SG History 101

SG History 101 - Baritone Singers

Our series on the outstanding singers by part in gospel music history continues this month with a look at the genre’s outstanding baritone singers. Although the baritone part is probably the least glamorous part in a male gospel quartet, some of the genre’s most outstanding singers were baritones in gospel quartets. Let’s take a look back this month at some of these illustrious men.
 
It must be pointed out that although the baritone singers are not usually “stars” in gospel quartets, they’re not typically exhibiting vocal acrobatics or hitting the rafters or the basement with the notes they hit, but it’s common knowledge to students of male quartet music that no good quartet is complete without an accomplished baritone singer to put fullness to the quartet’s sound and to complete the harmonic blend that is the trademark of any good quartet.
 
Because of that, it’s often been the case that the baritone singer is the most musically accomplished member of a quartet, for his part is usually the most difficult to sing and the most difficult to pick out by ear. Without any further ado then, let’s look back at some of these relatively unsung quartet heroes.
 
The great baritones in gospel music can be divided into two types, one, the traditional blender, who isn’t so much known for his solo ability as he is his ability to blend with and complete the sound of a full quartet, and two, the “extra lead singer” type. Some quartet baritones were lead singers in other quartets and can just as easily sing that part in their quartet as they can their traditional blending role. Both types of baritones are represented in this historical overview.
 
As in the previous two articles in this series, we’ll proceed chronologically and highlight the best baritones from each portion of gospel music history.
 
As we’ve pointed out in the previous two articles, in the earliest quartets, there weren’t really any featured singers or “stars”, mostly it was ensemble singing to help the music-publishing-company-sponsored quartets sell their songbooks. Yet even in that context, there were outstanding quartet singers within the groups.
 
In the 1930s, the Homeland Harmony Quartet became one of the top quartets in the fledgling gospel music business. The glue that held that great quartet together harmonically was their fine baritone James McCoy, who was a constant in that quartet for over 20 years, as the other singers in the group changed often (even for that era) . While tenor Connor Hall was probably the “star” of that august quartet, the quartet’s sound would not have been what it was without the solid baritone work of McCoy.
 
Another great quartet that began its’ career in the 1930s had one of the finest baritone singers ever to sing in a quartet. Indeed, there are those who believe that R.W. Blackwood of the Blackwood Brothers may well have been the greatest quartet baritone ever. R.W. was the only member of the original Blackwood Brothers Quartet not to be an actual Blackwood “brother”, he was in fact the son of the eldest Blackwood brother, tenor Roy Blackwood. R.W. eventually became a featured singer on several of the quartet’s most memorable recordings, such as “The Robe” and “I Want To Be More Like Jesus”.
 
For 20 years, R.W. was a standout member of the Blackwood Brothers’ rise to gospel music prominence, but sadly, his life and career were cut short in 1954 in the infamous plane crash that took his life as well as that of the quartet’s bass singer, Bill Lyles. Certainly though, R.W. Blackwood made his place in gospel quartet history, and is still remembered fondly by gospel music fans to this day.
 

Also beginning a career that would see him become another of the genre’s finest baritone singers during the 1930s, Erman Slater of Sand Mountain, Alabama (home of MANY of the finest gospel singers of all time) was a well known local area quartet singer who joined the well-known Harmoneers Quartet in 1948 as their lead singer, thereby putting him squarely in the second of the two categories of baritones that I described earlier in this article.
 
From there, he moved to arguably the most popular quartet of the 1940s, the Rangers Quartet, who had just moved their base from North Carolina to Shreveport, Louisiana to join the cast of the Louisiana Hayride, one of the most popular musical troupes of the Southeastern United States. Slater moved to the baritone role to occupy the place on the musical scale between the two Hyles brothers, and with the Rangers, proved himself to be one of the most proficient and popular baritone singers in the genre’s history.
 
But tragically, Slater, like R.W. Blackwood only a few years later, would be killed in an automobile accident in 1951 at just 47 years of age. But he, like Blackwood and many of the singers I’ll mention in this article, is in the Southern Gospel Music Hall of Fame, and is recognized as one of gospel music’s very greatest singers.
 
