The Statesmen Quartet (also known as Hovie Lister and The Statesmen Quartet) were an American

southern gospel Southern gospel music is a genre of Christian music. Its name comes from its origins in the southeastern United States. Its lyrics are written to express either personal or a communal faith regarding biblical teachings and Christian life, as ...

quartet founded in 1948 by Baptist Minister

Hovie Lister Hovie Franklin Lister (September 17, 1926 – December 28, 2001) was an American gospel musician, Baptist Minister, and politician. Lister was best known for his time as the front man of the Statesmen Quartet, perhaps the most well known and renow ...

. Along with

the Blackwood Brothers The Blackwood Brothers are an American southern gospel quartet. Pioneers of the Christian music industry, they are 8-time Grammy Award winners in addition to winning 7 Gospel Music Association Dove Awards. They are also members of the Memphis M ...

, the Statesmen Quartet were considered the most successful and influential gospel quartet of the 1950s and 1960s and had a wide influence on artists during that time from the gospel, country, pop, and rock and roll genre. Along with hits spanning many decades, The Statesmen Quartet had many notable successes including being the first Gospel group to receive endorsement deals. Additionally, they made television commercials, appeared on numerous radio and TV shows, and were signed to

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 ...

before launching their own record label, Skylite Records, with The Blackwood Brothers.

Formation (1948)

The Statesmen Quartet was founded in 1948 in

Atlanta, Georgia Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...

, a

Baptist Baptists form a major branch of Protestantism distinguished by baptizing professing Christian believers only (believer's baptism), and doing so by complete immersion. Baptist churches also generally subscribe to the doctrines of soul compete ...

minister and convention-style piano player. Lister constructed the quartet as a hand-picked group of the best singing voices in order to secure a prime time-slot on the new WCON radio station. The initial line-up included Bobby Strickland singing tenor,

Mosie Lister Thomas Mosie Lister (September 8, 1921 – February 12, 2015) was an American singer and Baptist minister. He was best known for writing the Gospel songs "Where No One Stands Alone", "Till the Storm Passes By", "Then I Met the Master" and "How ...

singing lead, Bervin Kendrick singing baritone, and Gordon Hill singing bass. The group's name was lifted from the title of a newsletter published by

Herman Talmadge Herman Eugene Talmadge (August 9, 1913 – March 21, 2002) was an American politician who served as governor of Georgia in 1947 and from 1948 to 1955 and as a U.S. Senator from Georgia from 1957 to 1981. Talmadge, a Democrat, served during a tim ...

, Governor of Georgia, with Talmadge's permission. The quartet made their debut on WCON in Atlanta in October, 1948.

Broadcasting & recording (1948-1952)

After having several radio programs in the Atlanta, Georgia, area, The Statesmen "became the first

Southern gospel Southern gospel music is a genre of Christian music. Its name comes from its origins in the southeastern United States. Its lyrics are written to express either personal or a communal faith regarding biblical teachings and Christian life, as ...

quartet to have a nationally syndicated TV program, ''Singing Time in Dixie'', sponsored by

Nabisco Nabisco (, abbreviated from the earlier name National Biscuit Company) is an American manufacturer of cookies and snacks headquartered in East Hanover, New Jersey. The company is a subsidiary of Illinois-based Mondelēz International. Nabisco's ...

."McNeil, W.K., ed. (2010). ''Encyclopedia of American Gospel Music''. Routledge. . P. 191 The group recorded 36 songs 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 ...

from 1949 to 1953. They switched to

in 1954, recording more than 30 albums during their years with that company. In 1968, they began recording for

Skylite Skylite Recording Company is a Memphis based gospel music label started by The Statesmen Quartet and The Blackwood Brothers in 1959. Along with The Blackwood Brothers and The Statesmen Quartet, Skylite signed, among others, The Speer Family, and ...

. Though most fans were inclined to support the group in terms of religious inspiration and/or entertainment, a 1964 profile of the group in

Billboard magazine ''Billboard'' (stylized as ''billboard'') is an American music and entertainment magazine published weekly by Penske Media Corporation. The magazine provides music charts, news, video, opinion, reviews, events, and style related to the music ...

noted, "The Statesmen ... are known as a complex organization to the music industry." In addition to the broadcasting and recording activities already mentioned, the article cited ownership of four gospel music publishing companies that "print and distribute song books and sheet music."

