2003

SG History 101 - Rangers Quartet

For an added history lesson this month, I would like to encourage you all to visit the message boards and check the "Top 40 Bass Singers of All Time" countdown. Alan Kendall has done a fabulous job with his biographies of the "Top 40 Bass Singers of All Time" as voted by the fans of the SoGospelNews web site. Thanks, Alan, for a job well done!

When I consider the focus for these monthly "history lessons", I attempt to make it relevant to the current news in the gospel singing world. The subject is the Rangers Quartet. Recently, a very deserving member of the Rangers Quartet, Marion Snyder, was elected to the SGMA Hall of Fame. Also, Jimmy Jones, another former Ranger, is in the hospital following major surgery. Please keep them both in your prayers as you remember their accomplishments in gospel music.

During the Depression Era of the 1930's, Vernon Hyles, Arnold Hyles, George Hughes and Walter Leverette formed a quartet that soon became known as the Texas Rangers. Vernon sang lead and played the guitar. George Hughes was a fine tenor, and Walter Leverette was a very smooth baritone singer. The showcase of the group was "The World’s Lowest Basso Profundo" Arnold Hyles. Arnold’s voice was loud and rough. It made for a unique sounding quartet with a very heavy sound. The group drew large crowds and was soon commissioned as honorary Texas Rangers. They were also denoted as "Ambassadors of Good Will" for the state of Texas. After a few years of touring, the name was shortened to "The Rangers".

The Rangers were master showmen. As their reputation began to grow, they began traveling outside of Texas. In keeping with their master showmanship, they decided to ride bicycles from Texas to New York City to perform on "The Major Bowles Amateur Hour". The bicycle riding didn’t last long, as they began to perform in towns throughout the country. The trip to New York was soon forgotten, and the Rangers were drawing large crowds and making an excellent living doing what they loved . . . SINGING!

George Hughes left the group in 1938 and subsequently joined the Swanee River Boys. Denver Crumpler was hired to sing the tenor part, and the popularity of the group continued to grow. Denver took over the guitar playing and brought a clear Irish tenor voice to the group that became part of their trademark sound. Denver’s lyric tenor and Arnold Hyles’ bottomless bass were the anchors for one of the finest quartets in that era. Walter Leverette and Vernon Hyles were both excellent musicians with extraordinary ranges, and they complimented the outside parts quite nicely. The Rangers began to incorporate intricate harmonies and key changes in their music that many groups of that era could only dream about.

In the late 1930's, the Rangers moved from WHAS radio in Louisville, Kentucky to WBT radio in Charlotte, North Carolina. Shortly after moving to North Carolina, the Rangers decided to hire their first pianist: new SGMA Hall of Fame member Marion Snyder. He brought excellent piano skills to the group and was a master showman himself.

Around this time, the Rangers were responsible for many innovations in the gospel singing field. They signed a recording contract with Decca records in 1939 and recorded a number of songs for both Decca and Okeh with only Denver’s guitar as accompaniment.

They were the first quartet to have a commercially sponsored gospel radio network program. The Rangers were also the first gospel quartet to become a full time group completely on their own. They did not supplement their income with side jobs or songbook sales. They were professional gospel music entertainers! Other groups soon followed the Rangers lead for the Rangers quickly found out that they could be more prosperous by associating themselves with radio stations that would allow them to book their own concerts and advertise their programs on the air. As was typical in that era, their programs featured a mixture of hymns, gospel, pop, and Western tunes.

