| J. D. Sumner | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | John Daniel Sumner |
| Born | November 19, 1924 Lakeland, Florida United States |
| Died | November 16, 1998 (aged 73) Myrtle Beach, South Carolina |
| Genres | Southern Gospel |
| Instruments | Bass singer |
| Years active | 1945-98 |
| Associated acts | The Blackwood Brothers Quartet Elvis Presley J. D. Sumner and the Stamps Quartet Masters V Richard Sterban Dave Rowland |
John Daniel "J. D." Sumner (November 19, 1924 - November 16, 1998) was an American gospel singer, songwriter, and music promoter noted for his extremely deep bass voice, and his associations with Elvis Presley.
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Sumner sang in Southern gospel groups including The Sunny South Quartet 1945-1949 (Tampa,Fl WFLA Studios) the Sunshine Boys (1949 - 1954), the Blackwood Brothers Quartet (1954 - 1965), the Stamps Quartet (originally The Stamps Trio) (1965 - 1980; 1988 - 1998), and the Masters V (1981 - 1988).
For eighteen years, Sumner held the Guiness World Record for recording the lowest bass note. As of 2011, he has been surpassed only three times by the following vocalists: Mike Holcomb (1984), Tim Storms (2002), and Roger Menees (2011).[1]
In 1964, Sumner founded the Gospel Music Association with James Blackwood. He was also the founding force behind the National Quartet Convention.
Sumner was most noted as leader of the Stamps Quartet which became known as J.D. Sumner & The Stamps. Elvis Presley, while a teenager, idolized Sumner's singing after seeing him perform with the Sunshine Boys. Presley hired Sumner & The Stamps as his back-up singers in 1971. The group toured and recorded with Presley from November 1971 until Presley's death in 1977. He not only sang at Elvis' funeral but had previously sung at Elvis' mother's funeral back in the late-1950s.[2]
After the Stamps Quartet disbanded in 1980, Sumner with Hovie Lister, Jake Hess, Rosie Rozell, and James Blackwood formed the Masters V as a special consolidation of members of the Blackwood Brothers Quartet and Statesmen Quartet. The group was a showcase for Sumner's voice and compositions and won the 1981 Grammy Award for best traditional gospel performance. Sumner was credited not only for his singing, songwriting, and concert promotions, but was also noted for being the first to customize a coach bus for the entertainment business to use for music groups.
After the Masters V disbanded in 1988, Sumner reformed the Stamps Quartet and performed with the group until his death in 1998. He was often seen in his latter years appearing as a guest artist on the Bill Gaither Homecoming videos.
Sumner was inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame in 1984 and the Southern Gospel Music Association Hall of Fame in 1997.[3] [4]
Sumner wrote more than 700 songs including the following: