SG History 101

Feb

2006

Ministry vs Entertainment, Part 2

Before I begin this conclusion of our look into the history of the relationship between gospel music as ministry and gospel music as entertainment, I'd like to thank all the readers who posted comments into last month's look at this subject. I value and appreciate all of the input I received, and have kept it all in mind as I prepared this month's article. I am always grateful for that kind of response.

When we left off last month, World War II had begun. The effects of the war on the life of this nation have been well-chronicled elsewhere, and the results of it have resounded to this very day, not only in the life of this nation's society overall, but in the world of professional gospel singing.

Rangers Quartet in 1941
(L-R): Marion Snider, Arnold Hyles, Walter Leverette, Denver Crumpler, and Vernon Hyles.

Just prior to the start of the war, groups such as the Rangers Quartet and the Swanee River Boys were venturing out beyond the control of the major gospel music publishers, and into the professional entertainment world at large. They did so by integrating non-religious music into their repertoires, and using their successful radio programs as bases to secure personal appearances as far as those radio signals would reach. Like their contemporaries the Chuck Wagon Gang, they would build their audiences and popularity without the aid of the gospel publishing companies. This was a portend of the changes to come in the world of gospel music.

The war's end saw the dawn of a greater affluence than ever before in the United States, and the tradition of the singing conventions declined markedly with that affluence. The conventions were mostly rural in nature, and emphasized participation first, and performance second. With the shift to a more urban society, conventions found it harder to exist, and performance became the main emphasis in gospel singing. Naturally, this set the stage for a separate industry to emerge, and create an entertainment culture where there wasn't one before. With the concurrent rise in the notoriety of gospel singing groups via the radio, and the attendant development of the recording industry alongside that, there grew a demand for professional singers to perform gospel music for the public. Hence, the "gospel music business" took on a life of its own.

LeRoy Abernathy

Just as in other types of music, there was no dearth of talent to take advantage of this growing demand. Into that breach stepped, among others, Lee Roy Abernathy of Canton, GA. Abernathy was literally born into a singing tradition, attending his first singing school at the age of just three weeks, in the arms of his mother, a frequent accompanist for such occasions. Lee Roy's father was also a singer, using his talents to supplement his family's meager income during the Depression years.

Abernathy learned the piano and music very quickly, playing and singing for his father's and other groups, and using his own growing musical acumen to help pay his way through the Atlanta Conervatory of Music. He began to write songs, not only for gospel quartets, but for political campaigns and anyone else in need of his services. When the postwar boom came, Abernathy was right there, with various groups, and a lot of original songs. Perhaps the most noteworthy of which was "Wonderful Time Up There", also known as the "Gospel Boogie" because of its' unique musical structure in the gospel world. That song was a staple in the repertoire of almost every gospel artist for decades, and even a top ten hit for Pat Boone in 1958.

Naturally, controversy arose in the church world about a song using a "boogie" rhythm to become successful. Never one to be patient with those who weren't willing or able to embrace his enthusiasm, Abernathy maintained that the song was an example of his using his unique musical talents to reach others with God's message who otherwise might not hear it. The sales of the recordings and of the sheet music of it would seem to bear out Abernathy's claims. His successes set the stage for others to follow in his footsteps, and draw gospel music closer to the world of popular entertainment.

Statesmen Quartet, circa 1950
L-R: Cat Freeman, Jake Hess, Hovie Lister, James "Big Chief" Wetherington, and Bervin Kendrick.

A group that would draw that line firmly, if not erase it altogether, was the Statesmen Quartet from Atlanta. That legendary group was led by a dynamic young man from South Carolina named Hovie Lister, who, like Abernathy, grew up playing the piano, and was raised in a very religious culture. He was driven by a relentless ambition to use his talents in service to God, and to create the finest gospel quartet to ever exist. Lister would stop at nothing to form this "perfect quartet", and in 1948, began to make his dreams into reality with the formation of the Statesmen. The group quickly became popular through radio appearances, which Lister used to schedule personal appearances for the group as far as they could travel.