Pinnacle years (1953-1957)

In 1952, The Statesmen Quartet entered into a business partnership with

The Blackwood Brothers The Blackwood Brothers are an American southern gospel quartet. Pioneers of the Christian music industry, they are 8-time Grammy Award winners in addition to winning 7 Gospel Music Association Dove Awards. They are also members of the Memphis M ...

Quartet. The "Stateswood" team would dominate Southern Gospel music for the next two decades. Lister's vision of the premiere lineup came to fruition by adding

Jake Hess Jake Hess (December 24, 1927 – January 4, 2004) was an American Grammy Award-winning southern gospel singer.McNeil, W.K., Ed. (2010). ''Encyclopedia of American Gospel Music''. Routledge. . Pp. 201-202. Life The son of "a sharecropper who was ...

on lead in 1948, James "Big Chief" Wetherington as bass in 1949, Doy Ott as baritone in 1951, and finally with Denver Crumpler as tenor in 1953, with Lister on piano and master of ceremonies. During the next years, The Statesmen Quartet achieved fame as one of the premiere groups of both

and quartet music. With this lineup, The Statesmen began recording for RCA Victor and began starring in the Nabisco Hour national TV show as mentioned above. Popular songs of this period include "Get Away Jordan" and "Happy Rhythm". As early as 1950, The Statesmen used the phrase "Rockin' and rollin'" in a song, and

's frantic

boogie-woogie Boogie-woogie is a genre of blues music that became popular during the late 1920s, developed in African-American communities since 1870s.Paul, Elliot, ''That Crazy American Music'' (1957), Chapter 10, p. 229. It was eventually extended from pian ...

piano, piano bench acrobatics, and hair shaken down in his eyes would have great influence on early rock and roll artists, particularly on

Jerry Lee Lewis Jerry Lee Lewis (September 29, 1935October 28, 2022) was an American singer, songwriter and pianist. Nicknamed "The Killer", he was described as "rock & roll's first great wild man". A pioneer of rock and roll and rockabilly music, Lewis made ...

, who was a fan of gospel music and the Statesmen. On July 4, 1955, the Blackwood/Statesmen team traveled to Texas for an engagement that would feature several secular artists on the same program. Among them was

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 ...

. Elvis was planning to sing his rock hits, but refrained out of respect of his gospel idols. The Statesmen exerted a powerful influence on young Elvis, who idolized and imitated Jake Hess' vocal styling and Wetherington's movements and gyrations on stage. In an interview with songwriter Bill Gaither, Hess remembered seeing young Elvis coming to Statesmen shows in

Tupelo Tupelo , genus ''Nyssa'' , is a small genus of deciduous trees with alternate, simple leaves. It is sometimes included in the subfamily Nyssoideae of the dogwood family, Cornaceae, but is placed by other authorities in the family Nyssaceae. In ...

when Presley was only nine or ten. Hess said that the serious young Elvis would ask him, "How do you make a record?" or "How many suits you got?" On the

Gaither Homecoming ''Gaither Homecoming'' is the name applied to a series of videos, music recordings and concerts, which are organized, promoted and usually presented by Christian music songwriter and impresario Bill Gaither. To date, the ''Gaither Homecoming'' t ...

video "Oh My Glory", Hess recalls Presley attending Statesmen concerts and being invited up onstage to sing lead in his place on a couple of handpicked numbers. Phillip Goff, in ''The Blackwell Companion to Religion in America'', provided a description of how The Statesmen began one live appearance. "Greeted by thunderous applause, the announcer approaches the microphone: "You're listening to the original

Wally Fowler John Wallace "Wally" Fowler (February 15, 1917 – June 3, 1994) was an American Southern gospel music singer, manager, and music promoter and businessman. He founded the Oak Ridge Quartet, a gospel act that eventually became the Oak Ridge B ...

