John Daniel Sumner, nicknamed Jim Dandy or J.D., was born in Lakeland, Florida in 1924. With a closeness to this lineage of musical greatness, it was only natural that the younger Sumner would take an interest in the family business. Blackwood himself was part of another quartet at the First Assembly in Memphis, the Songfellows, and Presley wanted to join. Their performance of 'Softly, As I Leave You' was nominated for a Grammy when released posthumously in 1978) and Donnie Sumner had just left The Stamps. Copyright 2023 Echovita Inc. All rights reserved. Kenneth Sumner Kenneth Ray Sumner, 72, passed away on August 23, 2022, at his home in . 's, led the congregation in the 23rd Psalm. He had a sense of fun and amused audiences with his impression of "the Gooney Bird". Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged in, Please refresh your browser to be logged in, 25% off everything with this Red Letter Days discount code, 20 extra entries with this Omaze promo code, 5% off UK Theme Parks using this Attraction Tickets discount code, Up to 10% off Sony Playstation gift cards, Compare broadband packages side by side to find the best deal for you, Compare cheap broadband deals from providers with fastest speed in your area, All you need to know about fibre broadband, Best Apple iPhone Deals in the UK April 2023, Compare iPhone contract deals and get the best offer this April, Compare the best mobile phone deals from the top networks and brands. If we can inspire people to live better lives, we've performed a ministry.". I am now victorious in all things and they can be, too, just by deciding that they want to believe on the Lord, Jesus Christ. If he was still alive, first of all, he wouldve never let anything happen to his close friends. I didnt care. Having devoted over forty years of his own life to the world of music, Donnie has carried on the tradition of others in his family who have also made their mark in this industry. Sumner, Ed Enoch, and Nick Bruno. said that he would rent a limousine to bring me up there. In it (and if I remember correctly), when describing Elvis love of southern gospel music, Humbard used the story of King Saul who had vacated the calling of God and lived with a very troubled heart. Sumner shared a story or two. I came back years later and was the associate pastor of that church. He wanted to know if we were interested in it, and we were definitely interested in it'. Receive obituaries from the city or cities of your choice. He was a Glynn County firefighter and a painter. Local obituaries for Blountstown, Florida. I had to ask Sumner if his friendship with Elvis was harmed by his departure or, for that matter, what his Uncle J.D.s reaction was. Within a year, Elvis Presley was dead. 1983 Dreamin' (Skylite Records/SLP-6309): Dreamin'; He Never Gave Up; Then I Met The Master; Nothing But The Blood; Love Found A Pardon; Transformation; My New Song; The Shadow Of His Love; If You Catch Me Looking Up; Looking For A City.1985 Yesterday, Today, And Tomorrow (Skylite Records/SLP-6343): Yesterday Today And Tomorrow; Lift Up The Name Of Jesus; There's Life In Jesus' Name; I'm Standing On Holy Ground; Because He Lives; Exalted By Thy Name; I Am The Lamb; It Is No Secret; Leave A Well In The Valley; Promises (Recitation). CPA5 4775-04. The kid gave me one of those, Yes, you idiot looks. hi-res2000 Classic Southern (Ovation Records/ORD201): Hold To God's Unchanging Hand; Then I Met The Master; Living With Heaven In Mind; His Hand In Mine; He'll Do It For You; Amazing Grace; Nothing But The Blood; I Can Feel The Touch Of His Hand; There's A Blessing Coming Down; The Anchor Holds; He's Coming Soon; Beulah Land; Until Then; Alone Facing God What Then.2002 Timeless Treasures (Image Records/407302-10): I Love To Tell The Story; What A Friend/No Not One; Leave It There; No One Ever Cared For Me Like Jesus; O Come Angel Band; It Is Well; Heaven Medley; Great Is Thy Faithfulness; The Haven Of Rest; Wonderful Peace; Ship Ahoy; God Bless These Folks.2004 Serenade (Image Records): I Love To Tell The Story; An Evening Prayer; Through It All; While Ages Roll; Rock Of Ages; What A Day That Will Be; How Great Thou Art; Ten Thousand Years; Sweet Sweet Spirit; I Must Tell Jesus; Victory In Jesus; In The Sweet Bye And Bye; At The Crossing; What A Friend. They were the favourite group of Gladys Presley, Elvis's mother, and they sang at her funeral in 1958. You would have thought that reaching the pinnacle of Sumner's career as an artist would leave him with very few problems, however the more Donnie enjoyed success, the