By 1950, Lister had secured the services of talented singers such as Jake Hess and James (Big Chief) Wetherington, and was into a position to realize his dreams in short order. The Statesmen's performances were distinguished by their use of choreography and Lister's own uncanny sense of how to structure a program to meet the needs and desires of his audiences. The Statesmen used a combination of hymns, lively original gospel song material, and adaptations of black spirituals to entertain and move audiences wherever they appeared, and arguably, ministered to said audiences in that way. They joined forces in 1952 with possibly the only other gospel quartet that rivaled them in popularity, the Blackwood Brothers, who themselves had become polished entertainers in their own right, to become the most successful "team" of their type in the gospel music world. By 1954, both groups had appeared on and won on the Arthur Godfrey "Talent Scouts" TV program on CBS, and were successful recording artists on RCA Records.

Certainly, these groups brought gospel music to new heights of popularity and public acceptance, and other groups would understandably be challenged to follow their example. Some of these groups would follow in the footsteps of the Statesmen and Blackwoods, and some would take the music in even different directions.

Weatherford Quartet, ca. 1959. (clockwise): Glen Payne, Bobby Clark, Danny Koker, Armond Morales, Earl Weatherford (center)

One such group was the Weatherford Quartet, formed originally in California during World War II, but by the 1950s had relocated in Indiana. Their founder and leader, Earl Weatherford, was raised on and an adherent to the quartet music of the Stamps-Baxter era, and the group's music reflected that influence. Because of the singers in the group (which included Earl's wife, Lily Fern), the group's sound came to emphasize blend and smoothness, becoming perhaps the smoothest sounding group of their era.

By the mid 1950s, they had become staff members of Rex Humbard's church, the Cathedral of Tomorrow, in Akron, OH, and since Earl believed that a gospel quartet's first duty was to serve the church, the group remained there for many years. The large radio and TV exposure of Humbard's church helped the Weatherfords become an early exponent of using gospel music to evangelize in addition to merely entertain, and they remained popular for decades with that approach.

Couriers Quartet, ca. 1964
(L-R): Duane Nicholson, Neil Enloe, Don Baldwin, Dave Kyllonen, "Little" David Young(at piano).

Perhaps one of the most influential groups, and certainly one of the most musically proficient, was the Couriers of Harrisburg, PA. The Couriers began as a quartet on the campus of Central Bible College in Springfield, MO during the height of the careers of the Blackwoods and Statesmen, inspired to sing by an on-campus appearance of the Blackwoods in the mid 1950s. As the personnel of the group solidified during their college years, the men in the Couriers felt the call of God to enter the professional gospel music field to serve in that capacity. By 1958, they made the decision to leave school and become a fulltime, traveling group.

By the early 1960s, the Couriers had become pioneers in bringing southern-styled gospel music to the Northeast United States and Canada, and one of the leading quartets on the traveling circuit overall. With the addition of "Little" David Young on piano in 1963, they were as close to the top of the circuit as they would get as a quartet, making records for Warner Brothers and being a part of the original cast of the successful syndicated TV show, the "Gospel Singing Jubilee". Then Young and group manager and founder Don Baldwin simultaneously left the group in 1965, and the group was at a crossroads of sorts.

They continued as a quartet for a couple of years with Phil Enloe (brother of lead singer Neil Enloe) and Eddie Hawks as replacements, then were challenged by a missionary evangelist named Paul Olsen to step out on faith and go on a missionary trip. Having turned down such invitations in the past because they felt they could not afford it, in 1967 they opted to go to the West Indies and give it a try. With their Bible College background, coupled with their relatively evangelistic approach already a part of their concert style, they encountered success with their unique combination of entertaining gospel singing and testimony from members of the group. After their return from the West Indies, Phil Enloe resigned from the group to pursue other ministry opportunities (Hawks had already left the group before the trip), and the Couriers decided not to replace him, but reorganized as a trio, which they remain to this day.

The Couriers thereafter pursued missions in a big way, while remaining a top group on the traveling circuit. In time, they established a policy of setting aside 10% of their income strictly for missions, and other artists began to emulate the Couriers' example and embark on missions themselves. By 2000, the Couriers had gone to some 80 countries as musical missionaries of the Christian gospel, and by their standards, consider their careers successful.

