The nickname "Smokey" was bestowed upon him by his uncle when he was a child. The title tune, Crazy, closes the set. The Soul Stirrers. Bandleader Willie Rogers, who joined the group in the late Sixties, isn't quite Cooke, but he made a convincing case in the ACL gospel tent on "Touch the Hem of His Garment," "Jesus, I . Daddy told us that she was the only woman or a girl that he ever coached, and it just so happened that she was the young lady that Ray Charles married., I didnt meet Ray Charles until 1996 at the Atlanta Olympics. He put his thinking cap on, and eventually he called me back and said, Ive found us one., Out of the Blue was recorded over 10 months, with Hightower making the regular two-and-a-half-hour drive from Gadsden to Wishbone Studios. After moving to Chicago, the Soul Stirrers began shifting away from the signature tight harmonies and compact songs of traditional gospel towards a harder style distinguished by shifting leads and performances elongated to increase their emotional potency; they also began performing new material from the pens of Thomas A. Dorsey, Kenneth Morris, and others. The lead vocalist in popular music is typically the member of a group or band whose voice is the most prominent melody in a performance where multiple voices may be heard. October 25, 2014. Rogers has spent the rest of his career with the Soul Stirrers. A number of legendary Shoals vets, like renowned Swampers guitarist Jimmy Johnson and local producer David Johnson (Lynyrd Skynyrd, Tony Rice), have all given Hightowers album their stamp of approval. Several singers emerged from the group's ranks to become influential rhythm-and-blues and soul singers, most notably Sam Cooke. Eight months after being released in the U.K. by the British archival reissue label Ace Records, the album has not even been released in the States (although it is available to stream). In early 1950, the Soul Stirrers signed to the Specialty label, debuting with the single "By and By"; it was quickly followed by "I'm Still Living on Mother's Prayer" and "In That Awful Hour," both originals composed by Detroit's Reuben L.C. During that time, the 28-year old singer/songwriter/guitarist and his bandmates have played hundreds of shows and major festivals all over the world and built a devoted underground following. Several sources indicate that the original list from 2004 was expanded at some point to 660 songs, but none of those sources seem to . Direct from standing-room only sellouts in the Midwest . Check out The Soul Stirrers on Amazon Music. I heard many gospel singers, because daddy made sure we knew who they were. Even though, half a century later, genres like Americana have created a viable marketplace for retro-soul newcomers, many of the genres surviving originals still struggle to reach an audience. Musician/Band. Amen The Soul Stirrers. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. On the 71 recording, Hightower is striving for middle-of-the-road appeal, channeling Cookes occasional propensity for schmaltz. The soul of dead people has the ability to extend itself afterward, according to many experts. The personnel for this historic recording are Leroy Crume, Arthur Crume, Willie Rogers, Luther Gamble, Eddie Huffman and Floyd Taylor. F.C. Their largest establishment was a nightclub called the Macomba. Ben Odom / Composers: Willie Rogers. The Soul Stirrers, L-R Sam Cooke, JJ Farley, SR Crain, RB Robinson and Paul Foster, pose for a studio group portrait in 1950 in the United Sattes. Women's Golf Lessons San Diego, Contents 1 Biography 2 References 3 Further reading 4 External links Biography 33.Johnny Winter / Still Alive and Well 34.Joe Bonamassa / Conversation with Alice . Sylvia Travis) / He Is Everything To Me / I Got A Notion To Leave / Cause Im A Soldier, I AINT PLAYIN (Little Village Foundation, LVF 1045) 2022, Never Trust A Man / Running Like The Red Cross / If It Wasnt For The Blues / Answer To The Hard Working Woman / I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel To Be Free / Sunny Day Friends / When I Call Your Name / I Dont Care / Damned If I Do / I Know Ive Been Changed / Back Door Man / Let Me Cry / My Turn, My Time. The Original Five Blind Boys of Mississippi. Paul Foster was born in Grand Cane, Louisiana. 