deeper and darker his life became. Donnie Sumner, "The Lighthouse" - video by Susan Quinn Sand 55,607 views Jun 8, 2016 Jeff Lewis and Friends Gospel Show at end of Tupelo Elvis Festival 2016, Sunday, 6-5-2016 465 Dislike Share. The limit is due to overactive search engine bots (Bing, Google, etc.) He was born in Marshes Siding, Kentucky on May 22, 1947 the son of Jerome and Nellie (Bryant) Sumner. If he were alive, he would still be doing it in some fashion because it wouldve killed him not to do it. The next day two semi trucks pulled up outside of his home. Time and again, Elvis would ask him to repeat low notes. Sumner, is legendary in the southern gospel quarter genre and is known for holding the Guinness World Record for eighteen years for recording the lowest vocal bass note - a "G0". Donnie is the nephew of the late J. D. SUMNER, nationally acclaimed as the "world's lowest bass singer." Both Donnie and J. D. were closely associated with the late ELVIS PRESLEY on both his stage appearances and his recordings. At the end of "Nearer My God To Thee", Elvis says, "I was singing bass, but J.D. The family will receive friends Monday from 12:30 until 2:00 PM at Genesis full Gospel Church. He was a carpenter and worked in construction. That's the chain of events that happened from struggling artist to big artist. It was a song he sang in a talent contest as a child, he came in second. Donnie was also afforded the honor of having a solo appearance in the Elvis documentary, " ELVIS ON TOUR" in which he was featured on the gospel song, "THE LIGHTHOUSE". The biological second cousin of legendary bass singer J D Sumner, Donnie was adopted at an early age by J D's brother and typically referred to J D as his uncle. THE EARLY YEARS "I want your '56 endings," he told him. 'When I was with Elvis I had plenty of money, plenty of safety, plenty of access to anything I wanted. Absolutely nobody can communicate the lyrics of a gospel song like Elvis', may be re-printed for public display without permission, Interview with Michael Jarrett, songwriter, I'm Leavin', Interview with James Burton Sydney Australia 2006, James Burton: First Call For The Royalty Of Rockabilly, Interview with Terry Blackwood & Jim Murray. If I can do it by just walking around and being friendly, Ill do it. You can send your sympathy in the guestbook provided and share it with the family. He was 73. attleboro obituaries this past weekend; elder high school alumni directory; edgewood valley country club initiation fee; heartland mallory and jake wedding; Gallery By Industry. That guys got a lot of stage skills. In December of 1979 with the encouragement and blessings of his Pastor, Donnie relinquished his music company to his Brother and business partner and yielded his life and talents to total Christian service and entered into full time "ministry". Funeral services will be held 11 AM, Friday, September 17, 2021, at Bethany Missionary Baptist Church, in Irwin County, Georgia, with the Rev. He was a Glynn County firefighter and a painter. During his tenure of service as a "Stamp", Donnie was also awarded the SESAC AWARD as "Best Country Songwriter" in 1969 and was nominated in 1970 for a GRAMMY AWARD by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Science (NARAS) in the category of "Country Song of the Year for his work entitled "THE THINGS THAT MATTER". Roy Conner officiating. flats for sale ninian court, middleton; bitbucket workspace vs project vs repository; sarah ferguson journalist; mr amos sedgefield community college; derek underwood . Select one or more of the available filters to get started. Link to index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1573&Itemid=3009, Jason Scheff Talks About Generation Radio, His Dad, and What's On His Radar, Bob Gruen's Studio - Sly Stone at NYC's Madison Squaare Garden 1973, Bob Gruen's Studio - Labelle-1972-and-Vicki-Wickham-OBE. Whoever put it on record bootlegged it from my record. Geraldo asked him if he was certain that Elvis was dead. I call my work a blind side ministry. The 'parade' footage is good to see as it puts you in the right context with color and b&w footage. I just wanted to get out of the drugs and see if I could live. I Miss You CPA5 4774-15 Are You Sincere? Donnie Sumner: By profession, I'm a musician. He called me two or three times, wanting me to come work on sessions with him. Recently, he was welcomed into the Bill Gaither 'Homecoming' family, performing alongside other legends of Gospel music. three goals, startin at the bottom: To put down on a piece of paper as much of my story