2007
June
Hovie Walker - Teaching Bass the LeRoy Abernathy Way
We caught up with Hovie recently and here is part of our conversation.
Hovie what is, “Hovie Walker’s Consulting For Bass Singers" I have been hearing about?
Hovie: It is Strategies and Techniques designed especially for, but not limited too, Bass Singers or low voices.
Why just Bass Singers or lower voices?
Hovie: Because those are the voices I understand best and was trained for.
You mention training, where did you get your training?
Hovie: I was trained at Lee University in Cleveland, TN. by a vocal coach that taught me how to sing vocally correct, however it was not until I met Mr. Leroy Abernathy (the Professor) that I really felt I began to understand what bass singing was all about.
What was so different from what you had been taught in college than what Mr. Abernathy taught?
Hovie: Everything. It was like day and night.
Would you care to elaborate on that?
Hovie: Roosevelt Miller at Lee College taught over-all vocal lessons and singing correctly. He did not concentrate on an individual voice. Leroy Abernathy had this unique Strategy and Technique that was all his own. No one else in the world teaches it or has ever taught it that I am aware of. He had an ability that God had given him to do extraordinary things with his voice that only he could do.
Like what?
Hovie: It was all about the Technique of placement. Being able to sing and place one’s voice where one wants it to be. When I first went to the Professor, he had me sing and then said; “I can tell you have had training so it is going to take me more time than usual. I will have to un-train you before I can train you.” Of course, that made me a little upset as I had been singing professionally for some years. I thought I already knew how to sing, But I Didn’t! His Strategies and Techniques reshaped my thoughts and working patterns and gave me a clear road map to show me how to get to where I wished to be.
Who had you been singing with?
Hovie: I had sung with the Gospelaires out of Athens, TN. and The Melody Boys Qt. out of Benton, TN. before I had gone into full time singing. In 1969 Big Jim Hammel and Eldridge Fox of the mighty Kingsmen Qt. worked with us in concert and passed my name to Homer Wadford, who at the time, owned a weekend group called, The Singing Americans. Homer contacted me, we met and I started managing and singing bass with The Singing Americans for five and one half years as a full time group. Willie Wynn and The Tennessee’s hired me in Waycross, Ga. and I became the bass singer with Willie Wynn & The Tennessee’s.
So you were with some noted groups before meeting Mr. Abernathy?
Hovie: Yes. I had met him but had never sat under his teaching. He taught London Parish, (The Rebels Qt. bass singer) and had worked with them very closely. We hired “Little” Jimmy Taylor to play piano with The Singing Americans. “Little” Jimmy had been the piano and baritone singer with The Rebels for many years learning from the Professor. He immediately started working with the Singing Americans teaching Leroy’s techniques. I was familiar with Leroy’s techniques through Jimmy but had never really captured it until later when I started driving to Canton.
Driving to Canton? Canton, GA?
Hovie: Yes
That is a pretty good ways form Nashville isn’t it?
Hovie: Yes. It took me about two and one half to three hours to get there. My appointment was Tuesday and Thursday nights from midnight to one in the morning. Sometimes after the session Leroy would sit down and talk for a while.
How long did you take lessons?
Hovie: Five and one half years. Guess it took me longer to get it through my thick skull! Ha!
What are your plans for Hovie Walker’s Consulting For Bass Singers?
Hovie: I’ve had bass singers over the years ask me for help or for guidance and I have always turned them down. I felt that if someone needed help it was me and that I didn’t have the training skills or certificate hanging on the wall to say I could teach. A few months ago I was approached by a close friend, Mr. Terry Weeks, who asked me about helping a bass singer he knew. I told him I didn’t have the full knowledge that I felt it would take to train someone in Leroy’s techniques. His question sort of stunned me when he asked, then what bass singer living today knows more about Leroy Abernathy’s Techniques than you? My reply was, I don’t know of anyone. He then closed the deal with, well if you don’t teach what you know, then who is going to carry on Mr. Abernathy’s techniques? When I had thought about it for a while, I picked up the phone and called “Little” Jimmy Taylor. After telling him my challenge, with love and encouragement he pushed me on and asked me two things. Did Leroy’s Strategies and Techniques help you and did you ever see a certificate hanging on his wall? My answer was, he changed my life and no I never saw any papers that he had been taught anything. Jimmy then said, DO IT!
Are you going to train bass singers like Mr. Abernathy did?
Hovie: I am going to do my best. I have five and one half years, two hours a weeks worth of tapes that I am re-listening to and in no way do I claim to know what the Professor knew, but I will and do know what he taught me and that is what I am going to try my best to pass on to other young bass singers that are willing to give it their all to learn.
How long does it usually take to learn Mr. Abernathy’s techniques?
Hovie: Well, my lessons started just after my friend, Mr. Brock Speer’s ended most of the time and I will put it to you the way Brock did to someone who ask him this question. Brock, after all these years why do you still drive all that way to take lessons from Leroy. Brock said,” Well just because you have a winning ball team, doesn’t mean you fire the coach”! Brock studied until he could no longer drive, not too long before his passing.
