Filed for intro on 03/25/99
HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION 170 By Stulce
A RESOLUTION to honor the memory of John Daniel (J.D.) Sumner, legendary Gospel music entertainer.
WHEREAS, it was with great sadness and a profound sense of loss that the members of this General Assembly and the citizens of our state learned of the death of J.D. Sumner; and
WHEREAS, J.D. Sumner was born in Lakeland, Florida, on November 19, 1924, to John
S. Sumner and Lelia Lee Sumner, a direct descendent of General Robert E. Lee; and
WHEREAS, J.D. Sumner and Mary Agnes Varnadore were married June 14, 1941, a marriage that flourished and endured until her death in 1992; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Sumner began his professional singing career in 1945 with the Sunny
South Quartet, leaving in 1949 to join the Sunshine Boys; and
WHEREAS, the Sunshine Boys became regulars on the Wheeling Jamboree, and sang backup on Red Foley's great rendition of "Peace in the Valley" in Nashville in 1951; and
WHEREAS, the Sunshine Boys further displayed their versatility by appearing in several
Westerns with Charles Starrett and Smiley Burnette; and
WHEREAS, following the plane crash in 1954 that claimed the lives of R.W. Blackwood and Bill Lyles, J.D. Sumner became bass singer for the esteemed Blackwood Brothers, a position he held until taking over the Stamps Quartet in 1965; and
WHEREAS, during his time with the Blackwood Brothers, he proved to be an innovator who changed the way things were done, not only in Gospel music but in music groups of all genres, by designing and renovating the interior of the first customized tour bus to be used by a musical group; and
HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION 170 004525 -1- WHEREAS, he also designed new sound systems, and groups switched to two, then to four microphones, enabling quartets to improve the quality of their sound; and
WHEREAS, J.D. Sumner also proved to be a successful songwriter and owner of
Gospel Quartet Music and the Stamps Quartet Music Company, and he further proved his acumen as a businessman by helping to form the Skylite Recording Company, and founding and operating the Sumar Talent Agency; and
WHEREAS, during the years of the Stamps Quartet, J.D. Sumner helped countless singers and musicians hone their skills, including Richard Sterban, Dave Rowland and Tony
Brown; and
WHEREAS, J.D. Sumner and the Stamps Quartet toured and recorded with Elvis
Presley from 1971 until Elvis' death in 1977, thus allowing him to bring his style of Gospel music to even larger audiences; and
WHEREAS, in 1980, he founded the Masters V, along with James Blackwood, Hovie
Lister, Jake Hess and Rosie Rozell, winning a Grammy in 1981 for the Best Traditional Gospel
Recording. He toured with the Masters V until he reactivated the Stamps Quartet in 1987; and
WHEREAS, J.D. Sumner made the Guinness Book of World Records by twice recording the lowest bass note ever sung--a double low C--in his recording of the song "Blessed
Assurance", and again on Elvis Presley's recording of "Way Down"; and
WHEREAS, J.D. Sumner had few equals in the ability to perform moving recitations, as evidenced by his renditions of "The Touch of the Master's Hand", "The Three Nails" and "The
Farmer and the Lord"; and
WHEREAS, he helped found and guided the growth of the National Quartet Convention from its beginnings in Memphis in 1956; and
WHEREAS, in 1964 he was one of the founders of the Gospel Music Association, and was inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame in 1984 as an individual, and again as a member of the Stamps Quartet in 1998; and
- 2 - 00452547 WHEREAS, J.D. Sumner was a founder of the Southern Gospel Music Association in
1994, serving as its president until the time of his death. He was inducted into its Hall of Fame in 1997; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Sumner, along with the Stamps Quartet - Ed Enoch, Ed Hill, Rick
Strickland and Jerry Kelso - continued to thrill audiences until the time of his death on
November 16, 1998, in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina; and
WHEREAS, J.D. Sumner's memory will live forever in the hearts of his many friends and fans, both because of his exceptional sense of humor and his remarkable bass voice; and
WHEREAS, it is appropriate that this legislative body pause in its deliberations to remember the exemplary life of this fine man; now, therefore,
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE HUNDRED
FIRST GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE, THE SENATE
CONCURRING, That we fondly remember and honor the memory of John Daniel (J.D.) Sumner and his many contributions to the world of music and to the State of Tennessee.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That we express our deepest sympathy and condolences to Mr. Sumner's daughters, Shirley Enoch and Frances Dunn; his grandson, Jason Daniel
Enoch; his granddaughter, Kathy Dunn Hall; his two great-grandchildren; his brother, Russell
(Buddy) Sumner; his two sisters; and his many friends.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That an appropriate copy of this resolution be prepared for presentation with this final clause omitted from such copy.
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