as I could to tell my grandkids. My life was still messed up. Elvis Presley's songs are unforgettable - they have stood the test of time, especially his singles of the 1950s, a decade in which he had a song at No. In the last 10 15 minutes of my programs, I can concentrate an entire Sunday. Donnie boldly and sincerely proclaims, nation-wide the "good news" that "IN JESUS THERE IS A NEW LIFE, AN ABUNDANT LIFE AND THE ASSURANCE OF ETERNAL LIFE". Can you imagine, Elvis: 'Hey Sherrill, The doc's here to give you a hair transplant'. New email address ada@ls.net (LSNET) Keeping the Faith with ELVIS,Allen, Either email addresses are anonymous for this group or you need the view member email addresses permission to view the original message, If anyone knows any info as to who attended J.D's funeral, who sang at it, who, You do not have permission to delete messages in this group. As he said in his autobiography, "Gospel music is more than standing on a stage or a way to make a living. I hate to say it, but I turned into a stone drug addict'. wouldhumorously pick on him. I have more books on the subject of Elvis than I do any other singular subject and thats after having lost one or two of them. Sumner, was a legendary musical figure'. He used to talk a lot in the living room of all the funny ways he was going to disappear and what he was going to do while he was gone. Highly recommended. If you sit at a piano and hit the further key on the left, it's two notes below that. That story and many, many others are shared in In the Shadow of Kings (see the Boomerocity review of it here). recitations, "The Farmer and the Lord," but gospel pianist Eva MaeLefevre got up and unfortunately spoke rather incoherently about her ownlife. That was the last time I ever talked to him face-to-face. The Cathedrals then sang two songs. being the other'. 's, "God Still Lives inThis Ole House." to join his group, the Stamps, as a pianist. Sumner's funeral is set for Thursday, on what would have been his 74th birthday, in Nashville. The afternoon show footage is wonderful and electrifying : Here is Elvis in his prime rocking and rolling in front of 11.000 people. Lister, Jake Hess, and James Blackwood spoke about the fun times they had. In 1954 a leading gospel group based in Memphis, the Blackwood Brothers Quartet, lost two members in a plane crash and Sumner joined the group as their bass singer. It was from such occasions that Elvis eventually came to record two of Donnie's country songs. It was more or less a social thing for the first few years and it progressed', Donnie said. He'd get so relaxed and peaceful. 1. for 59 weeks and 4 No. . He was a giant of a man, physically, spiritually, emotionally, and domestically. I asked Sumner what his reactions and thoughts were on that fateful day. was probably one of the three most recognizable names in the whole world of southern gospel music', Donnie said. Funeral arrangement under the care ofKistler-Patterson Funeral Homes. Theres a lot of ways to be a help to somebody and Ill proudly use all of them.. Elvis would then get on the phone and say, I understand. He was in hospice and he got all inspiration one day and hes talking about all the things he wanted people to say about him at his funeral when they pass by and look at him in the coffin. 'His Hand in Mine' (1960) includes some old songs and spirituals, like 'Joshua Fit the Battle of Jericho', but it also contains 'You'll Never Walk Alone' - a signature song of his later Las Vegas years, but not exactly a gospel tune. Having retired from what he refers to as "Show Business", for the next three years Donnie endeavored to create a secular music firm in Nashville , Tennessee under the banner of SPIRIT AND ASSOCIATES. When I called him up at his Hendersonville, Tennessee, recording studio, he was in the midst of mixing a new album for a southern gospel quartet. Hes got a good voice. Well, my daddy was Pentecostal when Pentecostal wasn't cool. The Stamps were EdEnoch, Ed Hill, and Rick Strickland (the youngest member of the group) andno one couldn't have noticed that they sang the old arrangements without abass singer. Presley recorded three gospel albums. Yep, I dressed him. Interview with Larry Muhoberac Interview with John Wilkinson Interview with Michael Jarrett, songwriter, I'm Leavin' Interview with James Burton Interview with James Burton Sydney Australia 2006 James Burton: First Call For The Royalty Of Rockabilly Interview with Ronnie Tutt Interview with Ronnie Tutt #2 Interview with Jerry Scheff Interview with Glen D. Hardin Interview with Sherrill