All Night Singing, November the sixth, right here in Nashville, Tennessee, nineteen hundred fifty-nine. This is the eleventh anniversary and the greatest crowd that's ever assembled for any program in the

Ryman Auditorium Ryman Auditorium (also known as Grand Ole Opry House and Union Gospel Tabernacle) is a 2,362-seat live-performance venue located at 116 Rep. John Lewis Way North, in Nashville, Tennessee. It is best known as the home of the ''Grand Ole Opry'' fr ...

is here tonight for the all night sing." Goff's description related but one aspect of The Statesmen's showmanship. Francis Edward Abernathy wrote about lasting changes that the group introduced to the world of gospel quartets: The Statesmen Quartet added flourishes which entertained new audiences -- exuberant singing, arm waving, hand clapping, and electrifying performances. This was alien behavior for traditional convention quartets. But the new behavior attracted interest. The Statesmen became so popular that subsequent gospel quartets imitated their style.Abernathy, Francis Edward, ed. (1993). ''Corners of Texas''. Texas Folklore Society. . P. 276.

Rosie Rozell era (1958-1973)

In 1957, Crumpler died after seeking medical attention for what was at the time diagnosed as a heart condition, but was revealed to be diabetic shock. Former tenor Cat Freeman came back briefly, but was replaced in 1958 by former Oklahoma police officer Roland "Rosie" Rozell. The Rozell-Hess-Ott-Wetherington lineup recorded such classics as "Faith Unlocks The Door" and Rozell's signature songs "Oh What A Savior" and "There's Room at the Cross," both songs becoming gospel music mainstays for decades after. In 1963, Hess left The Statesmen to form his own quartet, Jake Hess and

The Imperials The Imperials are an American Christian music group that has been active for over 55 years. Originating as a southern gospel quartet, the innovative group would become pioneers of contemporary Christian music in the 1960s. There have been many ...

. Lister recruited Jack Toney to replace Hess. Before long, Toney's powerful voice helped The Statesmen to press on and continue with their success. Another setback occurred when Wetherington died suddenly of early heart disease on October 3, 1973, while attending the

National Quartet Convention The National Quartet Convention (NQC) is an annual gathering of Southern Gospel quartets and musicians. It is held at the Leconte Center in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, United States. History The first National Quartet Convention was held in 1957. J. ...

in Nashville. It was around this time that the group was losing stability on its own and more changes to the line-up were inevitable.

Later years (1974-2001)

Later incarnations of The Statesmen would include tenors Sherrill "Shaun" Nielson, Willie Wynn, and Johnny Cook; lead singers Roy McNeil and Jim Hill; baritones Chris Hess, Biney English and Rick Fair; and bass singers Ray Burdett, Bob Caldwell and Doug Young. Over the years, Jake Hess, Jack Toney, Doy Ott and Rosie Rozell would rejoin The Statesmen at various times, most notably a couple years after Wetherington's death when Lister brought back Rozell, Hess, and Ott as "The Statesmen" sans bass. A comical pairing of this classic Statesmen "trio" with longtime Blackwood Brothers/Stamps Quartet bass singer

J.D. Sumner John Daniel Sumner (November 19, 1924 – November 16, 1998) was an American gospel singer, songwriter, and music promoter noted for his bass voice, and his innovation in the Christian and Gospel music fields. Sumner sang in five quartets and wa ...

at the 1977 National Quartet Convention in

Nashville Nashville is the capital city of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the seat of Davidson County. With a population of 689,447 at the 2020 U.S. census, Nashville is the most populous city in the state, 21st most-populous city in the U.S., and the ...

was the birth of the

Masters V Master or masters may refer to: Ranks or titles * Ascended master, a term used in the Theosophical religious tradition to refer to spiritually enlightened beings who in past incarnations were ordinary humans *Grandmaster (chess), National Master ...

