American
American(s) may refer to:
* American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America"
** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America
** American ancestry, pe ...
vocal quartet that formed as a
gospel
Gospel originally meant the Christian message ("the gospel"), but in the 2nd century it came to be used also for the books in which the message was set out. In this sense a gospel can be defined as a loose-knit, episodic narrative of the words an ...
group in 1948. Over the years, they recorded both sacred and secular music for recording companies such as
Capitol Records
Capitol Records, LLC (known legally as Capitol Records, Inc. until 2007) is an American record label distributed by Universal Music Group through its Capitol Music Group imprint. It was founded as the first West Coast-based record label of note ...
,
RCA Victor
RCA Records is an American record label currently owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America. It is one of Sony Music's four flagship labels, alongside RCA's former long-time rival Columbia Records; also Aris ...
,
Columbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music, Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, the North American division of Japanese Conglomerate (company), conglomerate Sony. It was founded on Janua ...
,
Decca Records
Decca Records is a British record label established in 1929 by Edward Lewis (Decca), Edward Lewis. Its U.S. label was established in late 1934 by Lewis, Jack Kapp, American Decca's first president, and Milton Rackmil, who later became American ...
,
Vocalion Records
Vocalion Records is an American record company and label.
History
The label was founded in 1916 by the Aeolian Company, a maker of pianos and organs, as Aeolian-Vocalion; the company also sold phonographs under the Vocalion name. "Aeolian" was ...
, Stop Records, and many other smaller independent labels.
In the mid-1950s, they also began lending their vocal talents to other artists as background singers in recording sessions. They are widely known for having provided background vocals for
Elvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977), or simply Elvis, was an American singer and actor. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Elvis Presley, one ...
, in live appearances, recordings, and feature films from 1956 to 1972. The group worked in the recording studio, on stage, and on television with many
country
A country is a distinct part of the world, such as a state, nation, or other political entity. It may be a sovereign state or make up one part of a larger state. For example, the country of Japan is an independent, sovereign state, while the ...
,
gospel
Gospel originally meant the Christian message ("the gospel"), but in the 2nd century it came to be used also for the books in which the message was set out. In this sense a gospel can be defined as a loose-knit, episodic narrative of the words an ...
, and
rock and roll
Rock and roll (often written as rock & roll, rock 'n' roll, or rock 'n roll) is a Genre (music), genre of popular music that evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s. It Origins of rock and roll, originated from Africa ...
artists.
They also provided background vocals using the name the Merry Melody Singers and the Almanac Singers, sometimes using different personnel.
Group history
Early years
In 1948, Monty and Bill Matthews left. Hawkins switched to baritone, and new lead
Neal Matthews
Neal Matthews Jr. (October 26, 1929 – April 21, 2000) was an American vocalist who achieved fame as part of The Jordanaires, one of country music's premier backup groups; most notably with Elvis Presley. Matthews played guitar, double bass, and ...
was recruited. Don Bruce came in as a new first tenor, but he was drafted the next year. The group narrowed to a quartet, with Gordon Stoker taking over as first tenor. They became members of the
Grand Ole Opry
The ''Grand Ole Opry'' is a weekly American country music stage concert in Nashville, Tennessee, founded on November 28, 1925, by George D. Hay as a one-hour radio "barn dance" on WSM. Currently owned and operated by Opry Entertainment (a divis ...
in 1949. They recorded for
Capitol Records
Capitol Records, LLC (known legally as Capitol Records, Inc. until 2007) is an American record label distributed by Universal Music Group through its Capitol Music Group imprint. It was founded as the first West Coast-based record label of note ...
in the early 1950s, and began providing vocal accompaniment behind solo singers in Nashville, Tennessee.
The quartet became well known in the Southern gospel genre, and what made them stand out from other quartets of that time was how they would bring
spirituals
Spirituals (also known as Negro spirituals, African American spirituals, Black spirituals, or spiritual music) is a genre of Christian music that is associated with Black Americans, which merged sub-Saharan African cultural heritage with the e ...
(such as "Dry Bones") to a predominantly white audience. While continuing to turn out gospel albums of their own, the group became better known for the signature background harmonies they have provided on dozens of secular records.
Patsy Cline
The group appeared on all of
Patsy Cline
Patsy is a given name often used as a diminutive of the feminine given name Patricia or sometimes the masculine name Patrick, or occasionally other names containing the syllable "Pat" (such as Cleopatra, Patience, Patrice, or Patricia). Among I ...
's
Decca Decca may refer to:
Music
* Decca Records or Decca Music Group, a record label
* Decca Gold, a classical music record label owned by Universal Music Group
* Decca Broadway, a musical theater record label
* Decca Studios, a recording facility in W ...
sessions from her first in November 1960 to her last in February 1963, during which time they backed her on songs such as:
*" A Poor Man's Roses (Or a Rich Man's Gold)"
*"
Always
Always may refer to:
Film and television
* ''Always'', a 1985 film directed by Henry Jaglom
* ''Always'' (1989 film), a 1989 romantic comedy-drama directed by Steven Spielberg
* ''Always'' (2011 film), a 2011 South Korean film, also known as '' ...
"
*"
Blue Moon of Kentucky
"Blue Moon of Kentucky" is a waltz written in 1945 by bluegrass musician Bill Monroe and recorded by his band, the Blue Grass Boys. The song has since been recorded by many artists, including Elvis Presley and Paul McCartney. "Blue Moon of Kentu ...
"
*"
Crazy
Insanity, madness, lunacy, and craziness are behaviors performed by certain abnormal mental or behavioral patterns. Insanity can be manifest as violations of societal norms, including a person or persons becoming a danger to themselves or t ...
"
*"
Crazy Arms
"Crazy Arms" is an American country song which was a career-making hit for Ray Price. The song, released in May 1956, went on to become a number 1 country hit that year, establishing Price's sound, and redefining honky-tonk music. It was Price's ...
"
*"
Faded Love
"Faded Love" is a Western swing song written by Bob Wills, his father John Wills, and his brother, Billy Jack Wills. The tune is considered to be an exemplar of the Western swing fiddle component of American fiddle.
The melody came from an 185 ...
"
*"
Foolin' Around
''Foolin' Around'' is a 1980 American comedy film, comedy romance film, romance sport film directed by Richard T. Heffron and starring Gary Busey and Annette O'Toole. The film was shot on location in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, St. Pa ...
"
*"
Half as Much
"Half as Much" is an American pop standard song written by Curley Williams in 1951. It was first recorded by country music singer Hank Williams in 1952 and reached number two on the '' Billboard'' Country Singles chart.
Hank Williams version
...
I Can't Help It (If I'm Still in Love with You)
"I Can't Help It (If I'm Still in Love with You)" is a song written and originally recorded by Hank Williams on MGM Records. It hit number two on the ''Billboard'' country singles chart in 1951. In his autobiography, George Jones printed the fir ...
"
*"
I Fall to Pieces
"I Fall to Pieces" is a song written by Hank Cochran and Harlan Howard that was originally recorded by Patsy Cline. Released as a single in 1961 via Decca Records, it topped the country charts, crossed over onto the pop charts and became among C ...
"
*"
Leavin' on Your Mind
"Leavin' on Your Mind" is a country pop song written by Wayne Walker and Webb Pierce, first recorded by Canadian singer Joyce Smith in 1962.
Patsy Cline was in Owen Bradley's office one day, heard the record Smith made, and immediately wanted th ...
"
*"
Love Letters in the Sand
"Love Letters in the Sand" is a popular song first published in 1931. The music was written by J. Fred Coots and the lyrics by Nick Kenny and Charles Kenny. Ted Black and His Orchestra, with vocalist Tom Brown, had the first major hit recording of ...
"
*"
San Antonio Rose
"San Antonio Rose" is a swing instrumental introduced in late 1938 by Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys. Quickly becoming the band's most popular number, Wills and band members devised lyrics, which were recorded on April 16, 1940, and releas ...
"
*"
Seven Lonely Days
"Seven Lonely Days" is a song written by Earl Shuman, Alden Shuman, and Marshall Brown. It was originally recorded by American singer Georgia Gibbs with orchestra conducted by Glenn Osser and the Yale Bros. choir in December 1952 and released in ...
"
*"
She's Got You
"She's Got You" is a country song written by Hank Cochran and first recorded (in December 1961) and released (in 1962) as a single by Patsy Cline. Musically the song is an upbeat jazz-pop song with country overtones to support it.
History
Accord ...
"
*"
Someday (You'll Want Me to Want You)
"Someday You'll Want Me to Want You" is a popular song published in 1944 by Jimmie Hodges. The song became a standard, recorded by many pop and country music singers.
Background
In April 1951, Hugh O. Starr, an inventor from Steubenville, Ohio, ...
That's My Desire
"That's My Desire" is a 1931 popular song with music by Helmy Kresa and lyrics by Carroll Loveday.
The highest-charting version of the song was recorded by the Sammy Kaye orchestra in 1946, although a version of the song recorded by Frankie Lai ...
"
*"
The Wayward Wind
"The Wayward Wind" is a country song written by Stanley Lebowsky (music) and Herb Newman (lyrics).
Members of the Western Writers of America chose the song as one of the Top 100 Western songs of all time.
Background
The “Wayward Wind” of th ...
Walkin' After Midnight
"Walkin' After Midnight" is a song written by Alan Block and Don Hecht and recorded by American country music artist Patsy Cline. The song was originally given to pop singer Kay Starr; however, her label rejected it. The song was left unused until ...
You Made Me Love You (I Didn't Want to Do It)
"You Made Me Love You (I Didn't Want to Do It)" is a popular song from 1913 composed by James V. Monaco with lyrics by Joseph McCarthy. It was introduced by Al Jolson in the Broadway revue ''The Honeymoon Express'' (1913), and used in the 197 ...
"
*"
Your Cheatin' Heart
"Your Cheatin' Heart" is a song written and recorded by country music singer-songwriter Hank Williams in 1952. It is regarded as one of country's most important standards. Williams was inspired to write the song while driving with his fiancé ...
"
After Elvis and Cline
The group changed again in 1982, when Hoyt Hawkins died. His replacement was Duane West, formerly of
Sonny James
Jimmie Hugh Loden (May 1, 1928February 22, 2016), known professionally as Sonny James, was an American country music singer and songwriter best known for his 1957 hit, " Young Love", topping both of the early versions of today's ''Billboard'' ...
' backup group, the Southern Gentlemen. In 1990, the group provided backing vocals for Presley's former Sun Records labelmate
Johnny Cash
John R. Cash (born J. R. Cash; February 26, 1932 – September 12, 2003) was an American country singer-songwriter. Much of Cash's music contained themes of sorrow, moral tribulation, and redemption, especially in the later stages of his ca ...
on his
Mercury Records
Mercury Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group. It had significant success as an independent operation in the 1940s and 1950s. Smash Records and Fontana Records were sub labels of Mercury. In the United States, it is ...
album ''
Boom Chicka Boom
''Boom Chicka Boom'' is the 76th album by American country music singer Johnny Cash, released in 1990 on Mercury Records. The title refers to the sound that Cash's backing band, the Tennessee Three, were said to produce. It includes a cover of ...
''. The group has also recorded with the Swedish group Vikingarna.
The Jordanaires were among hundreds of artists whose material was destroyed in the 2008 Universal fire.
Deaths
Hugh Jarrett died at 78 on May 31, 2008, from injuries sustained in an auto accident in March.
Gordon Stoker died at 88 at his
Brentwood, Tennessee
Brentwood is a city in Williamson County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 45,373 as of the 2020 United States census.Neal Matthews Jr. — second tenor and lead vocals, rhythm guitar, lead guitar, double bass, bass guitar (1949–2000; died 2000)
* Gordon Stoker – tenor vocals, piano, organ, percussion (1951-2013; died 2013)
* Ray Walker – bass vocals (1958-2013)
Other members
* Bill Matthews – vocals (1948-1949)
* Monty Matthews – vocals (1948-1949)
* Bob Hubbard – vocals (1948-1949)
* Culley Holt – bass vocals (1949-1954)
* Bob Money – piano (1949-1951)
* Don Bruce – first tenor vocals (1949-1950)
* Hugh Jarrett – bass vocals (1954-1958)
* Duane West – baritone vocals (1980-1999; died 2002)
* Louis Nunley – baritone vocals (1999-2013)
* Curtis Young – lead vocals (2000-2013)
Session appearances
The Jordanaires performed with many modern recording artists, as well as recent sessions with country musicians.
*1957:
Ricky Nelson
Eric Hilliard Nelson (May 8, 1940 – December 31, 1985) was an American musician, songwriter and actor. From age eight he starred alongside his family in the radio and television series ''The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet''. In 1957, he bega ...
's "Poor Little Fool", "Lonesome Town", "It's Late", "I Believe What You Say" and other hit recordings
*1959: Several tracks on
Johnny Cash
John R. Cash (born J. R. Cash; February 26, 1932 – September 12, 2003) was an American country singer-songwriter. Much of Cash's music contained themes of sorrow, moral tribulation, and redemption, especially in the later stages of his ca ...
