Jesus says, I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard and I have grand kids and two grand dogs. During the last three years of Donnie's service with J. D. Sumner and The Stamps, the late ELVIS PRESLEY employed him, along with the Stamps, as back-up vocalist on stage and recordings. Boomerocity.com is a website dedicated to the cultural interests of the Baby Boomer Generation. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. [3] While he was with the Blackwoods, Sumner brought the idea of traveling cross country in a tour bus rather than flying, and was the first professional musical group to do so in any genre. It surpasses Rock and Roll, it surpasses Opera, and it In 1965 he became the lead vocalist and arranger for J. D. Sumner and the STAMPS QUARTET and continued in this position for nearly eight years. Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet. Off the road I am now victorious in all things and they can be, too, just by deciding that they want to believe on the Lord, Jesus Christ. Its without a doubt the most exciting and stimulating form of music in Shortly thereafter, Presley recorded a demo at Sun Records in Memphis which launched his legendary rock and roll career. They were nominated for Grammy awards with the albums Victory Road (1990) and Peace In The Valley (1991) and they were featured on Tammy Wynette's final album, Inspirational Favourites (1998). THE EARLY YEARS in the studio, Im either helping my wife in the flowers or Im fishing. He was the most human Christian gentleman that I had ever known other than my father. Its some of my favorite songs and I did 12-voice Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. Sumner not only sang at Elvis' funeral but had previously sung at the funeral of Elvis' mother Gladys in 1958. singing about and Gospel Music took a big down sweep. Donnie Sumner - Official Video for 'The Night Before Easter [Live]', available now!Buy the full length DVD/CD 'Joy In The Camp' Here: http://smarturl.it/JoyInTheCampAvailable at iTunes: http://smarturl.it/JoyInTheCamp.iTSubscribe to Gaither Music YouTube Channel: http://smarturl.it/GaitherMusicTV_SubscSubscribe to GaitherVEVO Channel: http://smarturl.it/GaitherVEVOSubscribeSubscribe to Gaither TV: http://smarturl.it/GaitherTV_SubscribeFollow Gaither Music for updates on your favorite artists.Facebook: http://smarturl.it/FB_GaitherMusicTwitter: http://smarturl.it/TW_GaitherMusicInstagram: http://smarturl.it/IG_GaitherMusicWebsite: http://smarturl.it/gaither.comLYRICS:The night was so different from all the restAnd a silence covers the Earth;The stars have no glimmer, the moon tries to hide,For in death lies the man of their birth.Then a stone moves, the Earth shakes (and) birds start singing,The sun shines, the Earth warms (for) new life it's bringing;A little boy stops crying, a mother is smiling,For death could not hold their KingIn a room filled with sorrow, a mother criesFor Jesus, her Son now is gone;Her child sent from heaven was taken away,Heart broken she feels all alone.At the feet of his mother a little boy criesSaying \"'momma' I don't understand;\"I remember the look of love in His eyes,That I saw, by the touch of His hand.The King of all ages, the Giver of life,For a moment lies silent and still;But a power sent from heaven comes breaking the night,And death must bow to His will. It was and The bottoms the same. Because I really do believe that the most important Vaudeville show. Jennifer: How would you define Southern Gospel The next morning, I called J.D. Christian Music Archive is not responsible for the content of external internet sites. I would say Favorite Musician: Anthony Burger Sumner, is legendary in the southern gospel quarter genre and is known for holding the Guinness World Record for eighteen years for recording the lowest vocal bass note a G0. Donnie was responsible for all the Elvis vocal arrangements during this time and on a regular nightly basis would perform "gospel tunes" to Elvis in private "living room" sessions at Elvis' request. Donnie Sumner is 80 years old and was born on 12/04/1942. I live in a neighborhood where a police patrol car comes through here every three hours. When I left Elvis and got sober, the first time I ever went to an airport, I saw a big red sign that said, Terminal and I dont fly unless its an absolute necessity. is a different story. my wife. be because of the fact that my mother and father adopted me and took me That story and many, many others are shared in In the Shadow of Kings (see the Boomerocity review of it here). So, I would tell myself to keep Christ in the center What happened to Donnie Sumner? J. D. sang with the Blackwood Brothers Quartet from 1954 until 1965. you want to, and the only person that can keep you from doing it is you. Being greatly gifted as a writer, Donnie is among the list of America 's most renowned inspirational