The Rangers left Charlotte in 1945 and moved to radio station WWVA in Wheeling, West Virginia. Marion Snyder had left the group earlier and was replaced by Charles Friar. Soon thereafter, WBT hired Larry Walker as staff pianist and he began playing for the Rangers. When they moved to Wheeling, Denver again pulled out the guitar and the Rangers added even more western and cowboy songs to their repritore. The Rangers made a short move to Richmond, Virginia where they procured the services of Lee Roy Abernathy as pianist. Lee Roy soon convinced them to move to Atlanta, Georgia. Professor Abernathy’s comments about the Rangers were this: "I decided to hunt the world’s finest quartet, and play the piano for them just to advertise my piano course by mail. I decided upon the Rangers who were singing on WRVA in Richmond, Virginia. I played with them for fifteen months before they fired me . . . "

While working in Atlanta, they recorded four songs for RCA Victor. WBT in Charlotte again asked the Rangers to rejoin their station, and in 1947, the Rangers again moved to Charlotte. Although Lee Roy says they "fired him" other accounts say that he didn’t want to leave the Atlanta area, so Hovie Lister left the Homeland Harmony Qt. to join the Rangers in Charlotte. During Hovie’s short tenure with the Rangers, they recorded four songs for Bullet Records, one being a solo by Hovie Lister. Hovie became the first member of the group to record a solo.

Hovie didn’t care for the Charlotte area either, so he soon moved back to Atlanta opening the seat on the piano bench to another future Statesman, Doy Ott. When Doy joined the Rangers, he was known as a pianist and not a vocalist. The Rangers then did a tour of duty at WIBW in Topeka, Kansas.

When Doy Ott left the quartet in May of 1949, David Reece, formerly with the Blue Ridge Quartet, became their pianist. On June 1, 1949, baritone Walter Leverette succumbed to a heart attack, and the Rangers were forced to make their first personnel change in vocalists in more than ten years. Ermon Slater from Sand Mountain, Alabama became the new baritone. Slater has previously sung with the Harmoneers. The Rangers soon moved to WPTF in Raleigh, NC. That particular group began their own "Record of the Month" club which they distributed under their own "Rangers" label.

Tragedy again struck the Rangers in early 1951 when Arnold Hyles and Ermon Slater were involved in an automobile accident and were hit by a drunk driver. Slater was killed instantly, and Hyles was severely injured. Arnold was out of action for many months, as the doctors gave him little hope for survival.

Although Vernon then considered disbanding the group, the hospital bills were mounting up. Jimmy Jones joined the group six days after the accident, and the Rangers continued as a four-man group with David Reece playing the piano and singing baritone. Jimmy did a very admirable job in filling the spot of one of the greatest bass singers in gospel music history. That particular group soon moved to Dallas, Texas to work for the Liberty Broadcasting System. The Rangers continued to thrive. At one time the Rangers were heard on more than 450 radio stations from coast to coast.

After a long period of recuperation, Arnold Hyles began making selected appearances with the quartet singing a few songs, but he wasn’t up to full time singing. For these performances, he would be in a wheelchair, for his injuries hadn’t fully healed. Arnold lived in constant pain for the remainder of his life.

Personnel changes were few and far between with the Rangers until 1953. Then, David Reece left the group and was replaced by Cecil Pollock. Glenn Sessions joined the group as a sixth member, filling in both at lead and baritone. Jimmy Jones moved to baritone when Arnold would return to the group, and switch back to bass when Arnold couldn’t make the dates. The last change in 1953 occurred at the same time when Jimmy Jones left to form the Deep South Quartet and Denver Crumpler left to join the Statesmen. Denver was replaced by Gene Moss, a great tenor from the Stamps-Baxter Quartet.

The Rangers decided to pursue a move to Hollywood. Cecil Pollock remained in Texas and was replaced by pianist Elmer Childress. Glenn Sessions soon moved back to Texas, and was replaced by Ralph Dailey. After a short time in California, the Rangers moved to Wichita, Kansas. Dailey remained in California, and Childress did double duty as pianist and baritone vocalist. The Rangers disbanded shortly thereafter, closing the career of one of the most successful and innovative quartets in gospel music history.

SG History 101 - Homeland Harmony Quartet

Recent personnel changes in gospel music have become a hot topic both on the email talk list and the message boards. The following historical account of this quartet shows us that personnel changes are not new to current gospel groups. This quartet had more than forty members during its storied career, not including members that had more than one tenure with the group!