's is an American gospel group that has been active for over 70 years. Im not doing anything., For Hightower, the phone call came as a joyful surprise. With regard to thoughts and feelings and the parts of oneself that make up a soul, the form of these bodies is called a soul form. J.J. Farley. William "Smokey" Robinson is an American pop, soul, and R&B singer born in Detroit in 1940. Its name comes from its origins in the southeastern United States. Cecil had one lady in his group, Della. Battlestar Galactica (Original Soundtrack from the Sci-Fi Channel Miniseries) Richard Gibbs. The Soul Stirrers have inspired gospel and R&B audiences for more than eight decades. His many accolades include being inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and Songwriter's Hall of Fame, the Kennedy Center Honors, Grammy and BET Lifetime Achievement Awards, and a star on the Hollywood . Rancho Fino Restaurant Fairfield Ca, Monday - Saturday 8:00 am - 5:00 pm 02:33 . It is composed and performed for many purposes, ranging from aesthetic pleasure, religious or ceremonial purposes, or as an entertainment product for the marketplace. The best thing about "The Gospel Chime Hour" is that it's actually two hours long! In the wake of the singer's untimely demise, the Soul Stirrers ground to a halt. I was thrilled, he says. Top 8. Time Brings About A Change . When I came to Europe for a tour, I always made sure that I go to Denmark and see my Danish mor on the island of Fyn. I was disappointed, I sure was, the singer says today. Silas Roy "S.R." Crain [Roy Crain, Sr.] (tenor vocals, baritone vocals, lead vocals, 1926-74), Edward Allen Rundless, Jr. (tenor vocals, 1929-37), O.W. Stream ad-free or purchase CD's and MP3s now on Amazon. I recorded Cause Im a Soldier in Chicago and a couple of songs in Dallas. Originally posted 4/13/2019; updated 11/29/2019. I enlisted while I was in college. The documentary was shown at the Davis Theater last Saturday afternoon as part of the festival. It has its roots in African-American gospel music and rhythm and blues. . WINE INTO WATER Mudboy Willie Rogers Michael Hammond 062. A real preacher, the Reverend Dr. Earl F. Miller, played the . 0. Top Tracks / View All. To review, open the file in an editor that reveals hidden Unicode characters. CREDITS Broadway; The Gospel at Colonus (Mar 24, 1988 - May 15, 1988) Performer . The 100 Greatest TV Shows of All Time The couple separated shortly after their son's birth. Den Cellisten Fried Dhn kennen wir bereits von einer der spannendsten Verffentlichungen im flavoredtune-Katalog ("Now. In total, the Soul Stirrers recorded over two dozen tracks for Specialty in 1950 before Harris quit the group that same year; many predicted a dire future, especially when it was announced that his replacement was a relatively unknown 20-year-old named Sam Cooke. Among the blues numbers there are the slowly swaying Be for Me, the faster Sunny Day Friends, the quick-tempo I Cant Wait, the slowly rolling Taking Chances and the uptempo title song, Trying to Hold on. My daddy was the coach also for Cecil Shaw, who was a deacon in New Mt. As you might have heard, the big news coming out of this year's Ponderosa Stomp is the return of Soul Legend Willie Hightower. It was great growing up there. Explore Willie Rogers & The Soul Stirrers's discography including top tracks, albums, and reviews. Labeled as a "singer's singer" by none other than B.B. The Soul Stirrers Reunion for Malaco (2008) teamed Rogers with Stirrers alumni Arthur and LeRoy Crume, Eddie Huffman and the Reverend Luther Gamble. Crain (in full Senior Roy Crain), J.J. Farley, R.H. Harris (Robert H. Harris), Sam Cooke (b. He set the stage for later expressions of politics in both soul and rock music. The flood took my car away. They stopped working for Duke/Peacock, because there was a disagreement with Don Robey. The group was a pioneer in the development of the quartet style of gospel, and a major influence of soul music, doo wop, and motown sound, some of the secular music that owed much to gospel. Contents. TSORT offers an aggregate of as many as 138 charts, although the number of charts becomes more sparse the farther back they stretch. He had some real name recognition in that area., Hightower kept singing throughout his middle age, touring with a new iteration of the Drifters for roughly 15 years and later forming a family band with his five daughters, before eventually starting a real estate company. . (the first blind man to play the blind king Oedipus); Willie Rogers channeling Sam Cooke with the Legendary Soul Stirrers. Bob Marovich is a gospel music historian, author, and radio host. He explored secular music and chose it over the gospel community, who never accepted him after that. Diunna released her debut album, Crazy but live in Houston in 2004, first on her own Blue Mercy label and then let CDBaby distribute it. He had a pure tenor three-octave voice that he utilized for moans and slurs and leaps into falsetto. IL, U.S. ( Gospel ) Born 9-6-1919 in Clarksdale, MS, U.S. - Baritone singer - Was a member of The Soul Stirrers and a founding member of R.H. Harris And . Foster sang second lead alongside two other gospel greats, Rebert Harris and Sam Cooke. King Orchestra. She only sings gospel