of the group. Brock’s abilities as an accompanist, his innovative piano playing, and his ability to creatively arrange the group’s music made him much more, though, than merely an “added attraction”. He was, indeed, an integral part of the group.

Thus, the five-man unit quickly became the definitive standard for the gospel quartet. Because, to coin a phrase, when one of the Stamps (Frank or his brother V.O.) sneezed, the entire fledgling gospel music industry caught cold. Brock was followed by such individuals as Marion Snider, Lee Roy Abernathy, Joe Roper, and others who made the same sort of impact on their quartets as Brock did with the Stamps All-Stars. The five-man quartet unit, therefore, was here to stay.

Not all the quartets had “fifth men”, especially when they started. The Blackwood Brothers began as many quartets did, with then-bass singer Doyle Blackwood accompanying the group on guitar. They didn’t acquire a piano player until they joined the Stamps organization in 1937. V.O. Stamps determined that if the Blackwood Brothers were going to be a big-time quartet, they needed that “fifth man” … so he dispatched Roper to join them as pianist and arranger, the first of a number of great pianists that illustrious group would have.

Some pianists were so colorful and creative, they themselves became stars and formed their own quartets. The aforementioned Abernathy was among the first of those, quickly followed by Hovie Lister, who began as an accompanist, but by the late 1940s, got the opportunity to form a quartet of his own, and through his boundless creative energy and considerable ability, took his Statesmen Quartet to the top of the industry.

If Brock’s success made the “fifth man” an integral part of a gospel quartet, Lister’s success sealed the deal for good, for virtually every quartet originating after the Statesmen had the four singers plus a pianist, who also was often the group’s musical arranger. Of course, there were exceptions. The Swanee River Boys had a smooth, mellow, guitar based sound … but even their guitarists were often extra men added to the quartet as accompanists, making them a quartet plus one or two members, all of which continued the historical tradition that Brock inaugurated back in 1927.

The five-man quartet remained the basis for all gospel quartets into the 1960s. From time to time, usually for economic reasons, a quartet would revert to being a four man unit with one singer doubling on piano …  examples of this were the Blue Ridge Quartet of the 1950s, the Rebels Quartet in the 1950s and 1960s, the Couriers Quartet in the early 1960s, and the Cathedral Quartet in the 1960s…but even those groups hired a “fifth man” as a pianist as soon as they were able. It was understood that the five-man unit was the standard lineup for a gospel quartet.

As times and styles changed, so did the size of the groups. By the late 1960s, the trend in gospel music was to hire additional musicians to make a fuller sound to appeal to younger audiences, so groups such as the Oak Ridge Boys, the Stamps, the Kingsmen, and even the Blackwood Brothers and the Rebels hired full bands to back up their singers. And even groups such as the Inspirations hired additional musicians for backup as well, even though they eschewed the contemporary sounds that their competitors were using. But through all of this, the five-man unit of the four singers and pianist remained the defining characteristic of a gospel quartet.

And today, style continue to change, and new ideas are being tried and experimented with. But the Dove Brothers still exemplify the standard model of a gospel quartet…”four guys and a piano”. Will that change? Perhaps … perhaps not. But looking back through gospel music history, there can be no doubt that the five-man unit has been the prevailing, defining characteristic of the gospel quartet.

So yes, David Letterman (and anyone else) … five men DO make up a gospel quartet!

SG History 101 - The Inspirations

Originating in the heart of God; Developed in the Word and Will of God…

Thus is the standard introduction to one of the most admired and acclaimed gospel quartets of all time, the Inspirations. They have been the pride of Bryson City, North Carolina for over 40 years, and there seems to be no end in sight yet for this remarkable group.

The above introduction sums up the Inspirations as much as any description of them ever has. The members of the Inspirations have invariably been upstanding, friendly, humble, and devoted Christians, dedicated to the traditional gospel quartet music of their native Smoky Mountains, and to advancing the gospel in song and in their lives. They are respected for their work and their witness almost universally.

The Inspirations' story begins in the spring of 1964 at Swain County High School in Bryson City. Martin Cook, a high school physics and chemistry teacher and an erstwhile gospel quartet pianist for the Kingsmen Quartet and the Silvertones (another group from that part of North Carolina), loved gospel quartet music and found that some of his students there loved it as well. Cook taught some of his students to sing the harmony parts in the basement of his home. Eventually a group of those students began singing regularly in the Cook basement, 15-year old Archie Watkins on the tenor, 15-year old Ron Hutchins on lead, 19-year old Jack Laws on baritone, and a recent graduate of the school, Dean Robinson, singing bass. The group decided on the name "Inspirations" for itself, because their goal was to be an inspiration to all who heard them.

