Z is for Żegnaj

" Żegnaj" is the Polish word for "good-bye". We're at the end of this challenge and it has been great!

I have looked everywhere for a clear recording of "the perfect quartet" singing Goodbye, World, Goodbye. I have not been able to find one. However, I did find this later version of The Statesmen Quartet. I believe that it is Hovie Lister on the piano as he was one of the very last remaining Statesmen. I can very clearly hear Jake Hess as lead. I do not know who the others are in this version.

Goodbye, World, Goodbye

Now, as I type this in April 2016, all of the greats of the perfect quartet are singing around that Heavenly piano, all together again.

Denver Crumpler 1912-1957
Jim "Big Chief" Wetherington 1922-1973
Doy Ott 1919-1986
Hovie Lister 1926-2001
Jake Hess 1927-2004

"The Perfect Quartet"

The Statesmen Quartet sing "May the Good Lord Bless You"

Rest in peace, guys! I can't wait to hear you in person!

X is for Extra Strong

This song is about one of the strongest men in the Bible and his downfall, Samson. This Statesmen lineup consists of Jim "Big Chief" Wetherington, who wrote the song; Rosie Rozell (tenor); Jack Toney (lead); and Doy Ott (baritone).

Samson was fascinated by the woman Delilah and she would be his undoing. Once he told her where his strength lay, she orchestrated his fall. But, he did not go down alone. He had one last stand, as they say.

Samson

W is for Where No One Stands Alone

This is the perfect quartet, Denver, Jake, Doy, and Chief. This song was recorded at some point between 1953 and early 1957. I can't pin down the exact date, but Denver (tenor) was only with the group during this time frame. He died unexpectedly of diabetic complications on 21 March 1957.

This is one of the few that I've seen with Doy getting a solo. He shines in this one. Denver and Jake also get solo moments. Chief doesn't get one this go round, but he does get them on a fairly regular basis in other songs.

Where No One Stands Alone

V is for RCA Victor

The Statesmen Quartet recorded more than 30 albums with the record label RCA Victor. They signed on with RCA Victor in 1954, not long after Denver Crumpler replaced Cat Freeman as tenor. One of the more popular songs of the many they had during this time was "Happy Rhythm".

The Statesmen Quartet was with RCA Victor for about 15 years. This union greatly added to their marketing abilities and, thanks to additional studio musicians, improved their recording quality. Their music was now sold throughout America as well as elsewhere.

And now, it is available to us on YouTube. I am happy for that!

Here are two songs that they recorded on the RCA Victor label.

Will the Circle Be Unbroken

Just a Little While

Sources:
Wikipedia - The Statesmen Quartet
Grand Ole Gospel Reunion - The Statesmen Quartet

U is for Unique

The Statesmen Quartet had a unique sound that many tried to recreate, but you can't duplicate perfection. I've heard it said that it would be years before anyone could really compete with their sound. In my opinion, there's still no competition. No one else has achieved their style and class. Yes, there have been other great gospel music groups over the years, but no one will ever top The Statesmen Quartet, especially their perfect grouping of Denver Crumpler, Jake Hess, Doy Ott, and Jim "Big Chief" Wetherington along with Hovie Lister.

Up Above My Head

T is for Toney, Jack

Jack Toney first became the lead singer of The Statesmen Quartet after Jake Hess left to form the Imperials in 1963. He would rejoin the Statesmen several other times over the years. Jack sang with several other groups over the years. A few of the other groups that he sang with are: John Hull and the Joymakers; The Prophets; The Dixie Echoes; The Southmen Quartet; Gadsden Ambassadors; Rosie Rozell and the Searchers; and the Masters V.

Jack was a well-known songwriter, writing over 600 songs, such as:

I Will Rise Up From My Grave - Click here to hear the Kingsmen sing this song.
God Must Have Sent Down an Angel - Click here to hear the Statesmen sing this song.
Jesus Is Coming for Me - Click here to hear the Kingsmen sing this song.

Jack had two signature songs that he brought with him to The Statesmen Quartet. They were "Ship Ahoy" and "Beyond the Gates". Here is Jack singing "Beyond the Gates." I could see Hovie Lister (the Statesmen) in the audience, as well as Glenn Payne (of the Cathedrals). I also thought that I saw Roger Bennett (the Cathedrals) and Rosie Rozell (the Statesmen).



Here is The Statesmen Quartet - Rosie Rozell, Jack Toney, Doy Ott, Jim "Big Chief" Wetherington, and Hovie Lister - singing "Ship Ahoy".

Ship Ahoy

Jack passed away 15 April 2004.

Sources
Wikipedia - The Statesmen
Find a Grave
Grand Ole Gospel Reunion - Statesmen
Grand Ole Gospel Reunion Jack Toney
Singing News Radio - The Jack Toney Story
Southern Gospel History - Jack Toney
The Complete History of the Dixie Echoes - Jack Toney

R is for Rozell, Roland "Rosie"

When Denver Crumpler unexpectedly passed away in early 1957, Cat Freeman came back to the group as the tenor. He stayed until sometime in 1958, when "Rosie" Rozell came to be the tenor. Rosie is the one in whom I've seen the most changes over the years. While he had a fine tenor voice at the beginning of his time with The Statesmen, his is one voice that got even better as he aged.

Here is an older Rosie singing his signature song, Oh What a Savior. I say older, but he was at most 45 years old at the time this was recorded. I don't know what year it was recorded, but Big Chief (bass) is still there, so it is before 3 October 1973.

Rosie sings it with such feeling and peace. Do you agree?

