Died On This Date (November 16, 1998) J.D. Sumner / Sang With Elvis
themusicsover John David Sumner
November 19, 1924 – November 16, 1998
J.D. Sumner was a southern gospel singer who was recognized for his deep bass voice. Sumner’s dream to sing began when he was just a young child, and after his tour of duty in WW2, he set out to accomplish it. By the late ’40s, he began to come into his own in such vocal groups as Sunny South Quartet and Sunshine Boys. In 1954, Sumner was hired by James Blackwood to sing bass in his Blackwood Brothers, further establishing Sumner as one of the genre’s best vocalists. He and Blackwood also went into several business ventures together, including the formation of the Gospel Music Association, and the purchase of the Stamps Quartet Music Company from Frank Stamps, Sumner’s early inspiration. He eventually left the Blackwood Brothers to form his own group, J.D. Sumner and the Stamps. In 1971, the Stamps were hired by Elvis Presley to tour and record. They backed Presley on each of his albums throughout the ’70s and appeared onstage during his televised concerts of the era. Sumner broke up the Stamps in 1980 but formed a new version by the end of the decade. J.D. Sumner, 73, passed away while on tour with the Stamps on November 16, 1998.
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