The next great baritone I’ll spotlight here is a most talented performer who was not known initially for his singing. Doy Ott was a pianist for such notable quartets as the Stamps-Melody Boys, the Hartford Quartet, the Rangers, and the Homeland Harmony Quartet as well. By 1951, he was so respected for his musicianship (he played all keyboard instruments, not just piano) that when Hovie Lister temporarily left the Statesmen Quartet for the service in 1950, he was hired by interim manager “Big Chief” Wetherington to play piano for the Statesmen. And when their baritone, Bervin Kendrick, left the quartet to sing with Bobby Strickland in the Crusaders, Ott moved to the baritone slot, demonstrating not only a smooth solo voice, but blending expertly with the other members of the quartet in impeccable harmony. His undeniable talents as a pianist and arranger as well as his singing ability made him an indispensable member of the Statesmen for over 25 years. Many gospel music fans consider Ott the most accomplished baritone singer of all time, citing his vocal versatility as well as his other musical abilities (he was also an accomplishd songwriter) .
 
After the plane crash took R.W. Blackwood’s life in 1954, R.W.’s brother Cecil took his place in the quartet, and would spend the next 46 years singing baritone for and eventually managing the Blackwood Brothers Quartet. Although his tenure as group manager was marked by controversy (according to some observers) , there can be no doubt that R.W.’s younger brother was a dedicated baritone singer and quartet man. He would also prove to be a popular singer with fans as well.
 
Another baritone singer who initially became popular in the 1950s entered gospel music like Doy Ott did, as an instrumentalist first. Glen Allred joined Wally Fowler and the Oak Ridge Quartet as a guitarist before ending up with the Gospel Melody Quartet (later to be known as the Florida Boys) in 1952, where he stayed until that group retired just a couple of years ago at the National Quartet Convention.
 
Allred, besides being an accomplished musician (much like Ott) , was a versatile singer with not only the ability to blend with a quartet but to be a featured singer on a number of songs as well. Allred eventually earned recognition as one of the genre’s finest baritone singers, as well as being one of gospel music’s finest people as well.
 
Other fine baritones of the 1950s were the Harvesters’ Pat Patterson (also an accomplished guitarist) , Ace Richman of the Sunshine Boys (who had moved over from the bass part when the quartet hired JD Sumner in the 1940s) , the Rebels’ John Mathews (who like Richman was also a group manager) , and the Plainsmen’s Erman Bunch (one of a pair of twins in that quartet) .
 
The number of fine baritone singers did not decrease when the 1960s dawned. In fact, they just kept on coming. The Oak Ridge Boys’ rise to prominence in that decade was in no small part due to the men that sang baritone for them, beginning in that decade with Ron Page, and moving on to Gary McSpadden and Jim Hamill (two fine examples of the second type of baritone I mentioned above) , and finally Bill (known later as William Lee) Golden, who was one of the better blending baritones of his time.
 
The Harvesters acquired another fine baritone after Pat Patterson left the quartet in Don Norman (later a soloist at Jerry Falwell’s Thomas Road Baptist Church) , who sang with them for most of the 1960s. And the Prophets were managed for that decade by founding member and baritone Ed Hill, a fine singer who would continue his Hall of Fame career with the Stamps Quartet and the Singing Americans in subsequent decades.
 
And yet another group manager who was one of his era’s finest baritone singers was the Couriers’ Don Baldwin. And when Baldwin retired from that great group, Phil Enloe did a fine job in his place for a couple of years. When he resigned from the Couriers, the group’s new manager, former (and natural) bass singer Dave Kyllonen moved up to the baritone slot and was quite successful in that role as the Couriers became a trio. Enloe would later return as baritone when the group restarted its’ career in the early 1980s, and remained until that group’s retirement at the end of 2000.
 
When the Cathedral Trio was formed in 1963, Danny Koker (formerly with the Weatherford Quartet) joined them as baritone, pianist, and emcee until his departure in the late 1960s, where he was replaced by another of the finest and most popular baritones of the 1960s and 1970s, George Webster. He in turn would be followed by one of the most accomplished and popular baritones of the 1980s and 1990s, Mark Trammell.
 
The Imperials’ quick rise to fame in the 1960s was helped by their original baritone, Gary McSpadden, and among his successors in that group, Roger Wiles and Sherman Andrus were among the most distinctive baritones of their eras as well.
 
And certainly the Kingsmen’s rise to fame in the 1960s and 1970s was helped greatly by their fine baritones, first Eldridge Fox, then Squire Parsons (who is a prototype of the second type of baritone described above) and they continued to have fine baritones into the 1980s and 1990s, among them Wayne Maynard, Ed Crawford, and Parker Jonathan.
 
And the Inspirations’ rise to fame in the 1960s and 1970s was helped by their baritones, Jack Laws and Eddie Deitz, and after them, Chris Smith and their current fine baritone, Melton Campbell.
 
Finally, Gold City’s fame in the 1980s was aided greatly by their fine baritone, Mike LeFevre, and Trammell would also be a major contributor to that group in the 1990s.
 
All these fine singers had one thing in common, they all did a great job of filling the chords and the harmonies of their respective groups, something that a quartet baritone MUST do, and do well.
 
Again, as in the past two looks at great performers on their parts in gospel music history, I have no doubt left off people unintentionally that merited inclusion in these studies. As before, you’re all invited to post your comments as to anyone you feel shouls have been included, or people I DID refer to, such comments are always welcome.
 
Keep in mind, though, that these are historical reflections. And as such, I think it’s premature in some cases to simply name names from today, however good or popular they may or may not be now. This is because it’s very difficult to objectively evaluate a singer’s place in the total history of the genre until enough time has gone by to get a clear picture of their total contribution to gospel music history, not only in talent, but in overall impact and influence.
 
See you all next year!

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Reader Comments

   .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) ~ 12/04/2009

Another good article, John!!

   bludline ~ 12/04/2009

I couldn't disagree with even one statement here John. Great Article.

   spirit7productions ~ 12/04/2009

John: Good Article. I would like to include The Name of Bob Crews,who Sang Baritone/ Lead with "The Harmoneers Quartet" in Atlanta,GA in 50's 60's and 70's Era and also Managed The Group in their later years following Fred C.Maples.

SoundMan

   CliffCerce ~ 12/04/2009

Several years ago, Roy Pauley named RW Blackwood, Doy Ott and Don Baldwin as the 3 greatest former baritone singers of the 50's and 60's - and it is interesting that you named all 3 of them in your article.

Cliff Cerce
The Cerces, PO Box 8525, Springfield, MO 65801
417-863-8440
http://www.thecerces.com
.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

   .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) ~ 12/04/2009

I agree with bludline.....I can't disagree with any thing you wrote, and I was pleased to see that you had everyone pegged just right, from my viewpoint. In trying to think of someone that you may have left out, the only name that I can think of is Bill Crowe, the unheralded baritone for many years for the Blue Ridge Quartet.
I can't wait to see what you have to say about the bass singers.

Keep me safe ‘til the storm passes by

   .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) ~ 12/05/2009

Hey John, I sang baritone once.

   CliffCerce ~ 12/05/2009

Me too, Neil and John.

Cliff Cerce
The Cerces, PO Box 8525, Springfield, MO 65801
417-863-8440
http://www.thecerces.com
.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

   .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) ~ 12/07/2009

For years I have studied the great gospel singers. I have never found any baritones in the same league with R.W. Blackwood and Doy Ott. Thanks for the article.

   musicmike1707 ~ 12/08/2009

Another great article, John. I agree with your assessment of these fine baritone singers. If I were doing an honorable mention category I would include Daddy Paul Vinson from the Dixie Echoes (not a powerful soloist but he did provide great stability for this group), Tony Peace, and Rusty Goodmans. (I know Rusty sang bass mostly, but he was a true baritone. It would have been wonderful to have heard him sing baritone with groups such as the Oak Ridge Boys, Cathedrals, or Kingsmen.)

   .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) ~ 12/13/2009

Great article...another great baritone that can be mentioned even in this historical context is imho Mark Lowry who is a very fine baritone singer...he's often overlooked because of his comedy stuff...but he's very mellow and has been instrumental for the sound the Vocal Band had and has today.

Auke

   .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) ~ 12/23/2009

Great article on a very overlooked, but vitally important position. He-he...There are many great baritones I have looked up to. I agree that Glen Allred is one the great baritones, and all-around great person. Gary McSpadden is probably my all-time favorite baritone. He was smooth, but his voice still had personality.

I was too young to have enjoyed Doy Ott in person, and I admit I never really got what made him so great. That was until Southern Sound did our Statesmen Tribute, and I gained a new appreciation of Doy Ott as we were listening to all the old recordings. He was a tremendously talented man, and certainly helped create that unique Statesmen blend.

   .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) ~ 01/01/2010

I think Scott Fowler's contributions to the Cathedrals' sound the final 7 or 8 years should be noted. Exhibit A would be the outstanding accapella recording he sang on called "Worship His Glory".

   .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) ~ 02/04/2010

another fine baritone gospel singer was pat duncan. such a talented and wonderful man. i would love to see a well deserved tribute to this man who passed away in 1996.pat devoted his life to god, his wife and family and music.



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