and spirituals, and every year on her birthday she would teach us a little song and that would be like a tribute to God for letting her see another year. On the following track Diunna delivers her a cappella version of the same song. is willie rogers of the soul stirrers still alive; cal berkeley football recruiting questionnaire; american housewife cancelled. Inducted into Rock And Roll Hall of Fame in 1989 (Early Influence). Thomas (bass . He formed his first band, the Five Chimes, when he was 15 but his career kicked off with the Miracles in 1957. Leroy Taylor was the bariton of the Soul Stirrers back in the days with Rebert Harris. Jerry Butler Jr. is an American soul singer-songwriter, producer, musician, and retired politician. Tom Morello is an American musician, rapper, singer, actor, songwriter, and political activist. Performer: J. J. Farley and the Soul Stirrers [Choragos] MusicalOriginal. Thank you . The Soul Stirrers made other important changes in those years: ad-libbing lyrics, singing in delayed time, and repeating words in the . Hes been my idol ever since.. I said I aint gonna do that, and she said yes, you are, because Ive already given your name. That was the first time I ever auditioned. It resulted in some quartets supplementing their income by doing live performances at churches, schools, and neighborhood centers. Mary Wells: The Book. LeRoy was a member of Chicago's Crume Brothers and the Soul Stirrers. Its the name of a little girl from an African tribe. The 200 Greatest Singers of All Time cancelled due to the Covid-19, Diunna has many gigs in the U.S. If the promoters want to have me for festivals and events, they should not miss the train (laughing). I said Thats my mom and daddy. He laughed and started asking me about different people, but there was only fifteen minutes left before Ray had to go on stage. menu . Photo by Craig Carlson. Would you be interested in doing another CD? Claunch asked. He was 101. As the gospel quartet style of singing became more popular, groups would perform in competitions called "song battles" to further increase the genre's popularity. One of the preminent & most widely known gospel groups of the 20th century, founded in Texas in the late 1920's. Early on the group was defined by the vocals of R.H Harris, and longtime member and actual group founder Roy Crain. They recorded many songs, but they recorded many of those for Duke/Peacock Records. In 1936, Alan Lomax recorded the Soul Stirrers for the Library of Congress's American music project, and those four unissued recordings are in the American Folklife Center collection today. I said that I dont have to be the queen as long as they call my name right. Among the members of that group was R.H. (Rebert) Harris, who soon became its musical leader. Stream songs including "Mind Still On Jesus", "Prodigal Son" and more. God's Got a Blessing Lee Williams & The Spiritual QC's. Who left the Soul Stirrers? Id expressed to Quintin that Id really love to cut a real authentic, R&B Southern soul singer, says Lawson. The soul stirrers wonderful sam cooke Backed by our friends The Bo-Keys, Willie came roaring back with a smoking set that just blew everyone away.. Moments before Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated, in 1968, he asked to . St. Stephen's. It was one of the first gospel records to do so. 2018: Drake "God's Plan" 2017: Ed Sheeran "Shape of You" 2016: Drake with WizKid & Kyla "One Dance" 04:09 Writer: Richard Gibbs / Composers: Tony Dyson . [1] When Cooke left in 1957 to pursue a career in pop music, the Soul Stirrers' preeminence in gospel was essentially over, though a brief period of success with Johnnie Taylor sustained the group for a time. They all say, He doesnt sound like hes 78. Soul Stirrer's Medley - Martin Jacox, Willie Rogers \u0026 Co. Many American roots artists of the Fifties, Sixties and Seventies who remain active are far more popular overseas than at home. Cooke. I think that was in the late 40s and early 50s, because when I came along daddy and the group had stopped and did other things. During his long career in gospel music, Foster also sang for other quartets such as the Rising Stars and the Golden Echoes. The meteoric rise and tragic fall of William Edward "Little Willie" John, who died in prison at the age of 30, is one of the most dramatic chapters in rhythm & blues history.A "singer's singer" in the words of some (including one of his early inspirations, B.B. My mother was a hat model here. On the first version of the traditional He Is Everything to Me the voice belongs to Sylvia Travis, Diunnas grandmother, who at the time of this recording was 102 years old. So rechristened, this incarnation of the quartet made a 1936 field recording for Alan Lomax; as other