The Statesmen Quartet

Infobox musical artist
Name = The Statesmen Quartet


Img_capt = Hovie Lister & The Statesmen Quartet
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Origin = United States
Genre = Southern Gospel
Years_active = 1948—2001
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No other name is associated with the foundation of the modern day quartet than that of Hovie Lister & the Statesmen Quartet. Names like James 'Big Chief' Wetherington, Denver Crumpler, Jake Hess, Doy Ott, Mosie Lister, 'Rosie' Rozell, Jack Toney and Hovie Lister have all been key contributors in what we know today as “Southern Gospel.”

Their hits spanned many decades, they were the first Gospel artist to receive endorsement deals, they made TV Commercials, appeared on TV shows and they were signed to RCA/Victor before launching their own label with their counterparts “The Blackwood Brothers”

What most Christian artists dream of today, The Statesmen Quartet already accomplished over 50 years ago.

Early years

Formed in 1948 in Atlanta, GA, by piano player Hovie Lister, a Baptist minister and convention-style piano player with a flair for showmanship, "Brother Hovie" envisioned the group as a hand-picked cream-of-the crop grouping. Hovie had been the pianist for the Sand Mountain Quartet in Chattanooga, Tennessee. The original Sand Mountain Quartet began singing in the 1930's in Boaz, Alabama. The personnel of this quartet at the time that Hovie became the pianist was Bobby Strickland, a great tenor from Albertville, Alabama; Erman Slater, from Geraldine, Alabama; Alton Jolley on the lead and Irby Gardner singing bass. Odis B. Moore, from Boaz, had been the pianist and stayed behind as the quartet moved to Chattanooga. There would be other singers from the Sand Mountain area that would play vital roles in the Statesmen Quartet.

The initial Statesmen included lead singer Mosie Lister from Atlanta, Gordon Hill on bass, Bervin Kendrick from Birmingham singing baritone and Bobby Strickland of Albertiville singing the tenor. The quartet made their debut on WCON in Atlanta in October, 1948. Around 1952, Hovie's vision of "the perfect quartet" was realized when the lineup solidified with Denver Crumpler - tenor, Jake Hess - lead, Doy Ott - baritone, James 'Big Chief' Wetherington - bass, and Hovie Lister, piano and master emcee.

The Glory Years

In 1952, the Statesmen entered into a business partnership with The Blackwood Brothers Quartet. The "Stateswood" team would dominate Southern Gospel music for the next two decades.

The popular Cat Freeman, a native of Fyffe, Alabama was replaced by the great Irish tenor Denver Crumpler. With this lineup, the Statesmen began recording for RCA Victor and began starring in the Nabisco Hour national TV show. Popular songs of this period include "Get Away Jordan" and "Happy Rhythm." As early as 1950, the Statesmen used the phrase "Rockin' and rollin'" in a song, and Hovie Lister's frantic boogie woogie piano, piano bench acrobatics, and hair shaken down in his eyes predated Jerry Lee Lewis' use of the same tricks by a good five years.

Elvis: The Statesmen Influence

On 4 July, 1955, the Blackwood/Statesmen team traveled to Texas for an engagement that would feature several secular artists on the same program. Among them was Elvis Presley. Elvis was planning to sing his rock hits, but refrained out of respect of his gospel idols, the Statesmen and Blackwoods. The Statesmen exerted a powerful influence on young Elvis Presley, who idolized and imitated Jake Hess' vocal stylings and Big Chief's leg shaking. In an interview with songwriter Bill Gaither, Hess remembered seeing young Elvis coming to Statesmen shows in Tupelo when Presley was only nine or ten. Hess said that the serious young Elvis would ask him, "How do you make a record?" or "How many suits you got?" On the "Gaither Homecoming" video "Oh My Glory", Jake Hess tells about Elvis coming to Statesmen concerts and being invited up onstage to sing lead in place of Jake on a song or two.

Tragedy and Triumphs

In 1957, Denver Crumpler died in diabetic shock when his symptoms were misdiagnosed as a heart attack. Cat Freeman came back briefly, followed by lyric tenor Roland 'Rosie' Rozell, a soulful singer and former policeman from Oklahoma. The Rosie-Hess-Ott-Chief lineup recorded such classics as "Faith Unlocks The Door" and Rosie's signature tune "Oh What A Savior" and "There's Room at the Cross"

In 1963, Jake Hess left the Statesmen to form his own quartet, Jake Hess and The Imperials.