Songs of our Soil
''Songs of Our Soil'' is the sixth studio album by American singer Johnny Cash. It was originally released on July 6, 1959, and later re-issued on August 27, 2002 with two additional bonus tracks.
The major theme throughout this album is death. ...
Cliff Richard
Sir Cliff Richard (born Harry Rodger Webb; 14 October 1940) is an Indian-born British musican, singer, producer, entrepreneur and philanthropist who holds both British and Barbadian citizenship. He has total sales of over 21.5 million s ...
's 1965 singles " The Minute You're Gone", "Wind Me Up (Let Me Go)", "On My Word" and a few other album and EP tracks
*1970:
Ringo Starr
Sir Richard Starkey (born 7 July 1940), known professionally as Ringo Starr, is an English musician, singer, songwriter and actor who achieved international fame as the drummer for the Beatles. Starr occasionally sang lead vocals with the ...
's second solo album, ''
Beaucoups of Blues
''Beaucoups of Blues'' is the second studio album by the English rock musician and former Beatle Ringo Starr. It was released in September 1970, five months after his debut solo album, '' Sentimental Journey''. ''Beaucoups of Blues'' is very fa ...
''
*1973:
Bobby Bare
Robert Joseph Bare Sr. (born April 7, 1935) is an American country music singer and songwriter, best known for the songs "Marie Laveau", " Detroit City" and "500 Miles Away from Home". He is the father of Bobby Bare Jr., also a musician.
Early ca ...
's hit single "Ride Me Down Easy"
*1975:
Jack Jersey
Jack (Willem) de Nijs, artist name Jack Jersey (18 July 1941 — 26 May 1997), was a Dutch singer, composer, arranger, lyricist and record producer of light music (popular music) who worked for national and international artists. He had his own ...
two albums ''I Wonder'' (a live album) and ''Honky Tonk Man''
*1975: Gary Stewart's RCA debut ''
Out of Hand
''Out of Hand'' is a 1975 honky tonk album by country music singer Gary Stewart. The singer's second album, his debut for RCA Records, reached #6 on ''Billboard's'' Country Albums chart, launching three charting singles, "Drinkin' Thing" (#10), ...
'', that spawned three top ten hits including the "She's Acting Single"
*1980:
Don McLean
Donald McLean III (born October 2, 1945) is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. He is best known for his 1971 hit song " American Pie", an eight-and-a-half-minute folk rock "cultural touchstone" about the loss of innocence of the early ...
's album '' Chain Lightning''
*1981: Don McLean's album '' Believers''
*1981: On several tracks for
Gene Summers
David Eugene Summers (January 3, 1939 – February 17, 2021) was an American rockabilly singer, songwriter and guitarist. His most famous recordings include the late 50s "School of Rock 'n Roll", "Straight Skirt", " Nervous", "Gotta Lotta That ...
Dolly Parton
Dolly Rebecca Parton (born January 19, 1946) is an American singer-songwriter, actress, philanthropist, and businesswoman, known primarily for her work in country music. After achieving success as a songwriter for others, Parton made her album d ...
The Great Pretender
"The Great Pretender" is a popular song recorded by The Platters, with Tony Williams on lead vocals, and released as a single in November 1955. The words and music were written by Buck Ram, the Platters' manager and producer who was a successfu ...
''
*1985: Four songs by
The Blasters
The Blasters are an American rock band formed in 1979 in Downey, California, by brothers Phil Alvin (vocals and guitar) and Dave Alvin (guitar), with bass guitarist John Bazz and drummer Bill Bateman. Their self-described " American Music" i ...
' from their album '' Hard Line'' including "Samson and Delilah"
*1988: Appeared in
Sawyer Brown
Sawyer Brown is an American country music band. It was founded in 1981 in Apopka, Florida, by Mark Miller (lead vocals, rhythm guitar), Gregg "Hobie" Hubbard (keyboards, vocals), Bobby Randall (lead guitar, vocals), Joe "Curly" Smyth (drums), and ...
's music video "My Baby's Gone"
*1993: "Bigger Than Elvis" on
Chicago
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
, image_map =
, map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago
, coordinates =
, coordinates_footnotes =
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name ...
