SPOTLIGHT: GROUP HISTORY: BLACKWOOD BROTHERS QUARTET

SOUTHERN GOSPEL SPOTLIGHT PRESENTS

A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE LEGENDARY BLACKWOOD BROTHERS QUARTET

The name Blackwood is synonymous with Southern Gospel music. In 1934, three brothers and a son from Choctaw County, Mississippi formed one of the most popular quartets in in the history of Southern Gospel Music. The original group consisted of bass singer Doyle, lead James, tenor Roy, and Roy's son R.W. singing baritone. The quartet was formed in the midst of the Great Depression in the U.S. which was a time when Americans were struggling to provide for themselves and their families. The American people needed hope and that was what the Blackwood Brothers Quartet was all about: bringing hope to the world and spreading the Good News of Jesus Christ. As stated on the Blackwood Brothers website: "In June 1954, the Blackwood Brothers Quartet appeared on the "Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts" show on television. They won the competition with their stirring rendition of "The Man Upstairs." Two weeks after the Arthur Godfrey appearance, two of the Blackwood Brothers, R. W. Blackwood and Bill Lyles, were both killed in a plane crash in Clanton, Alabama. The surviving Blackwoods regrouped adding R. W.'s younger brother, Cecil, to sing baritone and J. D. Sumner, singing bass (Blackwood Brothers, http://www.blackwoodbrothers.com/history.htm) This was a tragic event for the family and the group. However, the quartet continued on and has had an incredible and long lasting career. James and Cecil Blackwood along with J.D. Sumner organized the first the National Quartet Convention in 1956. The NQC still exists today and is held every year in Pidgeon Forge, TN as of last year. Many great vocalists and performers have been a part of this incredible group: bass singers J.D. Sumner, London Parris, Cecil Stringer, John Hall, and Randy Byrd, and tenors Calvin Newton, Bill Shaw, Cat Freeman, along with many others. This group has been a true pioneer and trailblazer in this field; leading the way for the groups of today. In their 80 year career, the quartet has recorded over 200 albums and toured in 47 countries. They have won eight Grammy Awards and 6 Dove Awards and were inducted in the "Gospel Music Hall of Fame" in Nashville, TN in 1998. James Blackwood left in the early 1980s to form the Master's Five and continued singing as a solo artist as well. He also appeared on many of Bill Gaither's Homecoming videos until his death in 2002. The group is currently comprised of Billy Blackwood, James Blackwood's youngest son, singing baritone, Wayne Little at tenor, Butch Owens at bass, and Michael Helwig singing lead. Blackwood's tender baritone, Little's classic tenor, Helwig's powerful lead, and the smooth rich bass voice of Owens come together to produce that authentic old timey quartet sound. The group celebrated its 80th Anniversary last year by releasing a brand new recording that blends together the classic sounds of the the old days with the new more progressive sounds of today's quartets. This spectacular lineup carries on the name and quality of the Blackwood Brothers.

For more information about this legendary group, visit http://www.blackwoodbrothers.com/index.html