Jake Hess
| Jake Hess | |
|---|---|
Jake Hess (second right) with the Imperials, 1966
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Manchild Hess |
| Born |
December 24, 1927 Limestone County, Alabama, United States |
| Died | January 4, 2004 (aged 76) Opelika, Alabama |
| Genres | Southern gospel |
| Years active | 1945–2003 |
| Associated acts | The Statesmen Quartet, The Imperials, The Masters V, Old Friends Quartet |
Jake Hess (December 24, 1927 – January 4, 2004) was an American Grammy Award-winning southern gospel singer.
The son of "a sharecropper who was a shape-note singing-school teacher," Hess was born in Mt. Pisgah, near Athens, in Limestone County, Alabama. His parents were Stovall and Lydia Hess. He was the youngest of 12 children.
Hess's entry on the Encyclopedia of Alabama's website says of his name: "His parents did not officially name him, so the attending physician entered his name as 'Man Child' Hess in official documents."
When he registered with the draft board in Lincoln, Nebraska, he gave his name as "William Jesse Hess." In 1997, when Hess was preparing to get a passport to travel overseas, he discovered that his birth certificate actually read Manchild Hess. His son, Jake Jr., named his recording company Manchild Records in honor of his father.
Hess' career started at the age of 16, when he joined the popular John Daniel Quartet in 1943, making his recorded debut on "Just a Prayer Away". (He had previously sung with Louie Auten and the Tennessee Valley Boys.) After that, he sang with three of his brothers as the Hess Brothers Quartet. He also sang with the Sunny South Quartet and their rival, the Melody Masters Quartet. In the latter part of his life, Hess sang with The Old Friends Quartet which was featured on the Bill Gaither Homecoming videos.
Hess sang lead with the Statesmen Quartet from 1948 until 1963. Their recordings included projects long-term with RCA Victor. In 1977-1978 Hess reunited with the surviving members of The Statesmen Quartet, Hovie Lister, Doy Ott, and Rosie Rozell to record three projects, including "Songs Elvis Loved". The reunited Statesmen had sung at Elvis' funeral. In the fall of 1980, Hess, Lister, Rozell, assembled a new group with James Blackwood and J.D. Sumner, as a result the southern gospel group the Masters V was born. They toured from 1981 until 1988 when illnesses prompted several of the members to retire from full-time singing.
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