After a while, the young, determined quartet began to schedule singings on the weekends, and Robinson left the group and was replaced by 14-year old Troy Burns on the bass part. The group quickly developed a distinctive sound, often featuring Watkins on its' songs. By 1966, the group had recorded its' first album, Our Pioneer Heritage (now out-of-print), and was beginning to attract the attention of gospel music fans in the Southeast.

Noted gospel music promoter J.G. Whitfield began to get word about the Inspirations. At the time, he was promoting regular concerts in Atlanta, and he was beginning to get request after request to book the Inspirations for his concerts. The clincher came when Les Beasley called Whitfield and told him about this young group from the mountains in North Carolina he should hear, telling Whitfield, "They've got a tenor that nobody likes but the people…and they're pleasing the people."

Beasley meant that Watkins didn't draw the praises of a lot of the singers, but that the audiences liked him very much. With the recommendation from Beasley, Whitfield contacted Cook and booked them for a concert at the Atlanta City Auditorium.

That concert was the event that caused the Inspirations' popularity to really take off. The increased popularity the Inspirations got from that event caused Cook to decide to finally retire from teaching in 1969, and put the group on the road full-time on the quartet circuit. A contract with Mark V Records soon followed, and the Inspirations were on their way.

Hutchins left the group briefly around that time, and a youngster from the Bryson City area took over as the new lead singer. Eddie Deitz moved to baritone when Hutchins returned, and Laws and Burns left the group for a couple of years. Burns' replacement on bass was another youngster from Jasper, Alabama named Marlin Shubert.

By this time, the Inspirations had begun an annual outdoor gospel singing in the mountains near Bryson City that would in time become one of the biggest annual events in gospel music. The Singing in the Smokies is now entering its' 40th year in the area they built themselves known as Inspirations Park. A hotel has been there for years as well. It is fair to say that the Inspirations put little Bryson City on the map with the event. Residents estimate that the Inspirations alone bring 5 to 10 million dollars a year in revenue to the region.

Possibly no other gospel group is so identified with its' home area as the Inspirations. The group has used its' popularity to promote the region as well, demonstrating what power a successful gospel quartet can wield. The Singing in the Smokies is helped each year by the invitations given to many of the most popular gospel groups in addition to the Inspirations.

Archie Watkins is the only tenor the Inspirations have ever had in their 42-year history. And his distinctive tenor sound has always immediately identified the Inspirations whenever it is heard. And, as Beasley said, some may not have understood the reasons for his immense popularity, but he is among the most popular singers to ever sing gospel music. People identify with his sincere, heartfelt delivery, and his friendly nature offstage endears him to many fans as well. Watkins has received many individual awards over the years, including four Singing News Fan awards for favorite tenor and three for favorite male gospel artist as well. In addition, he was named "Mr. Gospel Music" in 1979, and given the Marvin Norcross Award in 1999.

By 1970, the Inspirations' popularity was cause for the CBS Evening News to do a feature on them for one of their newscasts. The eight-minute segment earned them even more positive recognition from the gospel music industry. By 1971, the group signed a recording contract with Canaan Records, and almost simultaneously joined the regular cast of the syndicated "Gospel Singing Jubilee", a move that gave them national recognition. Around then, Jack Laws and Troy Burns rejoined the group as backing musicians and occasional vocalists.

In a time where gospel singers were beginning to hire full bands and become more fashionable musically and appearance-wise (especially with regard to hair length and fashion), the Inspirations' clean-cut, avowedly conservative values may have made them appear "out of touch" with the then current gospel music trends, but in fact they were probably the most successful new group to emerge in that period.

Atypical for gospel groups of the time, the Inspirations had formal bylaws requiring that every member of the group "be saved and living for God" and be "…clean shaven, freshly bathed, moderately dressed, and above all must always maintain a neat appearance in his hair style." From the beginning, Martin Cook was always conscious of the image his group portrayed, and when the group's popularity ascended, they directed their attention to the more traditional gospel quartet audience, both musically and visually.

By 1972, the Inspirations were in need of a new bass singer. Marlin Shubert wanted to return home to Alabama to marry a local girl, and taking his place was a tall, thin 18-year old youngster from Georgia, Mike Holcomb, whose prior singing experience was with a mixed group from the "Peach State" called Deliverance.

Holcomb was young, energetic, and low. As the years went by, he became known as one of the lowest bass singers in gospel music, eventually named favorite bass singer five times by the readers of the Singing News. Holcomb is also an evangelist, conducting revivals when not traveling with the Inspirations. His preaching is featured on a weekly cable TV program in western North Carolina and Georgia. Holcomb pastored a church in the past, joining former group baritone Eddie Dietz and current lead singer Matt Dibler as ordained ministers within the Inspirations.

In 1973, Ron Hutchins left the Inspirations, later joining the LeFevres, then returning to Bryson City to sing temporarily with the Inspirations and on occasion when the group needs a fill-in. He also runs the quartet's website these days.