Hovie tapped young, debonnaire Jack Toney from Boaz, Alabama to replace Hess. Before long, Toney's movie idol looks and powerful voice helped the Statesmen to soldier on without missing a beat. Ironically, Jack Toney would replace Jake Hess on five different occasions in three different decades with the Statesmen and the Masters V.

Bass singer "Big Chief" Wetherington died of a massive heart attack on 3 October 1973 while attending the National Quartet Convention in Nashville. He is buried in a small cemetery just outside Atlanta, Georgia.

Hovie Lister died on December 27, 2001, at the age of 73. He is buried in Decatur Georgia.

Jack Toney died April 15th, 2004 at the age of 70 and is buried near Boaz, Alabama at Whitesboro Baptist Church.

Jake Hess died January 4, 2004 at the age of 78. He is buried in Columbus, Georgia.

Rosie Rozell died in 1994 at the age of 68. He is buried in Trussville, Alabama.

The Later Years

Later incarnations of the Statesmen would include tenors Sherrill 'Shaun' Nielson, Willie Wynn, and Johnny Cook; lead singers Roy McNeil and Jim Hill; baritones Chris Hess (Jake's son), Biney English and Rick Fair; and bass singers Ray Burdette, Bob Caldwell and Doug Young. Over the years, Jake Hess, Jack Toney, Doy Ott and Rosie Rozell would rejoin the Statesmen at various times, most notably a couple years after Chief's death when Lister brought back Rozell, Jake Hess, and Doy Ott as "The Statesmen" sans bass. A comical pairing of this classic Statesmen "trio" with longtime Blackwood Brothers/Stamps Quartet bass singer J.D. Sumner at the 1977 National Quartet Convention in Nashville was the birth of the Masters V Quartet, which would include, in its classic lineup, Rosie Rozell, James Blackwood, Jake Hess, J.D. Sumner, and Hovie Lister. The Statesmen's influence lives on in some of today's most popular quartets, such as The Dove Brothers, and Ernie Haase and Signature Sound.

Members

*Hovie Lister: Pianist, Vocalist & Founder
*Gordon Hill: Bass
*Bervin Kendrick: Baritone
*Mosie Lister: Lead
*Bobby Strickland: Tenor
*Jake Hess: Lead
*Aycel Soward: Bass
*Jim "Big Chief" Wetherington: Bass
*Boyce Hawkins: Pianist
*Troy Posey: Baritone
*Earl Terry: Tenor
*Doy Ott: Pianist/Baritone
*Cat Freeman: Tenor
*Denver Crumpler: Tenor
*Les Robeson: Lead
*Rosie Rozell: Tenor
*Gary McSpadden: Lead
*Jack Toney: Lead
*Roy McNeal: Lead
*Jim Hill: Lead
*Sherril Neilsen: Tenor
*Tim Baty: Bass Guitarist
*Gary Timbs: Lead
*Ray Burdett: Bass
*Kenny Hicks: Bass Guitarist
*Willie Wynn: Tenor
*Elmer Cole: Lead
*Wayne Little: Tenor
*Chris Hess: Baritone
*David Will: Lead
*Ed Hill: Baritone
*Buddy Burton : Lead
*Tommy Thompson: Bass
*Jake Robinson: Bass Guitarist
*Vep Ellis: Bass Guitarist
*Richard Coletrane: Baritone
*Roy Pauley: Bass
*Bob Caldwell: Bass
*Johnny Cook: Tenor
*Biney English: Baritone
*Jerry Candler: Baritone
*Stacey Bragg: Bass
*Mike LoPrinzi: Baritone
*Wallace Nelms: Tenor
*Nick Val: Bass
*Doug Young: Bass
*Rick Fair: Baritone
*Gene Miller: Tenor

