J.D. Sumner

The onetime holder of the Guinness world record honoring the cheapest bass note ever reached, gospel pioneer J.D. Sumner was the traveling pressure behind the Stamps Quartet, which gained secular renown as the longtime vocal support for Elvis Presley. Given birth to November 19, 1924, Sumner became the Blackwood Brothers’ bass vocalist in 1954, staying using the group for twelve years. At his recommendation, in 1955 the Blackwoods became the 1st touring act to visit from show showing in their personal personalized bus, a practice since accompanied by just about any live performer. Sumner also befriended the youthful Presley, after that still a high-school college student who went to the Blackwood Brothers’ Memphis-area shows each Saturday night time. In 1962, Sumner and bandmate Wayne Blackwood jointly bought a Dallas-based music posting company including among its holdings the privileges towards the name from the Stamps Quartet, a vocal group originally shaped in 1924; within 2 yrs Sumner still left the Blackwoods to believe leadership from the Stamps, staying on the helm for over three years. The Stamps proved helpful frequently with Presley from 1970 onward until his loss of life in 1977, support him live aswell as showing up on hit information including “Burning up Like.” In the wake of Presley’s loss of life, the group frequently added to Graceland’s annual Elvis memorial festivities furthermore to keeping their personal rigorous documenting and touring schedules; throughout a concert stay static in Myrtle Seaside, S.C., Sumner passed away in his rest on November 16, 1998, simply three days in short supply of his 74th birthday.