Contemporary gospel's preeminent group, the Mighty Clouds of Joy carried the torch for the traditional quartet vocal style throughout an era dominated by solo acts and choirs; pioneering a distinctively funky sound which over time gained grudging acceptance even among purists, they pushed spiritual music in new and unexpected directions, even... [+] Read More

Contemporary gospel's preeminent group, the Mighty Clouds of Joy carried the torch for the traditional quartet vocal style throughout an era dominated by solo acts and choirs; pioneering a distinctively funky sound which over time gained grudging acceptance even among purists, they pushed spiritual music in new and unexpected directions, even scoring a major disco hit. The Mighty Clouds of Joy were formed in Los Angeles during the mid-'50s by schoolmates Joe Ligon and Johnny Martin; while still in their teens, the original group -- which also included brothers Ermant and Elmo Franklin, Leon Polk and Richard Wallace -- made their recorded debut in 1960 with "Steal Away to Jesus," cut for the Peacock label. Their debut LP Family Circle arrived a year later. In the years that followed, the Mighty Clouds earned a reputation among gospel's greatest showmen; one of the first groups to incorporate choreographed moves into their act, their nimble footwork and bright, color-coordinated outfits earned them the sobriquet "The Temptations of Gospel." More importantly, they were the first group to add bass, drums and keyboards to the standard quartet accompaniment of solo guitar, resulting in a sound which horrified traditionalists but appealed to younger listeners -- so much so, in fact, that the Mighty Clouds became the first gospel act ever to appear on television's Soul Train, where they performed their disco smash "Mighty High." Their crossover success continued with opening slots for secular pop stars including Marvin Gaye, the Rolling Stones and Paul Simon, whom the group backed during a month-long stint at Madison Square Garden. While lineup changes plagued the Mighty Clouds throughout their career, they remained active through the 1990s; in addition to co-founders Ligon and Wallace, their latter-day incarnation also included Michael McCowin, Wilbert Williams, Johnny Valentine and Ron Staples. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Music Guide [-] Hide

Although the Chuck Wagon Gang has been around since 1936 -- undergoing many personnel changes over the years -- its sound and devotion to old-fashioned gospel has remained much the same. Their greatest significance is that the band provides an important link between country music and traditional sacred songs of the South.

The... [+] Read More

Although the Chuck Wagon Gang has been around since 1936 -- undergoing many personnel changes over the years -- its sound and devotion to old-fashioned gospel has remained much the same. Their greatest significance is that the band provides an important link between country music and traditional sacred songs of the South.

The original incarnation of the Chuck Wagon Gang was made up of four members of the Carter family -- no relation to the Carter Family. They were Dad Carter (David Parker Carter), his son Jim (born Ernest), daughter Rose (born Rosa Lola), and his daughter Effie. Dad Carter was born in Kentucky, but was raised in Clay County, Texas. He was enrolled in a singing school there when he met Carrie Brooks, whom he married in 1909. They had eight children, and to support them, Carter worked for the Rock Island Railroad in 1927. At other times, he and the family also picked cotton. The band formed around 1935 after one of the children became deathly ill and the family was left destitute; for additional income, Dad Carter talked the management at station KFYO Lubbock into hiring him as a host for a daily radio program. The original group was called the Carter Quartet, in which Dad sang tenor, Jim sang bass and played guitar, while Rose and Effie sang soprano and alto. They became popular and soon began earning $15 per week. The following year, the Carters moved to WBAP and billed themselves as the Chuck Wagon Gang; they sang a variety of secular and sometimes sacred songs. Their earliest recording session for ARC produced country singles, rather than gospel. As the years passed, they gradually became more gospel-oriented, and by the early '40s had switched over completely. In 1942, they spent a few months at a Tulsa radio station.

The Chucks broke up for the duration of World War II. Afterward, they reunited and returned to WBAP, remaining primarily a radio band. They began recording again in 1948 for Columbia. Two years later, Wally Fowler had them perform at one of his All-Night Singing Conventions in Augusta, Georgia; they then became a full-time touring band.

In 1953, they underwent the first of many subsequent membership changes when Jim left and was replaced by Howard Gordon; he remained with the Chucks until his death in 1967. Another brother, Roy, also joined and sang bass in Jim's stead. Dad Carter retired in 1955 and was at first replaced by Eddie Carter. In the late '50s, non-family members such as Alynn Billodeau, Patrick McKeehan, Ronnie Page, and Ronnie Crittenden spent time with the Chuck Wagon Gang. Through it all, the band kept touring part-time and making records -- 408 masters by 1975. After three years of inactivity, the group began recording for the Copperfield label. The Chuck Wagon Gang continued on in a similar vein until 1987, when they once again became a full-time band with new members joining the last of the Carters, Roy and his sister Ruth Ellen Yates. In 1984, Dad Carter (who had died in 1963) was posthumously inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame.

By the late '80s, the Chuck Wagon Gang had been named Gospel Artist or Group of the Year by Music City News five years in a row. In 1990, Bob Terrell published an authorized history of the group, The Chuck Wagon Gang: A Legend Lives On. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Music Guide [-] Hide

Formed in 1964, this traditional Southern gospel vocal group (also known as the Cathedral Quartet) appeared regularly on Rex Humbard's Cathedral of Tomorrow broadcast in the '60s. The Cathedrals were led by bass George Younce and alto Glen Payne, known for their humorous onstage exchanges. Originally, Humbard formed the group as a trio, but they... [+] Read More

Formed in 1964, this traditional Southern gospel vocal group (also known as the Cathedral Quartet) appeared regularly on Rex Humbard's Cathedral of Tomorrow broadcast in the '60s. The Cathedrals were led by bass George Younce and alto Glen Payne, known for their humorous onstage exchanges. Originally, Humbard formed the group as a trio, but they soon became a quartet comprising Payne, Younce, Danny Koker and Bobby Clark. Both Payne and Younce remained with the group since its inception; the other two spots have been filled by a number of singers. By 1994, the lineup stabilized with Ernie Haase and Scott Fowler on tenor and baritone vocals, respectively, and pianist Roger Bennett.

The Cathedral Quartet appeared on Humbard's show until 1969 and then set out on their own, traveling from gig to gig in a converted egg truck until they could afford real tour buses. Over the next decade, the group became one of the most popular Southern gospel groups around. In 1977, they won their first Grammy for Best Gospel Performance, and duplicated the feat in 1978, 1979, and 1982 as well. In 1977, they also won Dove Awards for Male Group of the Year and Best Southern Gospel Album (for Then...And Now) by the Gospel Music Association. In 1979, Koker and Clark left the group, beginning a long stream of replacements; Roger Bennett also joined up at this point.

During the '70s and '80s, the Cathedrals had a long stream of number one gospel hits that included "Step Into the Water," "Can He, Could He, Would He," and "I've Just Started Living." From 1986 through 1990, the Cathedrals were featured at Bill Gaither's Praise Gathering for Believers, and continued to garner numerous awards from the GMA. In 1988, they became the first Southern gospel group to record in England with the London Philharmonic Orchestra for the album Symphony of Praise. In 1989, the group's 25th anniversary, the Gospel Music Voice named them Group of the Year, and Cash Box named Goin' in Style Southern Gospel Album of the Year. The Cathedrals continued to tour extensively in large churches and concert halls, although Payne's death on October 15, 1999 effectively cast that year's tour as their farewell. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Music Guide [-] Hide

One of the top gospel quartets of the postwar era, the Harmonizing Four was also a relative anomaly of the period; as their contemporaries raced to modernize their sound, rejecting the traditional jubilee style in favor of the intensity of the burgeoning "hard gospel" movement, the Four remained true to their roots, focusing instead on the... [+] Read More

One of the top gospel quartets of the postwar era, the Harmonizing Four was also a relative anomaly of the period; as their contemporaries raced to modernize their sound, rejecting the traditional jubilee style in favor of the intensity of the burgeoning "hard gospel" movement, the Four remained true to their roots, focusing instead on the spirituals and hymns of a time gone by. For all of their renown, little is known about the group's formative years -- their leader and manager, Joseph "Gospel Joe" Williams, forbade any of the members to agree to interviews unless they were paid in advance, and as a result the anecdotal information that does exist is sketchy and incomplete. Records have indicated that the Four made their formal debut at a grammar school in their native Richmond, Virginia on October 27, 1927; founding members included Thomas "Goat" Johnson and Levi Handly, with Williams signing on in 1933 and Lonnie Smith -- the father of jazz pianist Lonnie Liston Smith -- joining four years later.

The Harmonizing Four made their recorded debut on Decca in 1943; in all likelihood they came to the label at the behest of Sister Rosetta Tharpe, whom they frequently backed both on record and in concert. After World War II, they landed on the tiny Coleman label; included in the roster during much of this period was Tommy Ellison, later of the Chosen Gospel Singers. A brief tenure on Gotham followed, and after 1952, the Harmonizing Four cut only one record, a single for the Religious Recordings label, prior to arriving at Vee-Jay in 1957. There, the group -- Williams, Smith, Thomas Johnson and Jimmy Jones -- finally began earning the fame long due them, honing their close harmony style to mellow perfection; Jones, in particular, earned renown as perhaps the greatest basso in gospel history, his canyon-deep voice distinguishing hits like "Motherless Child." After leaving Vee-Jay during the early 1960s, the Harmonizing Four recorded for Nashboro, slowly easing into retirement in the years that followed. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Music Guide [-] Hide

A pioneering force behind the evolution of the modern gospel quartet sound, the Dixie Hummingbirds were among the longest-lived and most successful groups of their era; renowned for their imaginative arrangements, progressive harmonies and all-around versatility, they earned almost universal recognition as the greatest Southern quartet of their... [+] Read More

A pioneering force behind the evolution of the modern gospel quartet sound, the Dixie Hummingbirds were among the longest-lived and most successful groups of their era; renowned for their imaginative arrangements, progressive harmonies and all-around versatility, they earned almost universal recognition as the greatest Southern quartet of their generation, and their influence spread not only over the world of spiritual music but also inspired secular artists ranging from Jackie Wilson to Bobby "Blue" Bland to the Temptations. Formed in Greenville, South Carolina by James B. Davis, the Dixie Hummingbirds began their career during the late '30s as a jubilee-styled act; joined in 1938 by 13-year-old baritone phenom Ira Tucker and bass singer extraordinaire Willie Bobo, a former member of the Heavenly Gospel Singers, the group made their recorded debut a year later on Decca, where they issued singles including "Soon Will Be Done with the Troubles of This World," "Little Wooden Church" and "Joshua Journeyed to Jericho."