Discography

*1957 "The Statesmen Quartet with Hovie Lister"
*1958 "The Statesmen Quartet Sings with Hovie Lister"
*1958 "The Bible Told Me So" (RCA LPM 1683)
*1959 "Hymns"
*1959 "I’ll Meet You By the River" (RCA LSP 2065)
*1959 "Get Away Jordan"
*1960 "Mansion Over the Hilltop" (RCA LSP 2127)
*1960 "On Stage" (RCA LSP 2188)
*1960 "Something To Shout About"
*1960 "Encores"
*1960 "Peace, O Lord"
*1960 "Statesmen Blackwood Favorites"
*1961 "Out West" (RCA LSP 2281)
*1961 "Through the States" (RCA LSP 2351)
*1962 "Stop, Look & Listen for the Lord"
*1962 "Camp-Meeting Hymns" (RCA LSP 2440)
*1962 "Singing Time in Dixie" (Skylight SRLP 6000)
*1963 "The Mystery of His Way" (RCA LSP 2546)
*1963 "Message in the Sky" (RCA Camden CAL-743)
*1963 "A Gospel Concert"
*1964 "Hovie Lister Sings with His Famous Statesmen Qt." (RCA LSP 2790)
*1964 "Hovie Lister Spotlights Doy Ott" (RCA LSP 2864)
*1964 "Songs Of Faith" (RCA Camden CAL 843)
*1965 "The Best Of" (RCA LSP-2933)
*1964 "Doris Akers & The Statesmen Sing for You"
*1965 "The Sensational Statesmen Quartet" (RCA LSP 2989)
*1965 "Sings the Golden Gospel Songs" (RCA LSP 3392)
*1965 "All Day Sing & Dinner on the Ground"
*1966 "The Happy Sound" (RCA LSP 3494)
*1966 "Sings the Gospel Gems"
*1967 "In Gospel Country" (RCA LSP 3703)
*1967 "My God is Real" (RCA Camden CAL/CAS 2151)
*1967 "Showers of Blessing" (RCA LSP 3815)
*1968 "Sing Brother Sing" (RCA LSP 3888)
*1968 "Hits of the Decade"
*1968 "Happy Land"
*1968 "The Best of the Statesmen Volume 2" (RCA SLP 3925)
*1968 "God Loves American People" (Skylite SLP 6070)
*1968 "Standing on the Promises"
*1969 "Taller Than Trees" (RCA Camden CAS 2314)
*1969 "Thanks to Calvary" (Skylite SLP 6080)
*1969 "New Sounds Today" (Skylite SLP 6090)
*1970 "No Greater Love" (RCA Camden CAS 2419)
*1970 "Featuring…"
*1970 "The Common Man"
*1971 "Put Your Hand in the Hand" (Skylite SLP 6110)
*1972 "Keep On Smiling"
*1972 "Hits of the Decade"
*1972 "Hits of the Decade Vol. 2" (Chime 605, Artistic 20711)
*1972 "They That Sow" (Skylite SLP 6120)
*1973 "I Believe in Jesus"
*1973 "In Memory Of “Big Chief” Jim Wetherington & Denver “Crump” Crumpler (Lord, I Want to Go to Heaven)" (CAM LPS-1407)
*1973 "Time to Remember"
*1974 "Ain’t That What It’s All About"
*1974 "Precious Memories"
*1974 "Feature Doy Ott"
*1977 "The Legendary Statesmen Return"
*1977 "Gospel Songs Elvis Loved"
*1977 "Get Away Jordan"
*1978 "His Love Put a Song in My Heart"
*1978 "Oh What a Savior" (Skylite SLP 6190)
*1979 "Gospel Gems" (Skylite SLP 6200)
*1979 "Hovie Lister & The Sensational Statesmen"
*1980 "He is Here" (Skylite SLP 6235)
*1981 "Sweet Beulah Land"
*1985 "The Magnificent Masters V Sing Sensational Statesmen Hits (Skylite SLP 6345)
*1992 "I Surrender All"
*1992 "The Bible Told Me So"
*1992 "Get Away Jordan"
*1992 "Jubilee’s A Coming"
*1992 "Revival"
*1992 "O What a Savior"
*1993 "O My Lord What a Time"
*1997 "Hovie Lister & The Statesmen"
*1998 "Still Sensational"
*1999 "You Can't Shake the Rock"
*2000 "Even So Come"

*Unknown Year "Precious Old Book" (Temple 8503)
*Unknown Year "Faith Unlocks the Door" (Temple 8522)
*Unknown Year "How Great Thou Art" (Skylite 6294)

External links

* [http://www.sghistory.com/index.php?n=Main.Statesmen Sghistory.com]
* [http://www.grandolegospelreunion.com/sg-101/statesmen_nabisco.htm]