J. D. Sumner
| J. D. Sumner | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | John Daniel Sumner |
| Born |
November 19, 1924 Lakeland, Florida, United States |
| Died | November 16, 1998 (aged 73) Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, U.S. |
| Genres | Southern gospel |
| Occupation(s) | Bass singer |
| Instruments | Vocals |
| Years active | 1945–1998 |
| Associated acts | J. D. Sumner and the Stamps, Elvis Presley, The Blackwood Brothers, Richard Sterban, Dave Rowland, The Masters V, Jerry Lee Lewis |
| Website | jdsumner |
John Daniel "J. D." Sumner (November 19, 1924 – November 16, 1998) was an American gospel singer, songwriter, and music promoter noted for his bass voice, and his innovation in the Christian and Gospel music fields. Sumner sang in 5 quartets and was a member of the Blackwood Brothers during their 1950s heyday. Aside from his incredibly low bass voice, Sumner's business acumen helped promote Southern Gospel and move it into the mainstream of American culture and music during the '50s and '60s.
J. D. Sumner first sang with The Sunny South Quartet from 1945 to 1949. The quartet was headquartered in Tampa, Florida and was sponsored by the Dixie Lily Flour Company. In 1949, Sunny South manager Horace Floyd relocated the quartet to Orlando, but Sumner stayed behind in Tampa where he maintained the sponsorship and started a new group, the Dixie Lily Harmoneers, which he sang with for a few months.
Later in 1949, J. D. Sumner left the Dixie Lily Harmoneers and moved up to Atlanta, Georgia, where he joined the Sunshine Boys. They split their time between Atlanta and Wheeling, West Virginia with the occasional trip to Hollywood to sing in Western movies. The lineup of Fred Daniel on tenor, Ed Wallace on lead, Ace Richman on baritone, and J. D. on bass continued on for five years until June 30, 1954.
On June 30, 1954, tragedy struck the Blackwood Brothers Quartet when a disastrous test run in their private plane cost the lives of baritone R. W. Blackwood and bass singer Bill Lyles. J. D. Sumner was immediately hired by the Blackwood Brothers to sing with them to replace Lyles. Cecil Blackwood joined at the same time to replace his brother R. W. on baritone. J. D. sang with the Blackwood Brothers Quartet from 1954 until 1965. While he was with the Blackwoods, Sumner brought the idea of traveling cross country in a tour bus rather than flying, and was the first professional musical group to do so in any genre. He also established the National Quartet Convention along with James Blackwood to showcase the various quartets in the industry and the convention became an annual festival and mainstay in the industry that continues to this day. It was also during this time he met Elvis Presley. Presley had wanted to try out for the baritone spot with the Blackwoods, but Sumner steered him away from it, and it would not be long before Presley signed with Sun Records and became a full-time rock and roll performer, but would still perform gospel songs throughout the rest of career and his life.
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