B is for Babies #AtoZChallenge

 B is for Babies and we were Blessed with four to raise to adulthood!

First-born son Jared, just after first haircut.

First-born daughter Laynie with her Papa Jim.

Second born son Davey, now a Marine!

3rd born daughter Maggie, the baby child!

B is also for Birthday.  Today would be my Grandma Spence's 100th birthday!  

Happy Heavenly Birthday, Grandma!

Grandma Maggie Spence

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B is for Bass and Big Chief

Since the advent of the gospel music quartet, there have been some amazingly awesome bass singers. Among the best in Southern gospel music were George Younce (1930-2005), J. D. Sumner (1924-1998) and last, but certainly not least, is my all-time favorite - James "Big Chief" Wetherington of the Statesmen Quartet.

The Big Chief was a Georgia boy, born in Ty Ty, Georgia, on Halloween 1922. He joined the Statesmen Quartet in 1949 and was with them until his untimely death at age 50 on 3 October 1973. He died in his hotel room of a massive heart attack at the National Quartet Convention in Nashville, Tennessee.

An interesting bit of trivia that you may not already know is that it is from James Wetherington that Elvis Presley got his famous leg shaking. Elvis idolized the Statesmen. He modeled his singing after the style of the Statesmen lead singer Jake Hess, who you'll learn more about in a later post.

Here are two videos in which you can hear why he is considered one of the best bass voices ever!

Rock of Ages

How Great Thou Art

Sources:
http://findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=52853832
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Statesmen_Quartet

A to Z April Challenge: B is for Birthdays

Which month is a very popular birthday month in your family?

April is one of the most birthday-filled months in our extended family. In our most immediate family, June earns the title of most birthdays as my husband, oldest son, youngest daughter, and late sister-in-law were born in June.

All of our grandmothers except for one had April birthdays. Here are our April grandmas, oldest to youngest:

Ruby Fowler McClendon was born 29 April 1910.










Maggie Pressley Spence was born 2 April 1917. Happy birthday, Grandma!
Grandma also went back home to our Heavenly Father 18 April 1993.

Evelyn Floree Fowler Gunter was born 14 April 1921.