The name "Homeland Harmony Quartet" was first used in connection with a singing group in 1935 when Otis McCoy, Doyle Blackwood, Fred C. Maples, and B.C. Robinson organized the quartet. They were originally formed as a part of the Church of God Bible Training School ministry. The group had a major reorganization effort at the end of World War II. The new group was organized in 1943, and for a few months the personnel consisted of Eva Mae LeFevre, Otis McCoy, James McCoy, and B.C. Robinson. When Urias LeFevre returned from the military service, Eva Mae rejoined him in the LeFevre Trio and Connor Hall became the tenor for the Homeland Harmony Quartet . . . a title he would retain until his death in 1992.

circa 1943 Connor Hall, Otis McCoy, James McCoy, Big Jim Waits Hovie Lister

The Homeland Harmony quickly developed a style all its own. On stage, they had a unique sound built around high harmonies and unusual arrangements. Before this time, most quartets sang their songs from the latest song books, almost note for note as written. The Homeland Harmony Quartet was famous for using more difficult arrangements that most other groups of their day. They sang with harmony that was unsurpassed by groups of their day. Much of this was due to Connor Hall’s desire for perfection. His ear could detect the slightest pitch variance, and he was perhaps the finest tenor in regards to harmony to ever sing gospel music.

Connor had strong ties to the Church of God. He acquired the name "Homeland Harmony" from the Tennessee Music and Printing Co. and moved the group to Atlanta, Ga. Soon after Hall joined the group, he enlisted the services of a young teenager, Hovie Lister, to play the piano and hired another future member of the gospel music Hall of Fame: bass singer Big Jim Waits. Soon thereafter, lead singer Otis McCoy left the Homeland Harmony Quartet in Atlanta and returned to the Tennessee Music and Printing Company in Cleveland, Tennessee.

circa 1950 Connor Hall, Paul Stringfellow, James McCoy, Jim Waits Wally Varner

Through the years, Connor Hall remained as the only tenor singer for the quartet, but the group faced many other personnel changes. James McCoy was also a mainstay in the group singing baritone for the Homeland Harmony Quartet until the quartet retired as a full time entity in 1957.

In 1947, Hall and McCoy were joined by Lee Roy Abernathy, Shorty Bradford, and A.D.Soward to form one of their finest quartet aggregations. This group created a great deal of controversy when they recorded Lee Roy’s new song, "Everybody’s Gonna Have a Wonderful Time Up There". The quartet released the song on White Church Records, and it became a great hit for them. It soon became known as "The Gospel Boogie", much to the dismay of many conservative religious leaders who often booked the quartet for singing conventions and worship services. The song was soon to become of the biggest sellers in gospel music history. Soon, many versions of the song were being released. Nearly ten years later, Pat Boone recorded a version of the song that charted quite well on the Billboard charts.

circa 1956 Connor Hall, Rex Nelon, James McCoy, Jack Clark Jim Cole

This particular group lasted long enough to make some fine recordings, mostly of Lee Roy Abernathy compositions, and they generated a large fan following. Lee Roy and Shorty were never with a quartet for a long period of time, performing instead as the Happy Two -- the worlds only two man quartet. When they vacated the Homeland Harmony Quartet, Paul Stringfellow left the Harmoneers to sing lead with the Homeland Harmony Quartet and Reece "Rocket" Crockett joined as pianist. A string of pianists, lead singers and bass singers joined forces with Hall and McCoy in the next few years. Many of the groups in the Atlanta area seemed to trade members much like a major league baseball team!