Oh What a Savior

Sources

Wikipedia - The Statesmen

Q is for Quintessential

The Oxford dictionary defines quintessential as:

Representing the most perfect or typical example of a quality or class: he was the quintessential tough guy—strong, silent, and self-contained

Quintessential would be the perfect description of The Statesmen Quartet. The years between 1953 and 1957 had The Statesmen Quartet at their absolute finest. They were seen as the perfect quartet with Denver Crumpler as tenor; Jake Hess as lead; Doy Ott as baritone; and Jim "Big Chief" Wetherington as bass. Hovie Lister was the founder and the pianist. He also sang with them on occasion, making them more a quintet than a quartet at those times. However they did it, it worked.

This group of men is our favorite gospel quartet. They had style and class. They were gentlemen and great encouragers of other singers. Once they were on the scene, it was said that Southern gospel music would never be the same. I believe it. I have heard no one from times before or since that could compare to them.

They suffered a great loss when Denver Crumpler died unexpectedly of diabetic shock on 21 March 1957. But, they recovered and kept on with their singing. The group was devastated yet again when Big Chief Wetherington died of a massive heart attack at the National Quartet Convention on 3 October 1973. A few years after Chief died, Doy Ott left the group. Though The Statesmen Quartet went on for several years after Doy left, it was just never the same again.

Although many groupings of The Statesmen Quartet were great - Rosie Rozell and Jack Toney were great tenor and lead singers - it just never again achieved the quality that it had when it was made up of the personnel of the perfect quartet.

Enjoy this video displaying the quintessential quartet.

Happy Rhythm

Sources:

quintessential. Oxford Dictionaries. Oxford University Press, n.d. Web. 20 April 2016. http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/us/definition/american_english/quintessential.

Wikipedia - The Statesmen

P is for Presley, Elvis

Elvis Presley was a huge fan of The Statesmen Quartet. He saw them sing when he was a child and idolized them to a degree. On at least one occasion, The Statesmen Quartet let him sing with them in the place of Jake Hess for a song or two.

Elvis went on to be a huge star in his own right. But, he got his style from The Statesmen Quartet. His leg shaking came from Jim "Big Chief" Wetherington, the bass for the Statesmen. Elvis patterned his vocal style after Jake Hess, the Statesmen's lead singer, who is said to be his favorite singer.

How Great Thou Art

When Elvis died in August of 1977 (just two days before my twelfth birthday), Jake was asked to sing at his funeral. He sang "Known Only to Him." The following video is Elvis' rendition of the song.  Here is a link to The Statesmen Quartet singing the song as well: Known Only to Him.

Known Only to Him

Sources:
Elvis Australia
Wikipedia - The Statesmen Quartet
Wikipedia - Elvis Presley

O is for Ott, Sgt. Doy Willis

Doy Ott was born 28 April 1919 in the state of Oklahoma. He served as a Sargent  in US Army in World War II.

His first music-related jobs were as the accompanist to various Southern Gospel Music groups such as The Rangers and the Homeland Harmony Quartet. He joined The Statesmen Quartet in 1951 as the piano player while Hovie did his duty for our country in the Korean War. Doy replaced Bervin Kendrick as the baritone once Hovie came back from service.

Doy was also an arranger and composer. One of the songs to his credit is "Wait for Me". It was written when his first wife died.

Wait for Me

Doy is one of the more reserved of The Statesmen Quartet, in my opinion. Both he and Denver Crumpler are refined and dignified. The other guys are goofballs at times and Hovie is a bit manic (but in a good way!). Doy and Denver are as steady as they come, regardless of what the others are up to.

Doy suffered a cerebral hemorrhage and was in a coma for four years before he died on 6 November 1986. He is buried in Roswell, Georgia.

One of These Mornings

Sources:
Find a Grave
Wikipedia - The Statesmen

N is for It is No Secret

Jake Hess left The Statesmen Quartet in 1963 to form his own group, The Imperials. The original Imperials were: Jake Hess, lead; Sherrill Neilsen, tenor: Gary McSpadden, baritone; and Armond Morales, bass. The pianist was Henry Slaughter.

If you've noticed Jake in the other videos, he looks very happy, very peppy. I think they all look very sad in this video, including Jake.

David and I often wonder what drove him to leave The Statesmen Quartet. He did this several times, as we understand it.

It is No Secret

Sources:

Wikipedia - The Imperials
Wikipedia - The Statesmen Quartet

M is for Mosie Lister

Mosie Lister was born in Cochran, Georgia, on 8 September 1921. He was one of the original members of The Statesmen Quartet. He was their original lead singer in 1948. There is apparently no relation, other than their association with The Statesmen Quartet, between Mosie and Hovie Lister.

Like Hovie, Mosie was a Baptist minister and also a singer. In addition to being a singer, Mosie was also a songwriter with over 700 songs and arrangements to his credit. His songs have been recorded by many of the great Southern Gospel music groups as well as by individuals such as Elvis Presley and Loretta Lynn.

A few of the songs written by Mosie Lister are:

• Where No One Stands Alone
• Then I Met the Master
• His Hand in Mine

Thomas Mosie Lister, a US Navy WWII veteran, died at age 93 on 12 February 2015, and is buried in Franklin, Tennessee.

This is an especially moving version of Then I Met the Master with an aging Jake Hess singing. Jake knows he's going Home soon at this point, and it is a very emotional recording.

Then I Met the Master

Sources:

Find a Grave
Wikipedia - The Statesmen Quartet
Wikipedia - Thomas Mosie Lister