, which would include Rosie Rozell, Jake Hess, and Hovie Lister in its lineup. The Statesmen would continue to travel with rotating lineups through 1981, and began to tour again from 1992 to 2001, until Lister's health failed. Doy Ott was the first of the original group that had survived Crumpler and Wetherington to die, having suffered a

cerebral hemorrhage Intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH), also known as cerebral bleed, intraparenchymal bleed, and hemorrhagic stroke, or haemorrhagic stroke, is a sudden bleeding into the tissues of the brain, into its ventricles, or into both. It is one kind of bleed ...

in 1982 that left him comatose, although he did not die until four years later. Rozell died on February 28, 1995 at the age of 66; Lister died on December 27, 2001, at the age of 75 due to complications of

lymphoma Lymphoma is a group of blood and lymph tumors that develop from lymphocytes (a type of white blood cell). In current usage the name usually refers to just the cancerous versions rather than all such tumours. Signs and symptoms may include enlar ...

, and Hess succumbed to a long battle with

heart disease Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a class of diseases that involve the heart or blood vessels. CVD includes coronary artery diseases (CAD) such as angina and myocardial infarction (commonly known as a heart attack). Other CVDs include stroke, hea ...

on January 4, 2004 at the age of 76.

Legacy and cultural impact

The Statesmen influenced both gospel and non-gospel artists alike.

was a fan of the group growing up and wanted to emulate them in his career and got the chance to perform with them.

also had a strong admiration for the group, but most notably Lister and his piano playing. "The Killer", as Lewis was called, credited Lister and the Statesman for developing his own style in performance.

Carl Perkins Carl Lee Perkins (April 9, 1932 – January 19, 1998)#nytimesobit, Pareles. was an American guitarist, singer and songwriter. A rockabilly great and pioneer of rock and roll, he began his recording career at the Sun Studio, in Memphis, Tennes ...

and

Larry Gatlin Larry Wayne Gatlin (born May 2, 1948) is an American country and Southern gospel singer and songwriter. As part of a trio with his younger brothers Steve and Rudy, he achieved considerable success within the country music genre, performing on 3 ...

also cited themselves as fans of the group, while

Tammy Wynette Tammy Wynette (born Virginia Wynette Pugh; May 5, 1942 – April 6, 1998) was an American country music artist, as well as an actress and author. She is considered among the genre's most influential and successful artists. Along with Loretta Ly ...

said on numerous occasions that Tenor Denver Crumpler was her "favorite singer, ever." The group's appeal to early rock and roll fans also pre-dated the "rock around the clock" era and also had an influence on early

Contemporary Christian Music Contemporary Christian music, also known as CCM, Christian pop, and occasionally inspirational music is a genre of modern popular music, and an aspect of Christian media, which is lyrically focused on matters related to the Christian faith and s ...

. In his book '' They Heard Georgia Singing'', former Georgia Governor and Senator

Zell Miller Zell Bryan Miller (February 24, 1932 – March 23, 2018) was an American author and politician from the state of Georgia. A Democrat, Miller served as lieutenant governor from 1975 to 1991, 79th Governor of Georgia from 1991 to 1999, and as U. ...

said that Lister and his group "more than anyone else, put style and flair into gospel music. ... Hovie was first of all a minister, and he ministered with his music," said Sen. Miller. "But he used to say religion did not need to have a long face, and he made religion upbeat." Lister defended his musical style that was considered "worldly" by many churches by retorting "If it takes shaking my hair down, beating a piano like Liberace or Piano Red to keep these young people out of beer joints or the rear seats of automobiles, I'll do it. The devil's got his kind of entertainment. We've got ours." The group was elected into the

Gospel Music Hall of Fame The Gospel Music Hall of Fame, created in 1972 by the Gospel Music Association, is a Hall of Fame dedicated exclusively to recognizing meaningful contributions by individuals and groups in all forms of gospel music. Inductees This is an incompl ...

in 1998 and the

Southern Gospel Music Hall of Fame Southern may refer to: Businesses * China Southern Airlines, airline based in Guangzhou, China * Southern Airways, defunct US airline * Southern Air, air cargo transportation company based in Norwalk, Connecticut, US * Southern Airways Express, M ...

the previous year in 1997. The group permanently folded and retired in 2002.

Members

Line-ups

Grand Ole Gospel Reunion Statesmen Members

Grand Ole Gospel Reunion Quartet

Pianist

(1948–2001, owner) * Boyce Hawkins (1951) (filled in for Hovie Lister) * Doy Ott (1951) (filled in for Hovie Lister)

Tenor

* Bobby Strickland (1948–1951) * Earl Terry (1951) * Claris Freeman (1951–1953, 1957–1958) (died March 21, 1989; aged 67) *

Denver Crumpler Denver () is a consolidated city and county, the capital, and most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Its population was 715,522 at the 2020 census, a 19.22% increase since 2010. It is the 19th-most populous city in the Unite ...

(1953–1957) (died March 21, 1957; aged 44) * Rosie Rozell (1958–1969, 1973, 1978, 1977–1981) (died February 28, 1995; aged 66) * Shaun Neilsen (1969–1973, 1975) * Willie Wynn (1973–1974) * Wayne Hilton (1974–1975) * Johnny Cook (1992–1993) (died May 14, 2000; aged 51) * Tank Tackett (1993) * Steve Warren (1994) *

Gene Miller Gene Miller (1928–2005) was a longtime investigative reporter at the ''Miami Herald'' who won two Pulitzer Prizes for reporting that helped save innocent men on Florida's Death Row from execution. He was also a legendary editor, mentoring genera ...

(1994) * Wallace Nelms (1994–2001)

Lead

(1948) (died February 12, 2015; aged 93) *

(1948–1963, 1975, 1977–1979, 1988, 1992–1993) (died January 4, 2004; aged 76) *

Gary McSpadden Gary McSpadden (January 26, 1943 – April 15, 2020) was an American pastor, singer, songwriter, record producer, television host and motivational speaker. He had musical roots in quartet music and Southern gospel with Statesmen quartet, The Sta ...

(1960) (filled in for Jake Hess) (died April 15, 2020; aged 77) * Les Roberson (1953) (also filled in for Jake Hess) * Jack Toney (1963–1966, 1967–1968, 1979, 1994–2001) (died April 15, 2004; aged 70) * Roy McNeal (1966–1967) * Jim Hill (1968–1971) * Gary Timbs (1971–1973) * Elmer Cole (1973–1974) * David Will (1975) * Buddy Burton (1979–1981, 1993–1994) * Wayne Little (1993)

Baritone

* Bervin Kendrick (1948–1951) * Troy Posey (1951) * Doy Ott (1951–1978) (died November 6, 1986; aged 67) * Chris Hess (1978–1979) *Ed Hill (1979–1980) (died July 13, 2020) * Richard Coletrane (1981) * Buddy Burton (1988, 1993) * Biney English (1992–1993) * Scooter Simmons (1993) * Jerry Candler (1993–1994) * Mike Loprinzi (1994–1998) * Rick Fair (1998–2001)

Bass

* Gordon Hill (1948) * A.D. Soward (1949) * Jim Wetherington (1949–1973) (died October 3, 1973; aged 50) * Ray Burdett (1973–1975) *

Tommy Thompson Tommy George Thompson (born November 19, 1941) is an American Republican politician who most recently served as interim president of the University of Wisconsin System from 2020 to 2022. A member of the Republican Party, he previously served ...

(1979–1980, 1988) *

J. D. Sumner John Daniel Sumner (November 19, 1924 – November 16, 1998) was an American gospel singer, songwriter, and music promoter noted for his bass voice, and his innovation in the Christian and Gospel music fields. Sumner sang in five quartets and wa ...

(1981) (died November 16, 1998; aged 73) *

Larry Strickland Larry Strickland (September 3, 1931 – August 29, 1979) was an American Football center for six seasons between 1954 and 1959 for the Chicago Bears, a one-time Pro Bowler and one-time first-team All-Pro. Strickland was born in Tyler, Texas ...

