Chapter Seven

Gospel Singing and

Singing Conventions

 by G.W. (Heavy) Ott

Gospel singing as a form of community entertainment has long been a part of the history of Marion County. Nearly every community in the County, prior to the advent of the radio and television, had its group of gospel singers who sang at the community Church gatherings, funerals and the Saturday night community singings. Many of these singers had no voice training and little or "no knowledge of music", but were blessed by God with beautiful voices and a natural sense of rhythm and harmony and when they sang the old favorites-ROCK of AGES; BLESSED ASSURANCE; JESUS, LOVER of MY SOUL; GOD BE WITH YOU; JUST OVER in THE GLORY LAND; ON JORDAN'S STORMY BANKS, and such songs, they sang with spirit and understanding, and the old buildings where these singings were held shook with the volume of these voices as they praised their God and voiced their hope and faith in a better home than the one on earth.

It is impossible to recall all of the early song leaders in the various communities, and from lack of personal knowledge and little written record of these early harbingers of harmony, many names will likely be omitted. The following names come to mind as we write: Sam Medley, George Kirkwood, Willie Wilbanks, W. C. Pilgrim, Tom Poynter, J. R. McCracken, George Brown, Sam Adams, Lee Fielder, Spurgeon McChristian, George Syler, Charles Koonzie, Preacher Beckham, Anthony Doshier, Marvin Doshier, Tom Covey, James Rose, Shell Cunningham, Edd Jones, Green Thompson, Winfield Sims, Felix Jones, Paul Jones, Linely Williams and many others.

With the coming of the radio and the "airing" of the many gospel quartettes and famous singers, it appears that interest in the community gospel singing fell to a low ebb and it was not until the Spring of 1932 that a singing school, taught at Eros by a Mr. Scott, renewed interest in community singing. Four young men in the community - Guy Rose, Karl King, Grady Elam, and Bynum Roberts - finished the school and secured licenses to teach singing schools, These young men formed a quartette and sang in various communities in the County. With the singing by this quartette, interest in gospel singing revived and each of these men taught singing schools where many of the younger learned to be song leader. Community singings became popular and in September, 1933, The Marion County Singer's Association was organized at the Antioch Baptist Church meeting at the No. 1 schoolhouse east of Flippin. Guy Rose was elected president and Karl King was elected secretary-treasurer.

This association has continued over a period of forty-three years and many changes in the names of those who have served as officers have occurred. It is impossible to recall all those who have served but these names come to mind: Karl King, Jewell Doshier, Shell Jarrett, Ancil Baker, Ray Robinson, Garland James, Buck Harris, Floyd Anderson, Eugene Johnson, Cecil Pierce, Lee Bowers, Auburn Keeter, and Harry Morrow. While the Singing Conventions have played an important part in keeping the interest alive in gospel singing, it must be kept in mind that the song leader in the various communities and the fine quartettes have done more and, in fact, had it not been for their interest and participation the Singing Conventions would have disappeared.

Among the song leaders since the organization of The Marion County Singer's Association in 1933 the following names come to mind: Jessie Morris, Eugene Johnson, Buck Harris, George Dodson, Charlie Morgan, Willie Wilbanks, Walter Bridges, Claude Hudson, Karl King, Guy Rose, Ancil Baker, Erette Williams, Jack Pace, Ernie Methvin, Jewell Doshier, Bridges Pannell, Cecil Pierce, Holland Davenport, Cecil Briggs, Mervin Wolf, Clifford McCracken, Willie Bailey, Max Wilbanks, Buck McCracken, Glen Hickey, Clifton (Sap) Sanders, Fred Bearden, Joe Harlin, Gale Allen, Ruth Gaines, Elizabeth Stonecipher, Ivon Sanders, Auburn Keeter, Clyde Still, John Lyons, Joe Jones, Steve Jones, Lee Bower, Jim Bogle, Virgil Ott, Bea Still, Troy Methvin, Rex Wood, Ray Adams, Lovell (Bally) Ferguson, and others whose names cannot be recalled. To all of these we owe a debt of gratitude, and hopefully, through their interest and effort and the efforts and interest of the younger singers, gospel singing and singing conventions will continue to be a part of our rich heritage in Marion County.