Elvis Live with Statesmen Quartet -> Friday, July 27, 1956 !

[drjohncarpenter]

Here we have Elvis and the Statesmen Quartet With Hovie Lister, on stage at Ellis Auditorium in Memphis -->

Elvis_Statesman_1956.jpg

Like the Blackwood Brothers, the Statesmen Quartet recorded gospel for RCA:

570506_RCA LPM 1411.jpg

The Statesmen Quartet With Hovie Lister (RCA Victor LPM 1411, May 6, 1957)
https://books.google.com/books?id=px0EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA43

600708_RCA LPM 2127.jpg

The Statesmen With Hovie Lister Mansion Over The Hilltop (RCA Victor LPM 2127, July 8, 1960)
https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/303799098/





Many of their known numbers would make up the shortlist for Presley's October 1960 His Hand In Mine sessions.

Statesman Quartet_circa 1957.jpg

Statesmen Quartet: Hovie Lister (piano), Denver Crumpler, Jake Hess, Doy Ott, and Jim "Big Chief" Wetherington





Jake Hess is considered a HUGE vocal influence on our hero, and in 1966 he'd invite Hess and his current group -- at that point he was the leader of the Imperials -- to attend his How Great Thou Art recording sessions.

Lister was photographed with Elvis and J.D. Sumner at another Memphis gospel convention in October 1970.

However . . . the live photo from Ellis Auditorium I posted is included in the booklet for Amazing Grace: His Greatest Sacred Performances (RCA/BMG, November 20, 1994), and claims to be from November 1955.

http://www.elvisinnorway.no/amazinggrace.html

Can anyone confirm this date? It looks more like November 1956 to my eyes.



EDIT -->

As per bripet56, the photo was taken on Friday, July 27, 1956 at Ellis Auditorium in Memphis.

Thanks, Brian.

[FrankieRider2]

Great shot, Doc! Lord knows I'm not a '50s (or any other period) expert, but that profile and hair does look like a 1956 shot to me as well.

[drjohncarpenter]

Great shot, Doc! Lord knows I'm not a '50s (or any other period) expert, but that profile and hair does look like a 1956 shot to me as well.

Thanks, Frankie!

[bripet56]

The picture is included in a book called "The Atomic Powered Singer" where the authour writes:

On Friday night, July 27 (1956), Elvis did a typically unexpected thing when he turned up at the Blackwood Brothers Gospel Sing and sang two songs "Jesus Filled My Every Need" and "You'll Never Walk Alone" with the Statesmen Quartet.

Sincerely
Brian
http://www.brian56.dk

[ColinB]

Elvis failed his audition to join a Gospel Quartet - he was too young to grow the statutory moustache..........

[drjohncarpenter]

The picture is included in a book called "The Atomic Powered Singer" where the authour writes: "On Friday night, July 27 (1956), Elvis did a typically unexpected thing when he turned up at the Blackwood Brothers Gospel Sing and sang two songs "Jesus Filled My Every Need" and "You'll Never Walk Alone" with the Statesmen Quartet."

THANKS, Brian!

What a wonderful book that is -- as if you didn't know.

[JamesVRoy]

cool stuff, I had wondered about that picture and and appearance. It'll prove useful.

[drjohncarpenter]

cool stuff, I had wondered about that picture and and appearance. It'll prove useful.

Do you know any of the surviving Statesman Quartet?

[JamesVRoy]

No

[drjohncarpenter]

No

OK. Then "useful" meaning ... ?

[ColinB]

No

OK. Then "useful" meaning ... ?

"useful" = "able to be used for a practical purpose or in several ways"

Hope that was useful !

[drjohncarpenter]

No

OK. Then "useful" meaning ... ?

"useful" = "able to be used for a practical purpose or in several ways"

Hope that was useful !

Oh, thank you!

[ColinB]

No

OK. Then "useful" meaning ... ?

"useful" = "able to be used for a practical purpose or in several ways"
Hope that was useful !

Oh, thank you!

I do what I can.

[drjohncarpenter]

This is such an old post, but I ran across the newspaper report on the appearance, so I thought this would be the place to share it.

And there's a surprise to be found in it.

TV News and Views

Mixture of Old and New This Fall

By ROBERT JOHNSON
Press-Scimitar Staff Writer

[snip]

. . . Elvis left for Florida yesterday afternoon ahead of time for a series of engagements there. “Can't get any rest at home," Elvis said. He did a typically unexpected thing Friday night, turned up at the Blackwood Brothers Gospel Sing, sang two songs with the Statesmen Quartet — "Jesus Filled My Every Need” and “You'll Never Travel Alone.” Elvis is particularly fond of gospel quartets, hopes to record some religious music himself soon. I heard his name mentioned four times on national broadcasts yesterday, including the American Forum discussion of rock ’n’ roll.

Memphis Press-Scimitar - Monday, July 30, 1956
https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/800033996/

This is one of the songs Elvis did with the group that night:

550600_Statesmen 1053-B.jpg

Statesmen Quartet with Hovie Lister "Jesus Fills My Every Need" (Statesmen 1053, June 1955)



And the other one?

Now since this column was first noticed by Elvis fans, the belief was Robert Johnson meant to write "You'll Never Walk Alone."

I have come to the realization everyone . . . got it wrong.

The Statemen never recorded it. In fact, as of the date of this surprise appearance from Presley, I found not a single gospel quartet had even approached "You'll Never Walk Alone."

Did Johnson mistype the title? Yes, just a bit, but not in the way it was long assumed.

The second number was very likely another single from the quartet's catalog. This one:

530815_Capitol 2566.jpg

Statesmen Quartet with Hovie Lister "When You Travel All Alone" (Capitol 2566, July 1953)



It also appeared on their private label as Statesmen 1017:

530800_Statesmen 1017-B.jpg

There's nothing else in the Statesmen catalog up to July 1956 that comes closer to the title Johnson wrote in his column.

So there's another little piece of the puzzle, revealed for the first time, right here on FECC.

Pretty cool.

Unfortunately, I can't find "When You Travel All Alone" online. To make up for that, here's a TV appearance by the Statesmen from a month before Elvis' guest spot:





Statesman Quartet with Hovie Lister "Where No One Stands Alone" (syndicated TV program, June 1956)
L-R: James "Big Chief" Wetherington (bass), Denver Crumpler (tenor), Jake Hess (lead), Doy Ott (baritone)

Recall Elvis did a beautiful version of "Where No One Stands Alone" for his 1967 gospel album How Great Thou Art, and delivered a surprise rendition, solo at the piano, in a concert ten years later. He loved this song.



Not too long ago I found a less-cropped version of the photo in the OP. It shows the full Statemen Quartet with Hovie Lister (on piano).

L-R: Elvis, Jake Hess, Denver Crumpler, Doy Ott, Jim Wetherington and Hovie Lister

Wish we could have heard these tunes that long-ago Friday night.

'