Reverend Oris Lee Mays (April 7, 1935 – April 21, 1996) was an American preacher, gospel singer and songwriter. Born in

Lambert, Mississippi Lambert is a town in Quitman County, Mississippi. The population was 1,638 at the 2010 census. Geography According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , all land. Climate The climate in this area is characterized by ...

, he came to Memphis, Tennessee as a teen and graduated from Melrose High School. He studied theology at J. L. Campbell School of Religion and Brewster Seminary.REV. ORIS MAYS, MINISTER AND GOSPEL SINGER, DIES AT 61. ''The Commercial Appeal'', April 22, 1996 Mays was pastor of the Boston Baptist Church in Memphis from 1960 to his death. His recording career unfolded with

Don Robey Don Deadric Robey (November 1, 1903 – June 16, 1975) was an American record label executive, songwriter, and record producer. As the founder of Peacock Records and the eventual owner of Duke Records, he was responsible for developing the caree ...

's Song Bird Records, and Jewel Records. Song Bird released an album titled ''Tribute In Prayer (from A Soldier In Vietnam)'' in 1966. A compilation appeared in 1973, and another album the next year. In Jewel he had single and album releases from 1965 to 1982. Rev. Oris Maysand Before the end of the 1970s he released material with Creed/

Nashboro Records Nashboro Records was an American gospel label principally active in the 1950s and 1960s. History Nashboro was founded in Nashville, Tennessee by Ernie Lafayette Young (1892-1977), who was the owner of a record store, Ernie's Record Mart, and spons ...

. A sole 1985 release by Atlanta International Records was followed by one from

Miracle Records Miracle Records was an independent American record label, established in Chicago, Illinois, United States, in 1946 to record and issue rhythm and blues, jazz and gospel music. The company was established in August 1946 by Chicago-born businessman ...

. Some of the recordings featured his congregation's choir, The Bostonians. In the 1990s he occasionally appeared with Reverend Clay Evans. Mays also co-owned a Beale Street record shop. He produced gospel records for The Johnson Ensemble and The Masonic Travelers under Jewel Records, Ollie Collins Jr under Song Bird, and a secular one for The Seven Brothers. From November 1968 he was A&R person and regional promotion manager for Holiday Inn Records/Klondike. He also worked for the more obscure Memphis label, B. B. Productions. His gospel TV program on Sundays, broadcast from about 1966 on

WMC-TV WMC-TV (channel 5) is a television station in Memphis, Tennessee, United States, affiliated with NBC and owned by Gray Television. Its studios are located on Union Avenue in midtown Memphis, and its transmitter is located in northeast Memphis, ...

, was the first such program hosted by an African-American in Memphis. In its last years it was broadcast by WHBQ-TV. Mays' church sermons were aired on the WLOK and

WBBP WBBP (1480 AM) is a commercial radio station licensed to Memphis, Tennessee, featuring a gospel format. Owned by Bountiful Blessings, an extension of the Temple of Deliverance Church of God in Christ, the station serves the Memphis metropolitan ...

local radio stations. Mays' 1966 album, and a 1971 song, show conflicting attitudes about the Vietnam War. His song "Don't Let the Devil Ride" was covered by numerous artists, including

Brother Joe May Brother Joe May (November 9, 1912 – July 14, 1972) was an American gospel singer. He was sometimes billed as "The Thunderbolt of the Middle West", and has been described as "arguably the greatest male soloist in the history of gospel music. ...

Bishop Dready Manning Bishop Dready Lewis Manning (August 10, 1934 – August 16, 2017) was an American singer, songwriter, guitarist, and harmonica player. He played gospel music infused with Piedmont blues elements. He was also the founder of St. Mark Holiness Church ...

The Campbell Brothers The Campbell Brothers are an American Sacred Steel gospel group from Rush, New York composed of three brothers and one son. The ensemble features prominent pedal steel guitar and began as the house band for a House of God Keith Dominion congrega ...

and Lucinda Williams. Mays died in April 1996, at the age of 61.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mays, Oris 1935 births 1996 deaths 20th-century African-American male singers American gospel singers People from Lambert, Mississippi People from Memphis, Tennessee Singers from Mississippi 20th-century American singers African-American Baptist ministers Baptists from Tennessee Baptists from Mississippi 20th-century American male singers 20th-century Baptist ministers from the United States