members dropped out, Crain brought in replacements, finally arriving at the classic early lineup which also included bass Jesse Farley, baritone T.L. Well, The Legendary Soul Stirrers, Featuring Willie Rogers, just released a new CD titled The Legend Continues - The Next Generation. Willie Rogers Ben Odom Gene Stewart Michael Grady Jr. . Take My Hand Ben Harper, The Blind Boys Of Alabama. Later lead singers included Jimmy Outler, James Davis, and Willie Rogers. He only made the one secular recording but his performance on . It was the thrill of my life, he says of his meeting with his hero. It's the name of a little girl from an African tribe. Arizona. The concluding Chicago track, Cause Im a Soldier, is slow and patriotic song, performed at a marching pace. Toni Braxton is reacting to the tragic death of her sister Traci, which was announced earlier on Saturday (March 12). His single, "Disco Lady," was the first single ever to be certified platinum. [1] Cooke joined the group at 19 and served as lead vocalist from 1950 to 1956. The Crume Brothers are credited for introducing the electric guitar into quartet music and many were members of the Soul Stirrers at one time or another. A few of his obscure Seventies singles have been streamedseveral hundred thousand times on Spotify, and he has recently performed at several relatively high-profile shows, including a reunion concert in Muscle Shoals and a showcase performance in Boston arranged by modern soul revivalist Eli Paperboy Reed. The Encyclopedia of American Gospel Music is the first comprehensive reference to cover this important American musical form. ***** July 3, 2008 She sacrificed herself to save her mother and her home village." The Soul Stirrers var en amerikansk gospelgrupp, under flera decennier en av de mest framstende.Deras ledsngare kom ven att medverka till utvecklingen av modern soul-musik.. Gruppen startade i Houston, Texas 1929 [ifrgasatt uppgift] som the New Pleasant Green Gospel Singers, efter namnet p den kyrka de sjng i.Fem r senare bytte gruppen till The Soul Stirrers och under detta namn . Diunnas follow-up, Cotton Field to Coffee House, was released three years later, and predictably we are treated to some big-voiced blues, whether standards like Little Red Rooster, or Diunnas own songs - the funky Backdoor Man and Love Treasure. 2004. Nevertheless, the singer has reason to remain hopeful about his second chance on breaking through in his homeland. The group and all of its members was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1989 as one of rock's 'Early Influences', and into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2000. In 2022 their 1950 recording "Jesus Gave Me Water" was selected by the US Library of Congress for preservation in the National Recording Registry. Drive-Thru Viewing 6pm -8pm Friday, June 19, 2020, at MJR Friendly Service Funeral Home, 87 . Then someone else said well, youre the Peoples Queen of Blues. When I came to Brazil, they had this big poster - Peoples Queen of Blues. I went to France, Germany, Denmark, Sweden, and each time they would announce Diunna Greenleaf, Peoples Queen of Blues., As has become apparent Diunna has toured all over Europe - and Asia as well. In 1956, Cooke finally crossed over to the pop market, and was replaced by ex-Highway QC Johnnie Taylor; while Taylor himself would also enjoy pop success in the years to follow, he failed to command the same devotion as his predecessor. Hall, went to a construction company, uncle Willie became a long-distance trucker, daddy started working for a steel company here in Houston, Hughes Tool Co. Everybody did something to contribute to the family. One uncle, A.W. "Those of you who don't go to church, don't think we're funny when we clap and shout," said Ann Murray to us who had come to hear an afternoon of . horse hind leg tendon sheath. I had always thought that one day someone would give me a chance to succeed, he says. Foster possessed a powerful, mournful tenor voice, a perfect foil to both Harris' and Cooke's sweeter more-flowery tenor styles. . Primary Artist, Producer, Score Producer, Composer. Southern gospel music is a genre of Christian music. The group was a pioneer in the development of the quartet style of gospel, and a major influence of soul music, doo wop, and motown sound. Willie worked as a laborer for a nursing home in the DesPlanes area for many years. In early 1950, the Soul Stirrers signed to the Specialty label, debuting with the single "By and By"; it was quickly followed by "I'm Still Living on Mother's Prayer" and "In That Awful Hour," both originals composed by Detroit's Reuben L.C. Willie Rogers (Soul Stirrers) Joe Ligon (Mighty Clouds of Joy) Shirley Caesar (Grammy Award winner) Myrna Ordower (Sid Ordowers