The Homeland Harmony Quartet was a model quartet for training young singers. Excellent musical skills were a necessity for joining this quartet. Most of their arrangements were written out on paper, leaving nothing to chance. The Homeland Harmony Quartet had daily radio programs on several major stations in the South such as WAGA and WGST on which they performed their latest recordings in addition to sight singing from the latest song books. They were tremendous musicians, all having attended many years of singing schools and singing conventions.

circa 1953 Wally Varner, James McCoy, Connor Hall, Wayne Groce, Johnny Atkinson

Among the notable pianists that accompanied this fine group were Wally Varner, Doy Ott, Randy Jones, Jack Clark, Livy Freeman, and Dickie Mathews. Lead singers included Bob Shaw, Harold Lane, Jim Cole, Wayne Groce, Tommy Rainer, and Fred Elrod. The bass position was a virtual "Who’s Who" and included Big Jim Waits (at least twice), A.D. Soward (at least twice), Johnny Atkinson, George Younce, London Parris, Johnny Hamrick, Bill Curtis and Rex Nelon. At one time, Lee Roy Abernathy also sang bass for the quartet! In later years, Jimi Hall and J.L. Steele sang baritone in the quartet.

The Homeland Harmony performed until the late 1950's when they retired as a full time group. Uncle Sam had claimed several of the younger members, James McCoy was experiencing some health concerns, so Connor Hall disbanded the group and went to work behind the scenes in the gospel music field.

The Homeland Harmony Quartet was responsible for several "firsts" in gospel music.

The Homeland Harmony Quartet was temporarily out of service until the early 1960's when they reformed as a part time group with only one former member: Connor Hall. Connor was asked to record a solo album for Sing Records, but he wanted the Homeland Harmony in the studio with him. He called on several quartet veterans to join him in this new version of the Homeland Harmony Quartet. Connor procured two former Harmoneers, Jimi Hall and Fred Elrod, to sing the inside parts. Dickie Mathews, formerly with several groups including the Deep South Quartet and Crusaders, played the piano and newcomer Bill Curtis sang bass. This group didn’t join the quartet circuit, but recorded two fine albums and made a few select live appearances.

circa 1951 Connor Hall, Bob Shaw, Doy Ott, James McCoy, Jim Waits

In 1968, Jack Clark and JL Steele joined Bill Curtis, Fred Elrod, and Connor Hall and formed a part time Homeland Harmony Quartet that lasted for many years. The group wasn’t extremely active in the quartet scene, but they enjoyed singing with each other and continued to make wonderful quartet music both in the studio and in selected programs. Unlike many groups of this type, the Homeland Harmony Quartet never rested on their hits from the past and continued to learn and perform new material in addition to Homeland Harmony hits from the past.

Connor Hall had a natural clear tenor voice. His ear for music was superb. In 1961, Hall entered a long, productive career as Music Editor of the Tennessee Music and Printing Company-one of the most important publishers and preservers of shape-note materials in the South. He was also the president of Sing Music Company. He was the first choice for the tenor position in the Masters V, even though he was quite a bit older than the other members. Proper singing kept Mr. Hall’s voice strong and clear even as his age approached the mid-70's.

The Homeland Harmony Quartet was responsible for several "firsts" in gospel music. They were the first gospel quartet to be featured on a radio network of fifty-five stations. They were also the first quartet to appear on television as they were on the South’s first telecast on WAGA-TV in Atlanta, Georgia. The quartet in conjunction with Lee Roy Abernathy, were the first gospel group to produce sheet music. They were also cosponsors, with the Rangers Quartet of the world’s first all-night gospel concert held in Atlanta, Ga.

There are eight former members of the Homeland Harmony Quartet in the Southern Gospel Music Association Hall of Fame, and several other former members that are quite deserving of induction. Eight former members have received the Living Legend Award at the Grand Ole Gospel Reunion. Seven former members have been inducted in the Gospel Music Piano Roll of Honor. That is a wonderful legacy for an outstanding group from the past.

It was my pleasure to hear Mr. Hall sing "The Love of God" not long before his death. His voice was crystal clear, and it was obvious he had experienced the love of God that he sang about so wonderfully.

The Homeland Harmony Quartet was a model of quartet perfection due to their continual desire to improve their craft. They left a wonderful legacy for other quartets to follow.