When does Hovie Walker’s Bass Singer Consulting start and how does someone get in touch with you?
Hovie: My email is and my phone is 615-855-1963.
So you are ready now?
Hovie: I’m ready when God sends the singer.
Are bass singers all you will be training?
Hovie: No. Two dear friends and singing buddies of mine, Mr. Terry Blackwood and Mr. Jim Murray if the need arises, will join me for any occasion. Together we feel we are able to handle just about anything that might confront a group or individuals. If you as an individual or group have questions, call and let’s talk. We will do our best to teach you the Strategies and Techniques that will help you feel secure about your singing and yourself and like us, move you from Karaoke to Grammy’s!
Some of Hovie Walker’s credentials are:
Managed and Sang Bass for The Singing Americans for five and one half years.- Bass Singer for Willie Wynn and The Tennessee’s.
- Bus driver, backup singer and road manager for Leon Russell.
- Bass Singer for The Thrasher Brothers.
- Bass Singer for, Classic Voices (Jim Murray, Terry Blackwood, Sherman Andrus & Hovie)
- Bass Singer with Johnny Minick and Friends.
- Bill and Gloria Gaither Homecoming Friend.
www.hoviewalker.com
Monument Quartet
Tell us a little about the group, Monument Quartet
Marshall Pugh (baritone) was raised in Crossville a little town in East Tennessee. He played various sports in elementary school including softball, basketball, and football. During High School he played football, starting and lettering all four years. His real love was driving racing karts and racecars. Marshall and his father, Clifford, started racing together when Marshall was 11 years old. Marshall has had a successful semi-professional racing career with well over 100 wins and 12 top ten national points titles in various motor sports organizations in 26 years.
In fall 1986 he went to a Christian junior college, Tomlinson College in Cleveland TN. He was part of the TC Chorale, a 14 voice ensemble, and the TC Singers, the campus choir. That was his first time singing on a stage, but would not be his last. He finished his college at Tennessee Tech University in Cookeville TN with a degree in business economics. He then embarked on what would be a successful career owning and managing a garbage collection company.
He never thought he would ever enjoy doing anything more than racing until one day in 1996 when his father-in-law, Deloy Brown, asked him to sing in a local trio called New Beginning. He sang in New Beginning until 2001 when one day through what he says was an answer to a Jabez prayer, he found himself traveling with The Happy Goodmans. He leased them a bus and was their Sound Engineer for the Final Stand Tour. After Howard Goodman passed away and Vestal Goodman began doing solo dates, she asked Marshall to sing a few songs with her each night. He would travel and sing with Vestal Goodman until she passed away on December 27, 2003 only 12 days after recording a duet ("Eastern Gate") with him for his first solo CD.
On July9, 1988 Marshall married his long time sweetheart Kristie Brown. Kristie and he have two children, Lindsey born in 1992, and Blake born in 1995. They make their home in Brentwood TN, and are members of The River of Life Church in Smyrna TN.
It should come as no surprise that Matt Felts (tenor) ended up singing southern gospel for a living. The sounds of the Cathedrals, The Statesmen, and the Happy Goodmans often could be heard through the halls of Matt’s childhood home in St. Louis, MO. His favorite group growing up was the Cathedrals and you would often find him at one of their concerts learning all he could from his favorite tenor, Ernie Haase. From those early days, Matt knew he had a calling to sing in a quartet.
While waiting for this desire to be filled, Matt graduated college with a Bachelors degree in Business Marketing. He has always had two loves, music and baseball. Matt played baseball in college and even spent time in the minor leagues.
“I enjoyed my time in baseball but knew God had a different calling on my life,” said Matt.
Matt left his baseball glove behind to pursue a successful career as a human resource director for a Fortune 500 company.
When the phone finally rang and he was asked to join his first quartet, The GloryWay Quartet, Matt jumped at the opportunity. Following his time with them, he was asked to join the Skyline Boys out of Manassas, VA. God definitely had a reason to bring Matt to Virginia. One Sunday during a concert, a young lady walked into the church that quickly got Matt’s attention. Following their first date, appropriately at a baseball game, they both knew they had found their soul mate. In August, Matt and Jennifer were married in Myrtle Beach, SC. They will make their home in Smyrna, TN.
Being invited to join Monument Quartet was a dream being fulfilled stated Matt, "I always prayed that God would allow me to sing with men of integrity who truly desired to see souls saved and who would be like family. I enjoy every moment on the bus, most of the time we are watching sports, laughing, and just having a good time.”
Matt has quickly gained attention throughout southern gospel for his extremely high quality tenor voice. He looks forward to the future of Monument Quartet with great anticipation.
Singing the bass part is Brad Smith. He has been involved in gospel music for almost 20 years. His Gospel music career consists of being a vocal member of the Impacts, the New Speers and, most recently, the Blackwood Gospel Quartet. Brad has performed with the Symphony Orchestras in Phoenix, AZ, Jackson, TN, Louisville, KY, as well as the Alabama Symphony Orchestra in Birmingham, AL. Twice, Brad has been nominated for “Male Vocalist of the Year” by the Gospel Voice Magazine. Brad lives in the Nashville area with his wife, Cassie, and their three year old son, Jackson.
