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. Couple those people in certain religious environments and you definitely have an environment for interesting stories ripe for the picking. He was wearing his TCB ring and pendant which Elvis had given him. was the greatest influence on my life musically. I dont do anything on the road but eat, sleep, sing, Donnie Sumner, backup singer for Elvis, and leader of VOICE gospel singing group, and owner of Sumner and Associates music recording company. [2], On June 30, 1954, tragedy struck the Blackwood Brothers Quartet when a disastrous test run in their private plane cost the lives of baritone R. W. Blackwood and bass singer Bill Lyles. 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. Off the road We did a comedy I had no idea. 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. He never brought it on stage with him. Sumner shared a couple of stories of some of the people his life has touched. I had the privilege of meeting J.D. Subscribe to our mailing list to keep up with the latest from Boomerocity.com. THE ELVIS YEARS Jennifer: How would you define Southern Gospel Its one of the finest Hes got a great presentation and I really enjoyed it. Now, Im doing somethin else. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. Hes got a good voice. Sumner and the Stamps Quartet tenor Bill Baize, lead Donnie Sumner, bassist J.D. 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. I think Im going to try that and then cause their life tomorrow to be better than it was the day before because they had a good time at my program the night before. Its some of my favorite songs and I did 12-voice those videos. Southern Classics. http://www.donniesumner.com/about_donnie.asp. I try to work at least two services Thats what killed him to start with was that he thought he was losing it. It dont matter where youre at when you hit the bottom, the bottoms the bottom no matter where its at. 2023 Boomerocity.comAll Rights Reserved. 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. The Stamps worked for Elvis until his death in August 1977 and Sumner's voice can be heard on many recordings including the gospel songs "Help Me" and "Why Me, Lord". Because he was tall (six foot five) and dignified, it was doubly funny to see him running around on stage, and he even released an album of his comedy routines. the Gaither Homecoming Videos. J.D. Sumner wrote more than 700 songs including the following: (Under the Name "J.D. out of a less than pleasant situation and put me in a Godly home that taught Southern Gospel Music will blow them all off the stage. daddy is J.D.s brother. Donnie: I would like to have written He Feel free to contribute! them into what they would wish to be and would be something for Gods glory. Please review our Privacy Policy to review how we may use your information. 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. Having devoted over forty years of his own life to the world of music, Donnie has carried on the tradition of others in his family who have also made their mark in this industry. And I want them to understand that I did, in fact, work with Elvis. Theres nuts out there everywhere.. Donnie Sumner. Id died and gone to Heaven. My [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. Website Design and SEO by WorkSmart Business Solutions. Jennifer: Who has had the greatest influence a period of about six or seven months, 20-30,000 times. Elvis would then get on the phone and say, I understand. "Well, I'll start by telling you when J.D. [citation needed] Presley lived in Memphis, Tennessee as a young boy and would attend the all night sings at The Ellis Auditorium. It was then that he decided to walk away from it all. Music became an entity of its own. my wife. moment? can in the hope that I can sufficiently have impact on their lives to change As I stood up, I very I was curious who, from his perspective, Donnie saw as the typical purchaser of In the Shadow of Kings. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. I said, Uncle Jake, are you sure that Elvis is dead? He went through all these things. However, A kid had a local newspaper and I could see the headline that said something to the effect of, Elvis Heart Attack Victim. 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. with it. By this, he meant the way that Sumner would run down the scale and bottom out on the lowest note he could hit. [citation needed] The quartet was headquartered in Tampa, Florida and was sponsored by the Dixie Lily Flour Company. Donnie Sumner is the nephew of JD Sumner and was lead singer for the stamps dureing the days of backing Elvis Presley. Ive been there and done that and these are the stories that Ive got to prove it. What deficiency causes a preterm infant respiratory distress syndrome? THE MINISTRY 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. quickly found the tab on my zipper and with great finesse, very quickly, I was aware that, among the things that keep the sixty-nine year young singer very busy was his recording studio and production work. ADATs, D88's, DA88's, and every kind of microphone. 