wife) Rev. Trinity, Trinity County, Texas, United States. When he sings, Knew I had a second chance/If I didnt mess it up, he sounds instantly believable, like an elder friend sharing his worldly knowledge. [1] In the early 1930s, after Crain moved to Houston, he joined an existing group on the condition that it change its name to "the Soul Stirrers". He told Otis Clay and Willie Rogers of the Soul Stirrers I want to get this recording done with her, because if I do then more people can hear her. And he would tell me your mom and dad really took care of me., Diunna was born in Houston, Texas, on October the 6th in 1957. Ive also lived in other places besides Houston. "When the guitarist Robert Lockwood Junior was still alive, the Robert Johnson estate wanted him to be included . tio ion Luther Dickinson & The Sons Of The Legendary Soul Stirrers Feat. Michael Grady. Morello is best known for his association with Rage Against the Machine, which he co-founded with Zack de la Rocha.Renowned for his creative and unique guitar playing style, Tom Morello was ranked among the 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time by Rolling Stone magazine. The Journal of Gospel Music is saddened to learn of the passing of LeRoy Crume. Calvary Church. When he took the microphone to raise his pure, sweet voice in Stirrers standards like "Jesus Wash Away My Troubles" and "Nearer to Thee," the crowd fell silent and then began to castigate him. The 1980s also saw Rogers and the Stirrers perform in The Gospel at Colonus, a musical reworking of Oedipus at Colonus. There was going to be two duets between myself and B.B. There was a time when I just gave up on it, Hightower says of his solo career. Soul music became popular for dancing and listening in the United States, where record labels such as Motown, Atlantic and Stax were influential during the Civil Rights Movement. One of soul music's pioneers who began his career as a gospel singer with a group called the Soul Stirrers. There were some rough days, but not because of the kids initially but some of their parents., Her father Ben Greenleaf (1911-87) had been a member of such gospel groups as St. Paul Four Gospel Quartet and the Spiritual Gospel Singers of Houston, and the latter group has at least one single released in 1948 on the Gold Star label. Watch their music videos complete with lyrics, song meanings and biographies. Ships from and sold by Amazon.com. Playlists. wanted to do the song Resolutions with me. He was instrumental in transforming the ensemble jubilee quartet style of the 30s into the lead-focused hard gospel style of the 40s and 50s. The Original Soul Stirrers. He also was one of the founding members of the Christland Singers, after he, Harris and other "old" singers of the Soul Stirrers had left the group. [2], One of the early singles with Cooke was "Jesus Gave Me Water", a major hit that brought the Soul Stirrers acclaim. The induction ceremony will be conducted in association with The Blues Foundation's Charter Member Dinner, Wednesday, May 9, in Memphis, Tennessee, the night before the 2007 Blues Music Awards. It was the song that I heard my mother sing around the house all the time. The Highway Q.C. "Maple Leaf Rag" Tin Pan Alley was located in the city of _____. There wasnt nothing I asked him that he wasnt able to do, says Lawson. Connect, discover, and share the world's largest digital music library with over 53 million tracks and videos. Griffin shared a longstanding friendship with the Godfather of Soul, the late James Brown, and occasionally sang at the soul singer's Thanksgiving turkey giveaways in Augusta. "The Best If Kay Kay and The Rays", released by Catfood Records, 15 tracks from three CD's they previously released. Bruster, second lead James Medlock, and, most notably, lead R.H. Harris, whose high, crystalline voice remains the inspiration for virtually all great male quartet leads to follow since. It is a form of Christian music and a subgenre of Black gospel music. Keep Love Alive . When the grind got to be too much for Medlock, he retired from the road, and was replaced by onetime Golden Echo Paul Foster. 