Hovie Lister was born in Greenville, South Carolina, on 17 September 1926. He learned to play the piano as a child and accompanied his father and uncles and various other singing groups throughout his early years.
In 1948, Hovie started The Statesmen Quartet. He played piano but also sang with them on occasion. The Statesmen Quartet was active from 1948 until they permanently disbanded in 2001.
Hovie is what I call a "boogie boy". He didn't just sit at the piano and play it calmly. He was a wild child, sometimes almost manic looking, as he played. Who could sit calmly by as he played like that? Not me!
He was also a Baptist minister. I don't know about how it goes in your Baptist churches, but if Hovie's services went anything like his piano playing, I can't imagine anybody falling asleep during them!
Hovie was a veteran of the Korean War and died of Lymphoblastic Leukemia on 28 December 2001.
Here is one of the few videos that we've seen where Hovie performs as a singer with the group instead of playing the piano. I am assuming that Doy Ott is playing the piano for this one as Hovie is singing in Doy's usual position.
The Old Landmark
Sources:
Find a Grave
Wikipedia - The Statesmen Quartet
Posts
Having a lively piano player in a Baptist church makes the services more electrifying. Some would like and some wouldn't, but it would certainly keep the folks awake. lol I wonder if Lister is a form of Lester? Do you know? Good "L" post!
ReplyDelete~Curious as a Cathy
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I think the Baptist churches that I have been in would freak if Hovie got a hold of their piano. haha I grew up Pentecostal Holiness and Church of God...I love it!
DeleteIt could be a form of Lester, but I don't know. I know that most names have multiple variants. Like for the surname Pressley in my family there is Pressley, Presley, Pressly, Priestly, Presslar, and many others. It makes for some interesting research moments, that's for sure!
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Yep - they sure were enthusiastic. I remember our singing teacher at school calling out to us to smile when we were singing. She reckoned it made you sing better. I think she was right. Poor woman. Trying to encourage 500 reluctant teenagers to sing - teenagers who would rather die than be caught singing. What a job! Act enthusiastic and you'll be enthusiastic my mother always said. She was right.
ReplyDeleteWow! I can't imagine being a teacher to 500 students. When a person is smiling, you can hear it in their voice. I think your teacher was right, too. A happy singer is a great singer...regardless of their singing ability.
DeleteI would tend to agree with your mother. Enthusiasm can be catching/contagious.
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