Music and ministry seem to be a constant theme in John Tidwell's (lead singer) family. Growing up in a home where his grandfather was a minister, his father was a music minister and his mother played the piano in church, John was called to use both music and ministry in his goal of reaching the lost. Not only is John licensed to preach but he also earned a degree in vocal performance, which opened doors for him to teach at the Steve Hurst School of Music.
John saw his hearts desire fulfilled when he and another family member, his cousin Ricky Capps, formed The Master’s Voice in his hometown of Bristow, Oklahoma. He traveled with his group for over twelve years before taking the lead position with Monument Quartet.
If you spend time around John on or off stage you will find that his rich voice is coupled with a natural quick wit. “Most of the fun we have on stage is a mirror of what happens on the bus” John says. “It makes it easy to have fun when you really do get along and have the same focus.”
Although he spends much of his time riding the highways on a bus, John loves the outdoors. He is an avid fisherman, hunter and loves baseball and football. One of his dreams is to sing for his favorite team, the Chicago Cubs.
The real love of John’s life is his wife Jessica and their son, Brooks. As most events in his life, laughter somehow finds a way in. “When I asked Jes to marry me, I was so excited that I put the ring back in my pocket,” stated John. John and his family make their home in Smyrna, Tennessee.
Bass singer Brad Smith attends church with you. Did that have an influence on him becoming a part of the group? What influence does attending church have on how you pick any of your singers?
It was very important to me that all my guys were grounded in a home church, not necessarily my church, but a Bible believing church. We all try to remain as active in our home churches as is absolutely possible and as a matter of fact part of the reason the group has taken the path it has is the fair and festivals are not mostly on the weekends, which allows us to remain more involved in our local church body.
You recently reorganized as a group. I understand that your goals and plans have changed to even include some Country music in your program, can you tell us a little about that? What percentage of Gospel and Country will you do at your Fair bookings? Is your sound and style different? Is your dress style any different? How do you still integrate ministry into what you are doing now?
We don't do country music at all of our concerts, that is only done at the promoters discretion. It's important for us to let the SG fans know that we are a group that sees our mission as primarily to reach the unsaved people who might be at a fair or festival. That is why we use country music, it is a tool just as a church might use a family day with blow up slides and a carnival atmosphere in their parking lot to hopefully attract the un-churched people in their community. We use the country music to hopefully attract the un-saved people who are walking thru the fair or festival who might not wander in and set down for just gospel music. We mix it up and use comedy and patriotic songs as well. We use all this to attract them then later in our program we use a song that is basically the salvation message to share with them about our Savior. All of what we do is a tool to reach people who most likely don't know about our style of music and probably wouldn't any other way. These are people who would not come to a church for a concert with anybody for that matter, I don't care how popular they may be to someone inside the SG fan base.
In short this is the call on Monument Quartet. There are many groups out there that sing in the churches and we applaud them for the encouragement of the saints but for us that just isn't our calling. Where we are allowed, our concerts are about 35% COUNTRY, 35% GOSPEL, and the remaining % is made up of comedy and patriotic. Our programs are geared to be very entertaining and we let the music and our personality and genuineness do the preaching. In our 1 1/2 hour program we sing all or part of 27-30 songs, it's non-stop.
What can fans expect to see when Monument comes to town?
Other than the program we described above we are doing a tour that promotes the *Faith & Family Tour* and we really try hard to conduct ourselves as professionals.
You have a new recording, what's it like? What sets this apart from any other Southern Gospel recording?
Our new recording that is out now is just straight up Southern Gospel with 1 or 2 songs with a different feel, but all Christian. We will be doing a country CD soon with carefully selected, clean, family oriented, country songs and a few patriotic songs as well.
A Fair audience is much different than a church or concert audience. A Fair audience may mingle around the place you are singing, walk out, even sing along loudly with you. What has been your experience with this different type of audience? What has been the interaction with other (secular) acts that perform with you at Fairs?
So far we have had great reaction from other secular artists that we have shared the stage with and are looking forward to working with more this summer. Yes the crowds are very different. At fairs most of them don't really know what to expect because they haven't been exposed to anything like our music before. But most fall in love with the harmony, and before the night is done they will be on their way home before they realize that they have been ministered to. That is the way we want it, it's subtle so they will take it with them, then want what we have. That is our prayer.
If someone wanted to get in touch with Monument Quartet to book them for a concert, how would they do that?
We book our church dates through our office which is my home. E-mail me at or call (615)377-3315. For fairs and Festivals you can contact us and we will put you in touch with the right agency depending on what part of the country you are in. We are exclusively represented by state with Variety Attractions in Zainsville OH and Kingsland Productions in Louisiana.
Visit Monument Quartet online at http://www.monumentquartet.com or http://www.myspace.com/monumentquartet
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