4. Their first album, The Soul Children, was released in 1968, containing their hits "I'll Understand," "The Sweeter He Is," and "Tighten Up My Thang," songs which are still requested by fans and, of course, performed by the group today. Diunna: There were projects I was working on. She has three sisters and two brothers. We will post information on homegoing services as it becomes available. Recorded at Blue Heaven Studios out of Salina, Kansas, Diunna released a 5-track vinyl LP in 2009, and it included reworks of Resolutions, Crazy and Love Treasure. Ernest Phipps (19001963) was an Old-time Country musician and Southern Gospel singer best known for his recordings at the Bristol Sessions in 1928. Tag: The Soul Stirrers "I'm Thankful" "Thankful": Plateful of Grateful Zero to 180 has a soft spot for populist anthems that promote unity, such as "We the People" by Allan Toussiant, "Time to Get It Together" by Tom Jones, and "This Old Town" by Wilson Pickett. This album, also nominated for a Stellar Award, reunited past and present members of the Soul Stirrers, including Leroy and Arthur Crume, Willie Rogers, Eddie Huffman and the Reverend Luther Gamble. Soul music is a popular music genre that originated in the African American community throughout the United States in the late 1950s and early 1960s. Artist. Willie was big on the music scene in Gadsden, in Alabama and Georgia and Tennessee and Mississippi, says fellow Gadsden native Matthew Knowles, Beyoncs father who, it turns out, is a first cousin of Hightowers late wife. Rogers joined some of his contemporaries for the 2015 Malaco CD and DVD, An Evening with the Legends of Quartet Live. Otis Williams (born Otis Miles Jr.; October 30, 1941) is an American second tenor/baritone singer. The Five Blind Boys of Mississippi was an American post-war gospel quartet. The Soul Stirrers influenced Sam Cook, Mahalia Jackson and Sister Rosetta Tharpe. When the guitarist Robert Lockwood Junior was still alive, the Robert Johnson estate wanted him to be included. Robert Lockwood Jr. passed in November 2006. The WP Debugging plugin must have a wp-config.php file that is writable by the filesystem. . He said that if he recorded it, it would get a lot more airplay and more people would hear it. But when his long-time valet, Norman Matthews, died (on May 11 in 2014), B.B. Find top songs and albums by The Original Soul Stirrers including It's Me Again Lord, He Did It for Me and more. - Written by Faidest Wagoner.- Part of the #Checker LP "The Best of The Soul Stirrers".- Not. While nearly all of Foster's recordings take place in the recording studio, his powerful voice can be heard on the Soul Stirrers' dynamic performance on the album "The Great Shrine Concert of 1955", especially on the song "Be With Me Jesus", where Foster leads the group with his strong testimonial style. Hightower has transformed from an everyday gospel crooner into a profound truth-teller, a singer whose years of disappointment, success, turmoil and inner peace give his voice a commanding attention. ***** July 3, 2008 That's crazy. One More River - THE SOUL STIRRERS 4. After my daddy died (in 1987), my mother didnt have a lot of interest in different things. It didnt get a lot of airplay, because they want the songs to be only about 3 minutes and 15 seconds long. Beautiful Hat is a straight country jogger. Willie Rogers of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame gospel group The Soul Stirrers delivered a beautiful and emotional version of Sam Cooke's "A Change is Gonna Come." [3] [4]. Is gospel singer Willie Rogers still alive? The Soul Stirrers' origins date back to 1926, where in the town of Trinity, TX, baritone Senior Roy Crain formed a quartet with a number of other teens with whom he attended church. Garden Grove, CA 92844, Contact Us! His biggest hit, in 1970, was a swaggering R&B rendition of Joe Souths country-soul staple Walk a Mile in My Shoes. During the singers brief heyday, he appeared at New Yorks Apollo Theater and performed with everyone from B.B. Joseph Cook, known as Little Joe Cook, was an American rhythm and blues singer and songwriter. Rogers has spent the rest of his career with the Soul Stirrers. Have you been wondering what is happening with The Soul Stirrers? Taking to her Instagram account, the famed singer provided a beautiful . . Ray Nobels tender song The Very Thought of You was first released by Rays orchestra with Al Bowlly on vocals in 1934, and was later covered by Luis Russell, Billie Holiday, Little Willie John, Natalie Cole, among many others. Throughout the 1940s, the Soul Stirrers' reputation grew; not only were they constantly on tour, but they booked most of the major gospel programs in the Chicago area -- in their spare hours, they even operated their own cleaning business. Founded by the legendary Madame Andrews and hosted for many years by the late John Penman, The Gospel Chime Hour is a weekly journey through the roots of Gospel music and its contemporary forms. Elvis Presley had a wonderful falsetto that he used effectively on songs l ike "Blue Moon" (sung entirely in a lovely but eerie falsetto), "Unchained Melody" (the ending) and " Little Darlin" (in which he sings both base and falsetto). [1] The group was a pioneer in the development of the quartet style of gospel, and a major influence on soul, doo wop, and Motown, some of the secular music that owed much to gospel.