Taking Hutchins' place was Troy Burns, the group's original bass singer and guitarist at the time. Burns would sing lead for the group into the 1990s, when he left to sing solo and enter private business. Also in 1973, the Inspirations won the first of 9 "Group of the Year" awards from the readers of the Singing News. Burns' arrival into the quartet marked the beginning of some interesting vocal combinations within the Inspirations.

On specialty songs, Holcomb would sit out, and Burns would sing the bass part and accompany the group on guitar. Bass player Jack Laws would join in as baritone, and Deitz would move to lead. On other songs, Watkins would sit out, an Deitz would sing tenor, joined by Burns and Laws on lead and baritone respectively! Such vocal versatility brought some fun and variety into the Inspirations' programs.

And from 1976 through 1979 or so, Holcomb would sit out, and the group transformed itself into the "Smoky Mountain Trio," with Watkins on tenor, Deitz on lead, and Burns singing baritone. The group had a pair of hits under this configuration, "Tears Will Never Stain (the Streets of That City)", and "A Rose Among The Thorns", in 1975 and 1976, respectively.

And among the most popular hits the Inspirations have recorded through the years include "Reunion In Heaven" (1970), "Jesus Is Coming Soon" (1970), "The Night Before Easter" (1970), "Wake Up In Glory" (1971), "It's Worth It All" (1972), "Touring That City" (1973), "The Fa So La Song" (1973), "When I Wake Up (to Sleep No More)" (1973), "More To Go To Heaven For" (1974), "I'm Taking A Flight" (1975), "Jesus Is Mine" (1975), "Golden Street Parade" (1975), "A Wedding Invitation" (1979), "They're Holding Up The Ladder" (1982), and many, many more through the 1990s and 2000s.

Also becoming a feature on Inspirations albums and concerts were songs featuring Jack Laws backed by the quartet. Except for times when Laws (nicknamed "The Ol' Bear Hunter" because of his affinity for that unusual pastime) was with the actual quartet, Laws has invariably been featured with the quartet's backing since 1971.

The group recorded with Canaan for the most part until the label's demise in the 1990s, with the occasional custom label project here and there between contracts. Recently, the Inspirations have recorded for the Horizon label, and their recordings continue to be among the best sellers in all of gospel music.

The Inspirations have been among the most stable groups in terms of members in the history of gospel music. This is especially remarkable in light of the fact that the group is not a family group. Deitz left in 1980 to concentrate on his church, to return in 1995 and stay until 1998. Burns left in 1998 to be replaced for a short time by Hutchins, and then by "Yankee" Matt Dibler, a young minister from Michigan who had been a longtime fan of the group. The possible lone exception to the "non-family" aspect of the group's history came in 1981, when Martin Cook's son Myron was hired to play bass for the group to free Laws to
concentrate on singing. Myron remains the group's bass player today.

Baritone saw more changes…Laws first replaced Deitz, then Chris Smith sang with the quartet for a short time. Smith now sings as a soloist, and bills himself on occasion as the "One Man Quartet," singing all four parts with the help of technology. When Smith departed, Laws and Hutchins took turns filling in until late in the 1990s, when Melton Campbell was brought into the group as the permanent baritone. Campbell left for a short time as well, but returned to the group a year or two ago, and has proven to be a popular addition to the quartet.

Through it all, Watkins has remained the lone tenor, and Cook the sole pianist for the quartet. Cook has proven to be one of the finest group managers in the history of gospel music, keeping his group at the forefront of the gospel industry, while enduring through the many fads and trends that have been a part of it for the time the Inspirations have been in gospel music.

The Inspirations have never felt led to change their basic musical style much over the course of their existence, basing their basic sound on traditional gospel quartet singing, with echoes of country or mountain musical instrumental backup. The Inspirations' stylistic consistency can be attributed in part to their own musical inclinations, but it also can be attributed to their understanding of what their audience prefers, and their desire to satisfy that preference. It is a formula the Chuck Wagon Gang has used for decades, and it's worked in much the same way for the Inspirations over the years. With the notable exception of their 1987 Canaan album Going Home For Christmas, the Inspirations' style has never varied from that basic musical approach in 42 years.

And today, in 2006, the Inspirations continue to be one of the most popular gospel groups out there, becoming appropriate regulars in recent years at the Grand Old Gospel Reunion, still operating the Singing In The Smokies to the delight of thousands of gospel fans each year, and winning yet another "Group of the Year" Award from the Singing News this past year (sharing it perhaps ironically with Ernie Haase and Signature Sound)! In addition, proud group founder and manager Martin Cook won the Marvin Norcross Award in 2002, was nominated to the SGMA Hall of Fame in 2003, and named to the Grand Old Gospel Reunion's "Piano Roll of Honor" in 2005.

Yes, "originating in the heart of God; developed in the Word and Will of God"…these are the Inspirations…truly "inspirations" and gospel music role models for many millions of gospel fans over the past 42 years.