Ween
Ween is an American rock band from New Hope, Pennsylvania, formed in 1984 by Aaron Freeman and Mickey Melchiondo, better known by their respective stage names, Gene and Dean Ween. Generally categorized as an alternative rock band, the band a ...
off-Broadway
An off-Broadway theatre is any professional theatre venue in New York City with a seating capacity between 100 and 499, inclusive. These theatres are smaller than Broadway theatres, but larger than off-off-Broadway theatres, which seat fewer tha ...
musical ''
Violet
Violet may refer to:
Common meanings
* Violet (color), a spectral color with wavelengths shorter than blue
* One of a list of plants known as violet, particularly:
** ''Viola'' (plant), a genus of flowering plants
Places United States
* Viol ...
''
*1998: On "You Better Move On" and "Tomorrow Night" on
Sugar Ray Norcia
Sugar Ray Norcia (born Raymond Alan Norcia, June 6, 1954, Stonington, Connecticut, United States) is an American electric and soul blues singer and harmonica player. He is best known for his work with his backing band, The Bluetones, with who ...
's album ''Sweet & Swingin' ''
*1999: began their collaborative work with
Art Greenhaw
Art Greenhaw (born July 14, 1954) is an American musician, record producer and audio engineer who was awarded the Grammy Award in 2003 for the Best Southern, Country or Bluegrass Gospel Album for ''We Called Him Mr. Gospel Music: The James Bl ...
, which resulted in a
Grammy Award for Best Southern, Country or Bluegrass Gospel Album
The Grammy Award for Best Southern, Country or Bluegrass Gospel Album was an honor presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to artists, producers, and engineers for quality ...
for ''We Called Him Mr. Gospel Music: The James Blackwood Tribute Album'' (2003), and six Grammy nominations for Best Album of the Year in a gospel category for other album titles, including ''The Great Gospel Hit Parade'' (2001), ''God Is Love'' (2002), ''Always Hear The Harmony'' (2004), ''20th Century Gospel'' (2005) and ''Southern Meets Soul'' (2006)
AllMusic
AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...
noted about the ''20th Century Gospel'' album that "Greenhaw's manly baritone is warm and inviting, and when backed by vocal-group legends the Jordanaires ("Gospel Woman," "Welcome to My World"), the resultant sound suggests the glory days of Elvis Presley and Jim Reeves."
*2002: Sang with The Tractors'
Steve Ripley
Paul Steven Ripley (January 1, 1950 – January 3, 2019) was an American recording artist, record producer, songwriter, studio engineer, guitarist, and inventor. He entered the music industry in 1977. He was also the leader/producer of country rock ...
*2006:
The Grascals
The Grascals are a six-piece American bluegrass band from Nashville, Tennessee. Founded in February 2004, the band has gained a level of fame by playing on the Grand Ole Opry and bluegrass festivals around the country, as well as with Dolly Part ...
album ''Long List of Heartaches'', on the song "Did You Forget God Today?"
*2006–07: ''Friends of Henry Golis Wish You A Merry Christmas with the Jordanaires'', and ''Henry Golis Presents Good Music With Friends featuring the Jordanaires''
*2007: appeared with the Christian pop band C.B.O.P. on the songs "Between You & Me" and "Live Like A King" on the album ''A Road Less Traveled''
*2007: "Save Your Dreams" by
Americana
Americana may refer to:
*Americana (music), a genre or style of American music
*Americana (culture), artifacts of the culture of the United States
Film, radio and television
* ''Americana'' (1992 TV series), a documentary series presented by J ...
artist
Shark
Sharks are a group of elasmobranch fish characterized by a cartilaginous skeleton, five to seven gill slits on the sides of the head, and pectoral fins that are not fused to the head. Modern sharks are classified within the clade Selachimo ...
*2009: ''Today, Tomorrow & Forever'' EP by Pete Molinari
*2010: ''Last Night In Nashville'' album by The Kingmakers
*2011:
Some Lessons Learned
''Some Lessons Learned'' is the fourth album by singer and actress Kristin Chenoweth.
Overview
The country pop disc was released on September 13, 2011. The lead single, "I Want Somebody (Bitch About)" was released on May 31, 2011. The album con ...
'', on "What Would Dolly Do"
See also
*
The Nashville A-Team
The Nashville A-Team was a nickname given to a group of session musicians in Nashville, Tennessee, USA, who earned wide acclaim in the 1950s, 1960s, and early 1970s. They backed dozens of popular singers, including Elvis Presley, Eddy Arnold, Pats ...
Discography of American Historical Recordings
The Discography of American Historical Recordings (DAHR) is a database of master recordings made by American record companies during the 78rpm era. The DAHR provides some of these original recordings, free of charge, via audio streaming, along with ...