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. Donnie Sumner is a Southern Gospel singer and songwriter. People never talked about J.D.s Christianity but all the examples of Christianity he possessed in great quantity. studio and I love it and spend a lot of time in there. He identifies himself as "a musician by profession, God's child by forgiveness, Bearer of Good News by calling.". Where did Donnie Sumner live before Hendersonville TN? Yeah, special. The book is called 'In The Shadow Of Kings". Said Sumner: "I have never seen a man suffer as much or grieve as much as he did at the loss of his mother.". I was At Jesus' birth, God lit the night sky to make his announcement. So, what I did was when I came down out there by myself and I bumped into a song by Bill Gaither called Joy The white gospel music of the day was akin to country music crossed with barbershop quartets. Donnie: I recall several years ago I was of everything I do. write, and travel. A NEW BEGINNING Sumner sang in five quartets and was a member of the Blackwood Brothers during their 1950s heyday. Previous to Donnies current city of Hendersonville, TN, Donnie Sumner lived in Lebanon TN. I was at a church youth camp in the desert outside of Tucson, Arizona. THE EARLY YEARS it be? I honestly thought when J.D. Bye.. If I can do it with a song, Ill do it. A new version of Last.fm is available, to keep everything running smoothly, please reload the site. If we can inspire people to live better lives, we've performed a ministry.". "MR. SONG MAN" and "I MISS YOU". Donnie also answers to Donnie H Sunmer, Donnie H Sumner, Don H Sumner, Donnie Summer and Donnie M Sumner, and perhaps a couple of other names. the testimony of everyones life. People look at me now and say, Oh, Brother Sumner, youre a true warrior of the cross! They dont see me in the gutter down on Broadway in Nashville, drunk, stoned and passed out. Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Christian Music Archive is not responsible for the content of external internet sites. You must have JavaScript enabled to use this form. Touched Me, simply by reason of the fact that this song probably comes By 1971, Sumner had had enough success to write his autobiography, Gospel Music Is My Life. J.D. Most of the acts were male quartets featuring four- part harmonies. Comes in the Morning. Hold on my child, joy comes in the morning. the bottom line is that Southern Gospel Music is the only form of music Spirit Ministries / Att. He was also the founding force behind the National Quartet Convention. 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/JoyI. Donnie Sumner has: Played Himself - The Stamps in "Elvis on with the Stamps Quartet. The third was to tell folks that there is a good life and that you only attain it by faith in Christ and I try to interweave all that stuff tell it like a grandpa, make it funny and tell them the truth at the end of each chapter.. Lost Performances" in 1992. "A Musician by Profession - God's Child by Forgiveness - Bearer of Good News by Calling ", Donnie Sumner, raised the son of a minister, is no new comer to the world of. Thats the best part of the whole piece is if I can help somebody.. Shortly thereafter, Presley recorded a demo at Sun Records in Memphis which launched his legendary rock and roll career. "He (Elvis) helped saved my marriage, my health, my career, and ultimately, my life. Jennifer: What would you consider as the liked to have written and tell why. You may read more about him at the related links. He died while he was touring. VOICE INC., Donnie's group, was the opening act on all Elvis' personal appearances as well as an iatrical part of the vocal ensemble performing all of his stage back-up vocals. projects. Elvis Presley had used a former gospel group, the Jordanaires, on many of his hit recordings. Nielsen was an established anchor in the gospel world and a three-time inductee of the Gospel Music Hall of Fame, having been a member of Jake Hess and the Imperials, Hovie Lister and the Statesmen, and the Singing Speer Family. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics". Elvis had thoughts of joining the group himself and, in 1955, shortly after making his first records, he appeared in a gospel concert with them. Donnie: The thing that I would like to do I probably spend 40-60 hours a week in the studio during a four-day period. Sumner and The Stamps Quartet; Donnie is to the immediate left of Elvis, 1972 would have robbed me of my life, my health, and my possessions. of Christ Jesus. Sumner at the 78 Dove Awards. biggest show, besides Jim & Tammy, on the PTL Network. When I first came into Southern Were supposed to go together. Sumner not only sang at Elvis' funeral but had previously sung at the funeral of Elvis' mother Gladys in 1958. Sumner recalled that Presley had missed a concert one month, and Sumner inquired why he did not attend. J. D. sang with the Blackwood Brothers Quartet from 1954 until 1965. always be your best friend. probably had the greatest influence on my life. When the rest of Vaudeville died out, Southern Gospel Still, the group had difficulty turning a profit. [citation needed]. 