Upon relocating to Philadelphia in 1942, the Hummingbirds' popularity began to grow -- Tucker, in particular, wowed audiences with his flamboyant theatrics, rejecting the long tradition of "flat-footed" singers rooted in place on stage in favor of running up the aisles and rocking prayerfully on his knees. By 1944, he was even regularly jumping off stages -- indeed, the frenetic showmanship of soul music may have had its origins in Tucker's manic intensity, itself an emulation of country preaching. At the same time, the Hummingbirds' harmonies continued to grow more sophisticated; the addition of Paul Owens completed the quartet's development, and together he and Tucker honed a style they dubbed "trickeration," a kind of note-bending distinguished by sensual lyrical finesse and staggering vocal intricacy. Their virtuosity did not go unnoticed by audiences, and throughout the mid-'40s -- an acknowledged golden age of a cappella quartet singing -- the group regularly played to packed houses throughout the south.

Under names like the Swanee Quintet and the Jericho Boys, the Dixie Hummingbirds also regularly appeared on Philadephia radio station WCAU; it was as the Jericho Boys that they auditioned for the legendary producer John Hammond, who in 1942 booked them into the Cafe Society Downtown, then the Greenwich Village area's preeminent showcase for black talent. By 1946, the Hummingbirds were again recording, cutting sides for labels including Apollo and, later in the decade, Gotham and Hob. In 1952, what many consider the group's definitive lineup -- a roster of Tucker, Davis, Bobo, Beachey Thompson, James Walker (replacing Owens) and ace guitarist Howard Carroll, a roster which held intact for close to a quarter century -- signed to the Peacock label, where over the course of the following decade they recorded a series of masterpieces including 1952's "Trouble in My Way," 1953's "Let's Go Out to the Programs," 1954's "Christian's Testimonial," 1957's "Christian Automobile" and 1959's "Nobody Knows the Trouble I See."

After earning a standing ovation for their performance at the 1966 Newport Folk Festival (captured on the Gospel at Newport LP), the Hummingbirds essentially retired from mainstream appearances to focus solely on the church circuit. They did, however, burst back into the popular consciousness in 1973, backing Paul Simon on his pop smash "Loves Me Like a Rock." The death of Willie Bobo in 1976 brought to a sad end a lengthy chapter of the Hummingbirds' history -- his membership in their ranks dated back to the late 1930s -- but the surviving members forged on; just two years later, Ebony Magazine named them "The World's Greatest Gospel Group." After Davis retired in 1984, Tucker was the last remaining link to the quartet's formative years; despite the subsequent deaths of Walker in 1992 and Thompson in 1994, Tucker continued leading the group at the century's end, recruiting new blood to keep the Dixie Hummingbirds' spirit alive for years to follow, celebrating their seventh decade with 1999's Music in the Air: The 70th Anniversary All-Star Tribute. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Music Guide [-] Hide

The Clouds at their peak. ~ Opal Louis Nations, All Music Guide

The Clouds at their peak. ~ Opal Louis Nations, All Music Guide [-] Hide

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Essential 1950s Vee Jay cuts, some with gospel's premier basso, Jimmy Jones. ~ Opal Louis Nations, All Music Guide

Essential 1950s Vee Jay cuts, some with gospel's premier basso, Jimmy Jones. ~ Opal Louis Nations, All Music Guide [-] Hide

Featuring sixteen tracks, Greatest Hits is a solid compilation of some of The Chuck Wagon Gang's best tracks and offers a good introduction to this contemporary country-gospel vocal group. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide

Featuring sixteen tracks, Greatest Hits is a solid compilation of some of The Chuck Wagon Gang's best tracks and offers a good introduction to this contemporary country-gospel vocal group. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide [-] Hide

The Dixie Hummingbirds are generally regarded as one of the finest gospel groups in history, and the material showcased on The Best of the Dixie Hummingbirds proves why. Culled from the group's '50s and '60s recordings for Peacock, the compilation contains 12 terrific songs -- including "Let's Go to the Programs," "Thank You for One More Day,"... [+] Read More

The Dixie Hummingbirds are generally regarded as one of the finest gospel groups in history, and the material showcased on The Best of the Dixie Hummingbirds proves why. Culled from the group's '50s and '60s recordings for Peacock, the compilation contains 12 terrific songs -- including "Let's Go to the Programs," "Thank You for One More Day," "What a Friend," "Bedside of a Neighbor," "The Old Time Way" and "Our Prayer for Peace" -- all of which are given astonishing, moving performances by the Hummingbirds. Throughout their long career, the Hummingbirds rarely gave anything less than impressive performances, but this remains one of the very best portraits of the superior gospel sextet. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide [-] Hide