George McCurn

George “Ooppee” McCurn was once proclaimed by manufacturer Jerry Moss seeing that “among the very biggest and sought-after bass singers in the gospel field.” Originally from Chicago, McCurn’s earliest recognised professional credit isn’t until 1948 when he became a member of the Kings of Tranquility vocal quartet as an alternative for renowned gospel bassist Isaac “Dickie” Freeman. No recordings of McCurn performing using the Kings of Tranquility are recognized to possess survived, nor or will there be any track on record of the West-coast structured group he briefly became a member of known as the Gospel Harps. In 1950 George McCurn jumped at the opportunity to sign up for the already-famous Fairfield Four, once again changing Freeman, and produced his 1st recordings as their bassist for Dot in Oct of that 12 months. McCurn shows up on all the Fairfield Four’s Dot recordings aside from the 1st dozen roughly, which were made out of Freeman. McCurn remained with the Fairfield Four until it split up in past due 1954, and used this possibility to sign up for another well-established group, The Pilgrim Travelers. By his personal account, McCurn offered five years using the Pilgrim Travelers, touring with them and showing up around the last batches of their Niche recordings, even at night stage when Lou Rawls experienced changed founding tenor Kylo Turner as well as the group was re-christened “The Travelers.” Obtaining himself released from full-time responsibility towards the so-called “Travelers” by 1961, McCurn made a decision to have a break from gospel and became a member of on using the Ink Spots for any Western tour that lasted until November, 1962. Upon his come back McCurn installed in LA with producers Plant Alpert and Jerry Moss and their fledgling A&M record label. In January 1963, McCurn documented his first single single, “I’m Only a Nation Boy”, with Alpert, Moss and arranger Shorty Rogers up to speed. “I’m Only a Nation Boy” was an extremely minor hit, getting into the Billboard Warm 100 at placement # 100 in the month of March 1963. McCurn’s follow-up recording, Nation Boy Would go to City!!!!!, was A&M LP 102, nonetheless it failed to discover an audience. Nation Boy Would go to City!!!!! remains among the scarcest of most albums issued around the A&M label, nonetheless it is also regarded as inordinately obscure and few enthusiasts are even conscious it is present. George McCurn rarely documented afterward, but was employed for occasional periods which needed a deep bass vocalist as a support vocalist; it generally does not show up that he ever came back to performing gospel music. By enough time Don Williams got turned the tune “I’m Only a Nation Boy” right into a bona fide strike in 1977, George McCurn have been from the business for quite a while and was certifiably neglected. McCurn passed away at age group 65 in LA in 1985; among many music artists who praised George McCurn as “the best gospel bassist in the globe” during his leading was performers Jesse Belvin and Sam Cooke. Neither of these will be around to mourn George McCurn at his transferring.