The Swan Silvertones are an American gospel music group that first achieved popularity in the 1940s and 1950s under the leadership of

Claude Jeter Claude A. Jeter (October 26, 1914 – January 6, 2009) was an American gospel music singer. Originally a coal miner from Kentucky, Jeter formed the group that would eventually become one of the most popular gospel quartets of the post-war era � ...

. Jeter formed the group in 1938 as the "Four Harmony Kings" while he was working as a coal miner in

West Virginia West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian, Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States.The Census Bureau and the Association of American Geographers classify West Virginia as part of the Southern United States while the B ...

, United States. After moving to

Knoxville, Tennessee Knoxville is a city in and the county seat of Knox County in the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of the 2020 United States census, Knoxville's population was 190,740, making it the largest city in the East Tennessee Grand Division and the state' ...

and obtaining their own radio show, the group changed its name to the Silvertone Singers in order to avoid confusion with another ensemble known as the "Four Kings of Harmony." They added the name Swan shortly thereafter, since Swan Bakeries sponsored their show. Their wide exposure through radio brought them a contract in 1946 with King Records.

Career

At this early stage, the Silvertones already embodied an amalgam of two styles: the close barbershop harmony that they had featured when starting out in West Virginia, and virtuoso leads supplied by Jeter and Solomon Womack. The group later lost Womack, but added Paul Owens in 1952 and Louis Johnson in 1955.

performed as lead singer on "

Mary Don't You Weep "Mary Don't You Weep" (alternately titled "O Mary Don't You Weep", "Oh Mary, Don't You Weep, Don't You Mourn", or variations thereof) is a Spiritual that originates from before the American Civil War – thus it is what scholars call a "slave son ...

". The group recorded for

Specialty Records Specialty Records was an American record label founded in Los Angeles in 1945 by Art Rupe. It was known for rhythm and blues, gospel, and early rock and roll, and recorded artists such as Little Richard, Guitar Slim, Percy Mayfield, and Lloyd Pr ...

from 1951 to 1955, when it switched to

Vee-Jay Records Vee-Jay Records is an American record label founded in the 1950s, located in Chicago and specializing in blues, jazz, rhythm and blues and rock and roll. The label was founded in Gary, Indiana in 1953 by Vivian Carter and James C. Bracken, a ...

. They recorded one album with HOB Records after Vee-Jay shut down in 1965, at which point Jeter left the group for the ministry. They recorded an additional 11 albums with HOB Records and 1 LP on Peacock Records in 1973 before signing with Savoy Records and recording 7 more albums. In 2009, a revamped line-up released the CD "Need More Love" thru CD Baby. When interviewed by Dick Cavett in April 1970, Paul Simon credited the group with inspiring him to write the song " Bridge Over Troubled Water, specifically Jeter's line in one song: "I'll be a bridge over deep water if you trust in my name"—with Simon confessing: "I guess I stole it.' John Fogerty's goal for the line, "Rollin', rollin', rollin' on the river," in the song "

Proud Mary "Proud Mary" is a song written by John Fogerty and first recorded by his band Creedence Clearwater Revival. It was released by Fantasy Records as a single from the band's second studio album, '' Bayou Country'', which was issued by the same ...

" was to evoke male gospel harmonies, as exemplified by groups such as the Swan Silvertones, the Sensational Nightingales, and the

Five Blind Boys of Mississippi The Five Blind Boys of Mississippi was an American post-war gospel quartet. They started with lead singer Archie Brownlee, their single "Our Father" reached number ten on the Billboard R&B charts in early 1951. Then the screams of their new lea ...

. The Swan Silvertones were inducted into the

Vocal Group Hall of Fame The Vocal Group Hall of Fame (VGHF) is an American-based hall of fame that honors vocal groups throughout the world in every genre of music. Headquartered in the Columbia Theatre in Sharon, Pennsylvania, it includes a theater and a museum. It was ...

in 2002. In January 2011, the Swan Silvertones were nominated for the 10th Annual Independent Music Awards in the Gospel category for ''Need More Love''.

References

External links

'The Swan Silvertones' Vocal Group Hall of Fame Page

'The Swan Silvertones' Pittsburgh Music History
{{DEFAULTSORT:Swan Silvertones, The American gospel musical groups Savoy Records artists Specialty Records artists Vee-Jay Records artists Musical groups established in 1938

Career

Suggested reading

See also

References

External links