More pertinent to this discussion, though, is their musical approach and its' influence on gospel artists of today, and certainly, with both theological and musical trends going in the direction they have in recent decades, the Couriers' approach of combining entertaining, uplifting music with an evangelistic stage approach has certainly been a major influence on artists of today, whether directly or indirectly.

So what then, can we conclude is the proper relationship between ministry and entertainment to be in gospel music, based on its' history?

As far as it can be determined objectively, ministry and entertainment have always had a hand-in-hand relationship. Gospel music that's been entertaining has always ministered to some extent at least, and gospel music that ministers in the most effective way entertains, on a higher level than might first be understood by everyone.

So perhaps then, the most important lesson we can learn from this analysis of the issue is that gospel music must entertain its' audience to minister most effectively, and to entertain authentically, it must present an authentic and truthful picture of the gospel.

Reader Comments

Keith...

I appreciate your comments, and thank you for trying to bring any "missing" elements into this discussion that are pertinent.

By no means do I claim to have covered the subject of the relationship between "ministry" and "entertainment" completely..I've just attempted to explore the issue from a historical perspective, to see what that would teach us about it.

I don't believe that history exists in a mere vacuum, but based on my life experience and study of gospel music, I feel it is a valuable and useful tool in our understanding of the present, i.e., how and why things are the way they are today.

As such, I'm not making any normative arguments on the work of the Statesmen or Blackwood Brothers, merely examining the facts of their work, and drawing conclusions based on it for our relevant experiences for today.

You stated that the music of those artists, though professional and skillfully done, was "stuffy" and "cold". You then made an analogy between that and the beauty of a sunset.

While respecting your right to your opinion, it IS only that. The fact that each of those groups sold millions of recordings and influenced countless others(including some of the other artists described in this article)to pursue similar musical endeavors, not to mention the joy and comfort their audiences received from their music, makes me wonder how you could fail to recognize the musical gifts and spiritual efficacy of their work.

The above doesn't infer that these artists were successful because they achieved critical acclaim or acquired money, it just infers that their music achieved the goals set for it...by simultaneously entertaining and ministering.

To understand my premise completely then, we must understand what these too-often misused terms actually mean.

First, "entertainment" among other things is defined as:

# Something that amuses, pleases, or diverts, especially a performance or show.
# The pleasure afforded by being entertained; amusement: The comedian performed for our entertainment.

There is nothing there that excludes the touching of the heart or soul through art or other objects.

Now..."ministry"...among other definitions, means...

1. The act of serving; ministration.
2. One that serves as a means; an instrumentality.

I fail to see any inherent opposition between ministration and being entertained.

In fact, I think it can be amply demonstrated by listening to the music of the artists mentioned in this article that they perform both functions...simultaneously...and that the proof of that is in the influence they have had on their successors.

Therein lies the value of the historical approach.

Further, by definition, in your example you are obviously entertained by that beautiful sunset, and the feeling it engenders in you is a ministry of sorts.
It illustrates perfectly my premise!

And inasmuch as music does the very same thing, the best gospel music has always done both, and continues to do both today!:-)

Commented by On 02/21/2006

People are sick and tired of having the gospel shoved down their throats or being beat over the head with it. Singing the "Word" or performing or entertaining with the "Word" is still the Word and the Word shall not return void. The world is changing..people are changing...only the word of God does not and will not change. We have to change what we do and how we do it to reach the people. Entertain with the best you can muster up and reach the un-reachables before it's to late.
Dr. Betsy Holt
Gospel Jamboree
http://www.thegospeljamboree.com

Commented by Dr. Betsy Holt On 02/21/2006

John,

Wow ! What a great article ! I can see that GOD, has used you, big time, in so many areas, to so many people !
Keep GOD smiling , as you keep up the good work ! He loves you so much, and so do I !
GOD bless you !

Commented by On 02/25/2006

This two part examination is the first article I have read on this site. I want to thoroughly commend the author for a very well structured, deeply thought out presentation of the subject. I will certainly read future articles, as well as catch up on those previouly written by this author. Such deep thought and careful research should be an example of how people should approach all things faith related. Awesome, awesome job!

Commented by On 06/16/2006

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