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Two Stamps and A Baxter A series of significant events in the 1920s launched a legendary name in United States in Gospel Music . It all started in 1924 when VO Stamps formed the VO Stamps School Of Music. Stamps' brother Frank formed the first Stamps Quartet around the same time. Then in 1926, VO partnered with JR Baxter to form the Stamps-Baxter Music and Printing Company. They would become the most successful publisher of shape note hymn books in the United States. VO Stamps also formed a quartet of his own. In 1927, the Frank Stamps Quartet signed a recording contract with RCA Victor records, making them the first Southern Gospel quartet to sign on a major label. They also had the first ever southern gospel hit single with "Give The World A Smile." In addition to their recordings, they were introducing innovative practices for the time. When Dwight Brock (brother to Lena "Mom" Speer ) joined the group at the piano, he was one of the first to introduce instrumental "turnarounds" between the verses. This move also established the now revered "four guys and a piano" configuration for male quartet singing. Groups using various versions of the Stamps name were active until VO's death in 1940. At one point, he even sued his brother Frank for using a duplicate (or nearly duplicate) name. The groups served a purpose that ultimately benefited from all the sharing, though. The Stamps-Baxter Company published songbooks, and selling them was a key source of revenue for the groups and for the company in turn. Over 100 groups used the word “Stamps” in their name. Stamps Name Multiplied After VO Stamps' death, Frank Stamps became JR Baxter's partner and took over his brother's duties in the company. He also left his own group, the Stamps All Stars, to sing in the group his brother had owned, the Old Original Stamps Quartet. Under Frank's influence, the publishing company began to arrange deals with many popular quartets of the day to sell Stamps-Baxter songbooks. In exchange, groups were allowed to use "Stamps" or "Stamps-Baxter" as part of their own name. The company also launched a number of groups with the Stamps name. The partnership lasted five years until Frank Stamps left his position with Stamps-Baxter and began a new company called Stamps Quartet Music Company. The division did not bring about the end of the various Stamps Quartets, however. Members of groups owned by the Stamps company were swapped around like modern sports stars, only more frequently. The Stamps All Stars were promoted as the top group in the Stamps family, so any time a member would quit, the next best man was immediately moved into his place. Finally, the "All Star" designation was dropped and the group that had been the Stamps All Stars had come to be known simply as The Stamps Quartet. Frank Stamps decided to narrow his attention to publishing songbooks around 1950. The remaining group members recorded as the Stamps for a few years this, but ultimately changed the group name to the Plainsmen Quartet and parted ways with the publishing company. And so, the Stamps Quartet came to its first end. First Rebirth (1962) A few years later in the early 1960s, the Stamps Quartet was reborn, again as an outreach of the publishing company. Terry Blackwood , Smiling Joe Roper, Jerry Redd, Big Jim Waits , and Roger McDuff were members of the new Stamps around 1962. Ready for retirement, Frank Stamps sold his business to James Blackwood and J. D. Sumner a year or two later. By that point, the group included Big John Hall, Jim Hill , and Mylon Lefevre . In 1967, JD and James Blackwood "swapped" bass singer. Sumner went to the Stamps and John Hall came to the Blackwood Brothers. Part of the deal also consisted of JD giving up his ownership of the Blackwood Brothers and James giving up his ownership of the Stamps. Jimmy Blackwood went to work for JD in the Stamps at the same time. Donnie Sumner became the piano player in 1966 and then moved to the baritone slot when it opened up. Working for the King (1971-1977) As the 1970s rolled around, the Stamps saw a number of changes. Most notable was their launch into global stardom as the key backup group for Elvis Presley . Ed Enoch came on board in 1969. Bill Baize was soon singing tenor, and Ed Hill later came to the Stamps from the Prophets. During their years backing Elvis, Sumner had some health issues, so Richard Sterban and others were used to sing bass at times. After Elvis' death, a revolving door of members sang with the Stamps. By 1980, JD was filling in with Hovie Lister and the Statesmen. It was then that he and Lister hatched the idea for the Masters V , and the Stamps name was once again retired. Second Rebirth (1988) When James Blackwood , Jake Hess , and Steve Warren exited the Masters V , the underlying concept of the group was significantly diluted. JD and Hovie carried on for a while with Shaun/Sherrill Nielsen, Jack Toney, and Ed Hill, but ultimately JD decided to revive the Stamps name. Warren returned to sing tenor while Toney and Hill remained with the group during the name change. When Ed Enoch returned to sing lead, the core members of the Stamps from the glory days of the 1970s were reunited . . . Sumner, Hill, and Enoch. Ultimately, Rick Strickland replaced Warren on tenor and Jerry Kelso became the pianist. Before Sumner's death in 1998, the group appeared at numerous Elvis tribute events as well headlining for gospel concerts. www.jdsumnerandthestampsquartet.com |
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