(1988) * Bob Caldwell (1992–1993) * Hovie Walker (1993) * Stacy Bragg (1993) * Nic Val (1987–1988, 1991, 1993) * Roy Pauley (1993) * Doug Young (1994–2001)

Discography

*1957: ''The Statesmen Quartet with Hovie Lister'' *1958: ''The Statesmen Quartet Sings with Hovie Lister'' *1958: ''The Bible Told Me So'' (RCA) *1959: ''Hymns'' *1959: ''I'll Meet You By the River'' (RCA) *1959: ''Get Away Jordan'' *1960: ''Mansion Over the Hilltop'' (RCA) *1960: ''On Stage'' (RCA) *1960: ''Something To Shout About'' *1960: ''Encores'' *1960: ''Peace, O Lord'' *1960: ''Statesmen Blackwood Favorites'' *1961: ''Out West'' (RCA) *1961: ''Through the States'' (RCA) *1962: ''Stop, Look & Listen for the Lord'' *1962: ''Camp-Meeting Hymns'' (RCA) *1962: ''Singing Time in Dixie'' (Skylight) *1963: ''The Mystery of His Way'' (RCA) *1963: ''Message in the Sky'' (RCA Camden) *1963: ''A Gospel Concert'' *1964: ''Hovie Lister Sings with His Famous Statesmen Qt.'' (RCA) *1964: ''Hovie Lister Spotlights Doy Ott'' (RCA) *1964: ''Songs Of Faith'' (RCA Camden) *1965: ''The Best Of The Statesmen Quartet'' (RCA) *1964: ''Doris Akers & The Statesmen Sing for You'' *1965: ''The Sensational Statesmen Quartet'' (RCA) *1965: ''Sings the Golden Gospel Songs'' (RCA) *1965: ''All Day Sing & Dinner on the Ground'' *1966: ''The Happy Sound'' (RCA) *1966: ''Sings the Gospel Gems'' *1967: ''In Gospel Country'' (RCA) *1967: ''My God is Real'' (RCA Camden) *1967: ''Showers of Blessing'' (RCA) *1968: ''Sing Brother Sing'' (RCA) *1968: ''Hits of the Decade'' *1968: ''Happy Land'' *1968: ''The Best of the Statesmen Volume 2'' (RCA) *1968: ''God Loves American People'' (Skylite) *1968: ''Standing on the Promises'' *1969: ''Taller Than Trees'' (RCA Camden) *1969: ''Thanks to Calvary'' (Skylite) *1969: ''New Sounds Today'' (Skylite) *1970: ''No Greater Love'' (RCA Camden) *1970: ''Featuring…'' *1970: ''The Common Man'' *1971: ''Put Your Hand in the Hand'' (Skylite) *1972: ''Keep On Smiling'' *1972: ''Hits of the Decade'' *1972: ''Hits of the Decade Vol. 2'' (Chime, Artistic) *1972: ''They That Sow'' (Skylite) *1973: ''I Believe in Jesus'' *1973: ''In Memory Of "Big Chief" Jim Wetherington & Denver "Crump" Crumpler (Lord, I Want to Go to Heaven)'' (CAM) *1973: ''Time to Remember'' *1974: ''Ain't That What It's All About'' *1974: ''Precious Memories'' *1974: ''Feature Doy Ott'' *1977: ''The Legendary Statesmen Return'' *1977: ''Gospel Songs Elvis Loved'' *1977: ''Get Away Jordan'' *1978: ''His Love Put a Song in My Heart'' *1978: ''Oh What a Savior'' (Skylite) *1979: ''Gospel Gems'' (Skylite) *1979: ''Hovie Lister & The Sensational Statesmen'' *1980: ''He is Here'' (Skylite) *1981: ''Sweet Beulah Land'' *1992: ''I Surrender All'' *1992: ''The Bible Told Me So'' *1992: ''Get Away Jordan'' *1992: ''Jubilee’s A Coming'' *1992: ''Revival'' *1992: ''O What a Savior'' *1993: ''O My Lord What a Time'' *1996: ''Saints Don't You Know'' *1997: ''Hovie Lister & The Statesmen'' *1998: ''Still Sensational'' *1999: ''You Can't Shake the Rock'' *2000: ''Even So Come'' *Unknown Year ''Precious Old Book'' (Temple) *Unknown Year ''Faith Unlocks the Door'' (Temple) *Unknown Year ''How Great Thou Art'' (Skylite)

References

External links

Grand Ole Gospel ReunionStatesmen Photo
{{DEFAULTSORT:Statesmen Quartet, The American gospel musical groups Gospel quartets Musical groups established in 1948 RCA Victor artists Southern gospel performers