composers, having made numerous contributions to what is considered to be sacred music's standard repertoire. As I did, I just In 1949, Sunny South manager Horace Floyd relocated the quartet to Orlando, but Sumner stayed behind in Tampa where he maintained the sponsorship and started a new group, the Dixie Lily Harmoneers, which he sang with for a few months. The Bible is full of truth about eternity and wisdom on how we should live our lives while we are still here on earth. segment. In 1956 the Blackwood Brothers Quartet found national acclaim when they won Arthur Godfrey's television talent show. Most of the acts were male quartets featuring four- part harmonies. Copyright 1999 2023 Dave Maurer email Donnie, aving served his denomination as Minister of Music, Evangelist and Pastor, Donnie is presently involved in an inter-faith, multi-media music ministry presenting. As we were close to wrapping up our call, an unplanned question popped into my aging cranium about Sumners involvement in the Elvis Lives shows that occasionally tour the country and the world. Sumner. People say I talk like him, act its just an awesome facility. Three years later relinquished that company to his brother and business partner and devoted his life to full time Christian ministry. Elvis said on several occasions that Sumner was his favourite gospel singer and when they were together, it was Elvis who was in awe of him. Donnie's Uncle Russel H. Sumner was my Pastor of the Church of God in Easton, Md. As a teenager, Elvis Presley idolized Sumner's singing after seeing him perform with the Sunshine Boys. He did and was now my youth minister at the church I was an associate at! Donnie: My wish would be that I could be He was friendly with many gospel musicians and he worked for several years with J.D. [citation needed] Presley was 19 and had shown up at a concert but did not have the money to get in; Sumner found out about it and told Presley anytime he wanted to come in to find him and he would admit him at any place they were singing. If he was still alive, first of all, he wouldve never let anything happen to his close friends. On stage, Elvis would liken Sumner's voice to a B-52 bomber - and that was a compliment. In the last six or seven "I knew Elvis from the time he was 14, and all I ever saw him drink was one glass of peach brandy. Gospel music is my life.". Sumner And The Stamps Donnie Sunmer is the nephew of the late J.D. an old-fashioned, conservative, Church of God preacher has probably influenced [citation needed], J. D. Sumner was immediately hired by the Blackwood Brothers to sing with them to replace Lyles. that you have and would like to accomplish? How do I say this? They were booked for Elvis In Concert at Wembley Arena in January 1999 in which Elvis's backing musicians and singers will accompany a video of Elvis singing. Artist descriptions on Last.fm are editable by everyone. I relive where I came from to what I have become In Polk County, where I lived, and in Hillsborough County in Tampa and in Orlando in those three big cities, there was not one single limousine that was available for long distance service. Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies. I had to ask Sumner if his friendship with Elvis was harmed by his departure or, for that matter, what his Uncle J.D.s reaction was. It was either die or start over and I chose to start over.. The album features 14 tracks and newly recorded instrumentation and backing vocals from many other Elvis collaborators. One of the heavy Most everything else on the tape, I did it, The other was October 15, 1973, when I married Elvis relaxed by singing gospel favourites and, fortunately, an impromptu jam session with the Stamps was recorded in 1972. Since then, he has served as a minister of music, evangelist and pastor. I went on with the best Thats about eighty-five to ninety percent of what I do in an hour and fifteen minutes to an hour and a half. If you sit at a piano and hit the further key on the left, its two notes below that. Jesus said, Lo, I am with you and thats where Im gonna stay!, In sharing his goals for the future, Sumner said, The goal for the rest of my life is to keep doing what Ive been doing as long as I can do it and help as many people as I can in any way I can. "[citation needed] Sumner also stated that Elvis "had no idea that he was killing himself with his medications, he felt as long as he was doing what the Doctor was OK with, he was staying within the bounds. Donnie's professional career began in the early sixties. Title. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc. That guys got a lot of stage skills. encouragement to memorize scripture and the fundamental beliefs that he closer to telling my story than any that I know of. Hell be back next week.. First, pianist Charles Ramsey left the quartet and was replaced by Donnie Sumner. in my life was when I was on National television, on prime time, on the 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. my daughter was born. Sumner shared a couple of stories of some of the people his life has touched. The biological second cousin of legendary bass singer J D Sumner, Donnie was adopted at an early age by J D's brother and typically referred to J D as his uncle. Sumner was inducted into the Gospel Hall of Fame as an individual in 1983 and with the Stamps earlier this year. Thats the best part of the whole piece is if I can help somebody.. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. One gentleman I never met - but have learned from his mother that he heard my story - went into drug rehab and now hes doing very, very well. existence. [citation needed] The quartet was headquartered in Tampa, Florida and was sponsored by the Dixie Lily Flour Company. hes going, dont get so caught up in where youre going that you lose After more than four decades, Donnie's vocal interpretations and dynamic style still continues to touch and capture the hearts of listeners nationwide. Because of the still-incredible appeal of Elvis Presley 35 years after his death, I asked Sumner if felt that people got the real message of his ministry as he intends it or are they emotionally responding to the memory of Elvis. Well, Ill start by telling you when J.D. Shes Im also going Hes alive!, Then, in a more serious tone, he added, Nah, Ill be truly delighted I dont care what they say about me, as long as they close it with when they leave the head of my coffin Ill see you in the mornin If they say that, Im happy with everything else they say.. You must have JavaScript enabled to use this form. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics". God said that He wasnt going to remember my sins. routine during the intermission and it was like a clean, moral, and wholesome As part of J.D. In it (and if I remember correctly), when describing Elvis love of southern gospel music, Humbard used the story of King Saul who had vacated the calling of God and lived with a very troubled heart. write, and travel. Already being aware of Donnie's musical abilities and stage personality, early in 1973 Donnie was asked by Elvis to again become a part of his entourage and personal "family". Geraldo said, Why are you so sure? He said, If he wasnt dead, he woulda done killed Michael Jackson.. So, I guess with her mother, weve never spent a night apart since 1983. Having retired from what he refers to as "Show Business", for the next three. Donnie: In 1987, I was on PTL when they were Geraldo asked him if he was certain that Elvis was dead. Ive changed careers several times in my life and every time I did, I had no other choice. 4, 1966, when my son was born. John Daniel Sumner, nicknamed Jim Dandy or J.D., was born in Lakeland, Florida in 1924. By this, he meant the way that Sumner would run down the scale and bottom out on the lowest note he could hit. They would . Charlie would always call on those session calls and said, Elvis wants you to come over and do this, that or the other and I would say the reason why I couldnt. View the profiles of people named Donnie Sumner. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. Well, I piddled at it for eight or nine years and then I took about three months off and concentrated on it, finished it up and got it out. Favorites. He said, I want you to come up and sing at the funeral. I said, Aw, Uncle Jake, he aint dead. If youve ever been around more than just one or two Presley fans at a time like, say, at Graceland you will know right away that among the mostly sane and normal people, there are a few who are, ah, heck! covered me up. said that he would rent a limousine to bring me up there. When my wife left me back in 1976, to you through some of the hardest trials of your life? He was often seen in his latter years appearing as a guest artist on the Bill Gaither Homecoming videos. Tour" in 1972. Hes got a good voice. I always of everything I do. Donnie sang lead with the Stamps Trio, J D Sumner And The Stamps, and Voice. During his tenure of service as a "Stamp", Donnie was also awarded the SESAC AWARD as "Best Country Songwriter" in 1969 and was nominated in 1970 for a GRAMMY AWARD by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Science (NARAS) in the category of "Country Song of the Year for his work entitled "THE THINGS THAT MATTER". Since he brought up the end of his life, I asked Donnie what, when hes joined Elvis in leaving this building called earth, he hopes his legacy is and how does he want to be remembered. I want them to laugh at my humor, at my jokes, at myself by being old, fat and ugly. get a blessing out of my music. I do an occasional concert and an occasional still up and running. As he said in his autobiography, "Gospel music is. 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