Flashback - April 1972I was digging through some old
Singing News'es (is that a real word?) nah, who cares, the other day looking for something or other and found myself reading the April 1972, issue. As I read, cold chills ran down my back as I realized just how many of my long time Southern Gospel music friends were, let's see how can I put this, how about "Unresponsive or Inactive."
As I read page after page of stories and concert announcements I realized how many of these folks and or groups are not around today.
The big promoters of that year were WB Nowlin, Lloyd Orrell and JG Whitfield. Below is a list of the big groups booked on their concerts in April 1972: the Florida Boys, the Prophets, the LeFevres, the Thrasher Brothers, the Downings, Rosie Rozell and the Searchers, Coy Cook and the Senators, the Oak Ridge Boys, (not defunct, just rich country, the Blue Ridge Quartet, JD Sumner and the Stamps, the Rebels, the Statesmen, the Smitty Gatlin Singers, Jim Black and the Cordsmen, the Sammy Hall Singers, and the Scenicland Boys.
It was April of '72 when the Rebels changed their name to London Paris and the Apostles. The Happy Goodman Family was doing a special concert series with an orchestra and Eddie Crook was conducting.
Also newsworthy that month was Dave Roland left the Senators and went with Jerry and the Goffs. Dave later created a country music trio known as Dave and Sugar. The next big event was the Hinson family's move from Fresno, Cal., to Madisonville, KY, to work with the Happy Goodmans.
Other changes I discovered while reading about the groups:
In April 1972, Big Chief was still alive and singing with the Statesmen as was Doy Ott. Billy Todd and Tommy Atwood were with the Florida Boys. Bill Shaw, James Blackwood and Tommy Fairchild were all with the Blackwood Brothers. Can you believe this? The Happy Goodman Family and the Oak Ridge Boys were doing concerts together in 1972. My how time flies when you're having fun.
The next thing that caught my attention was the
Singing News "Gospel Hits Chart," as it was called in those days. Canaan was the big record label (record label? what's that) then, and heartwarming (Benson) was closing in. The number one song in April 1972 was "Flowers Kissed The Shoes Jesus Wore," by the Oak Ridge Boys. Holding the number two spot was "Tiny" by the Singing Rambos. Continuing on down the line we find at number three "The Lighthouse," by the Happy Goodman Family; number four was "Through It All," by the Blackwood Singers; number five was "That Day is Almost Here," by the Blue Ridge Quartet, and number six was "I'll Wake Up in Glory," by the Inspirations. Number seven was "Going Up" by the Inspirations, (things haven't changed that much for the Inspirations, they're still picking hit songs,) and number eight was "God Walks The Dark Hills," by the Happy Goodman Family. Of all these, only the Inspirations are still regulars in the charts. Those guys must be getting really old?