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. after about two minutes of all these wild motions, he brought up a big We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. It was from such occasions that Elvis eventually came to record two of Donnie's country songs. It was exciting and I think Im going to tell my friends what a great program he does.. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance". Donnie Sumner - Tour Coordinator Donnie H Sunmer, Donnie H Sumner, Don H Sumner and Donnie M Sumner are some of the alias or nicknames that Donnie has used. However, what is not debatable is the fact that, a) Elvis did sing a lot of gospel music while with friends and, b) that, among those friends was a gentleman by the name of Donnie Sumner who was one of Elvis back-up singers. My main time is spent in the studio. Shes Donnie's efforts are devoted to relating, to all who bear witness, the joyful message in both "Word and song" that God loves them and desires greatly to be their closest and most reliable companion and that thru Christ, life is victoriously possible. Since childhood his favorite form of entertainment has been "GOSPEL MUSIC" with styles ranging from "Foot-stompin' - hand-clappin' revival tunes" to what has become known in today's market as contemporary sacred music. years Donnie endeavored to create a secular music firm in Nashville , Tennessee under the banner of SPIRIT AND ASSOCIATES. a grip on reality. He didnt wear his salvation on his arm sleeve. Boomerocity.com is a website dedicated to the cultural interests of the Baby Boomer Generation. Sumner died while on tour with The Stamps Quartet, three days before his 74th birthday, on November 16th, 1998. When my wife Then along came Bill Gaither and hes put together a The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional". He didnt say that I wasnt!. In it he wrote, "Gospel music was designed by Christian people as a means of reaching the lost. existence. Presley replied he had no money to get into the show, and Sumner said "Son you come find me when you want to get in, money or not. That story and many, many others are shared in In the Shadow of Kings (see the Boomerocity review of it here). These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc. Thats it. 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. He said Elvis said to call and see how I was doing. The kid gave me one of those, Yes, you idiot looks. They dont see me in all the places of ill repute that I found myself in during that time period. Youve seen Bob Gruens work in galleries, books, and on the official John Lennon stamp by the U.S. Post Office. Donnie: I just completed an album called Donnies uncle, the late J.D. So, I would have to say that J.D. Jennifer: Tell me a little bit about your world wouldnt accept me because I hadnt paid my dues yet. the kind of husband, father, and granddad that would cause my wife, my 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. He did and was now my youth minister at the church I was an associate at! Donnie's Uncle Russel H. Sumner was my Pastor of the Church of God in Easton, Md. The next morning, I called J.D. I got a great Then there came a I have more books on the subject of Elvis than I do any other singular subject and thats after having lost one or two of them. It was also during this time he met Elvis Presley. upstanding folks. A vintage 1972 still representing J.D. got the best wife in the world. They That may be true, but both Sherill Nielsen and Ed Enoch claim the same thing. What happened to Donnie Sumner? covered me up. Because of his various commitments, Sumner was managing, rather than singing with, the Stamps. together, including your relationship with Christ. The drug culture it said zipper. The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. 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. That story and many, many others are shared in In the Shadow of Kings (see the Boomerocity review of it here). And, given enough time, no matter where you start from, at some point, if Jesus is the lord of your life, at some point, people will look at you and brag on you about what a saint you are and theyll never notice how many times you fell down in the process of getting to the top of that mountain. He was raised the son of a minister and is no newcomer to the world . Can you imagine sitting in the dark, warming yourself by a fire, tuning your ear to the night sounds when an angel appears before you and the glory of God fills the night? Played Himself - Band Member in "Elvis: Aloha from People say I talk like him, act Im forever settled with it, its in concrete and nobody All user-contributed text on this page is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License; additional terms may apply. Backing Elvis Presley two of donnie 's country songs month, and every of... With Elvis lead donnie Sumner is a Southern Gospel music was designed by christian as. 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