SG History 101

Nov

2002

SG History 101 - The Harmoneers

The Georgia Music Hall of Fame recently inducted the Harmoneers Quartet into their halls. The Harmoneers won the coveted Mary Tallent "Pioneer Award". This group is very deserving of the award. Let's hope the gospel music industry can bestow the same honor upon them.

The Harmoneers were organized in the early 1940's by Fred C. Maples. Maples was a native of Cleveland, Tenn.-- a central location for quartet music in those days. His group soon signed a recording contract with RCA Victor, possibly being the first quartet to record on that label. The members of the group at that time were Herbert Newman, Paul Stringfellow, Maples, Sidney Braden, and Charles Key. The war was underway at the time, so they were limited in their ability to travel. At the end of the war, Maples revamped the quartet by hiring Bobby Stickland to sing tenor, Ermon Slater to sing baritone, and AD Soward to sing bass. This group moved to Knoxville, Tenn. and began an affiliation with the Chattanooga Medicine Company. They became spokesmen for "Scalf's Indian River Medicine", which they sold during their transcribed radio broadcasts.

During a war imposed recording ban, the group released several recordings as the "Maple Leaf Quartet" on Lee Roy Abernathy's "Quartet" label. The name change was a result of their exclusive recording contract with RCA Victor. If you come across any recordings by that group, you'll be listening to the Harmoneers!

As with any group, the personnel of the Harmoneers changed a bit through the years. Strickland and Soward left the group and were instrumental in the formation of the Statesmen Quartet. Slater left the group to join the Rangers Quartet. They were replaced by three gentlemen that became core members of the Harmoneers for many years to come: Bob Crews (lead), Wallace "Happy" Edwards (tenor), and Seals "Low Note" Hilton (bass).

The Harmoneers Quartet arrived in Decatur, Ga. from Tennessee in 1949. The hard-working group sang live regularly on Atlanta radio station WEAS, now WGUN, and later on NBC and CBS radio. In the 40s and 50s, the Harmoneers became one of top quartets in the nation. "Happy" Edward kept the audience on their toes with his humor, and the group always lived up to their name with wonderful harmony.

Fred C. Maples retired in the mid-1950's, and soon the Harmoneers reorganized with "Happy" Edwards, Bob Crews, Shorty Bradford, Seals Hilton, and Charles Key. This was one of the most exciting Harmoneers lineups, but it was also quite short-lived. Jimi Hall soon joined the group as pianist and lead singer. The four man group (Edwards, Hall, Crews, and Hilton) continued for several years and released their first long playing album on the Sing label in 1959 titled "This Little Light of Mine". Prior to this, eight RCA recordings by the Harmoneers were released on a 10" album titled "Church in the Wildwood". This is one of the rarest gospel records in collecting circles.

The group experienced several personnel changes prior to their retirement in the early 1960's. Former members include Fred Elrod, Troy Lumpkin, Joe Moscheo, Mack Evans, Byron Burgess among others.

The group received the "Living Legend" award at the 1995 Grand Ole Gospel Reunion in Greenville, SC. Although the Harmoneers name has been formally retired, Bob Crews, Charles Key, Seals Hilton, and Jimi Hall are still alive and well. They performed at the reunion just a few years ago.

Harmoneers Quartet Key, Paul Stringfellow, Sidney Braden Maples, Herbert Newman (I may have Braden and Newman reversed) approx. 1943		Charles Key, Happy Edwards Fred C. Maples, Bob Crews, Seals Hilton approx 1947
picture from cover of RCA record set	Charles Key, Bobby Strickland, Ermon Slater Fred C.Maples, AD Soward approx. 1946	Edwards, Crews, Hilton Jimi Hall approx 1960
Edwards, Crews, Hilton Hall, Key 1998	Shorty Bradford, Crews, Edwards Hilton, Key approx 1958	from top> Fred Elrod, Maples, Hilton, Key, Troy Lumpkin approx 1955

Reader Comments

Thanks for another informative article. Keep them coming.

Dean

Commented by On 11/01/2002

Amazing John, another way of proving you know plenty more than I do.

Commented by On 11/01/2002

Another first-rate article. Only recordings I have are when Strickland, Slater, Maples and Soward were with them. It's a very reserved sound. I believe the later version of the group with Keys and Hilton and was at the 1989 Gospel reunion.

Commented by On 11/01/2002

Great job John. Thanks for the excellent education! Can't wait until the next article!

Commented by On 11/01/2002

good afternnon john a great
source of information this is
and i appreciate it much. i
have all the lps and eps and i
enjoyed listening to them they
truly were a great quartet.
thank you wayne culton

Commented by On 11/01/2002

Gospel Dittos from out here in Texas. Thanks much for your efforts in researching the pioneers that have made such an impact on sooo many of us "olde timers". I, for one, could listening to their "tales" of what it must have been like back then for hours. Thanks again and "Keep 'um coming".

Commented by On 11/01/2002

Hi John--Great info on a great group from out of the past! Never got to see this group in their Heydey",as they were bowing out as I was getting interested.

Commented by On 11/01/2002

Great Article, John. Growing up in the Atlanta area, the Harmoneers are a big part of my early SG memories. It was also good to remember "Happy" Edwards. Of course, I remember him mro with Leroy as the "Happy Two".

Thanks again, buddy, Great Job!!! You da man!!

Commented by On 11/01/2002

A great article about the Harmoneers, John. We didn't get to see this group in this part of the country often. I remember seeing them in person just one time in Monroe, Louisiana in the early 50's (52, I think). My father, Garland May, was part of a group that sponsored a concert there featuring the Harmoneers, Rangers Quartet, and a couple of other groups. The crowd was so great that they had to make emergency arrangements to use a second auditorium. I recall that when a quartet finished singing in the primary auditorium, they were rushed over to the other auditorium to sing to the overflow audience. A great memory of a great quartet!! Thanks so much for providing us with the info and the memories.

Commented by On 11/02/2002

Great article John...Harmoneers was my favorite group as a young teenager..Happy Edwards was certainly a delightful fellow as well were all the fellows..It was always good to be with them at the Grand Ole Gospel Reunion in Greenville, SC when they were able to attend..

Commented by On 11/07/2002

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