Nielsen Interview with Terry Blackwood & Jim Murray Interview with Tony Brown Duke Bardwell Interview with Scotty Moore Bill Black Interview with D.J. It was either die or start over and I chose to start over.. In a further contradiction, those sessions were often conducted in a drug- or booze-induced haze, Sumner said. He didnt wear his salvation on his arm sleeve. They often worked in Memphis where Sumner befriended the young Elvis Presley, sneaking him into the concerts when Elvis could not afford the 50 cents admission. Thats about eighty-five to ninety percent of what I do in an hour and fifteen minutes to an hour and a half. Absolutely nobody can communicate the lyrics of a gospel song like Elvis', Sumner said from Nashville. I had no idea what I was going to do when I quit the one I was in.. A lot of Elvis fans, a goodly number of my old friends and a tremendous number of people who have kids in similar situations who want to give it to their kids and grandkids. A valid email address is required when you select contact by email. Stay up to date with Christian Music Archive via E-Mail! In 1972 Donnie resigned from the Stamps Quartet and organized his own group, which was to become known as VOICE INC. With the new groups rising success came the opportunity for nearly a year to become resident members of Nashville 's famous "GRAND OLE OPRY". Leave your condolences to the family on this memorial page or send flowers to show you care. His parents; brother, Donnie Sumner; and sisters, Reba Faye Sumner, Myrtle Tucker, Minnie New, and Mary Murphy precede him in death. Finally, it all came to a head. He never brought it on stage with him. Since childhood his favorite form of entertainment has been "GOSPEL MUSIC" with styles ranging from "Foot-stompin' - hand-clappin' revival tunes" to what has become known in today's market as contemporary sacred music. Sumner remembers on one occasion singing all four verses of 'In the Sweet By and By' 18 times in a row at Elvis' bidding. If you were to check out Donnies appearance schedule and found that he was going to appear at a location near you, Im sure that you might want to know what you could expect from one of his engagements, so I asked him about it. George Richey spoke of how J.D. Hes been going to do this for years and he finally did it. He rarely went to church or read the Bible, according to one close associate, and his partying and overindulgence in food and drugs eventually led to his death at age 42. Then Ive got one girl that has married Elvis after he died. After Elvis's death, Sumner often gave interviews and spoke at Presley conventions. Print Obituary. Authorize the publication of the original written obituary with the accompanying photo. From time to time Elvis would request that Donnie sing one of his "own" original love songs. Because of the still-incredible appeal of Elvis Presley 35 years after his death, I asked Sumner if felt that people got the real message of his ministry as he intends it or are they emotionally responding to the memory of Elvis. 1 albums ('56-'59). J.D. I never talked to J.D. Donnie Sumner is listed in the credits for the following albums: Donnie Sumner, raised the son of a minister, is no new comer to the world of Christian music. During the last three years of Donnie's service with J. D. Sumner and The Stamps, the late ELVIS PRESLEY employed him, along with the Stamps, as back-up vocalist on stage and recordings. Spirit Ministries / Att. Both Donnie and J. D. were closely associated with the late ELVIS PRESLEY on both his stage appearances and his recordings. Fontana Interview with Charlie Hodge Interview with Ernst Jorgensen Elvis Presley & the TCB Band, Copyright 2022 by www.elvis.com.au & www.elvispresley.com.au, https://www.elvis.com.au/presley/donnie-sumner.shtml. External links are provided for reference purposes. Sumner recalled that when he told Presley in 1976 he was leaving to shake his drug habit, Presley said, 'I wish I could do that, go somewhere and start over, but I guess I'll have to keep on being Elvis'. One of the books I bought (but no longer have) was one written by the late televangelist, Rex Humbard. He is survived by his wife of 50 years, Lynn Sumner of Ocilla; a son, Brian & Sandi Sumner of Ocilla; a daughter, Kerri Sumner Eckstrand of Ocilla; grandchildren: Brianne & Ellis Douglas, Logan Sumner, Kalynn Sumner, Amelia Eckstrand, Aiden Eckstrand, and Savana Douglas; a great-grandchild on the way; a brother, Roger & Wanda Sumner of Ocilla; great-nephews and a great-niece that he helped to raise: Kevin Rains, Eric Muse and Ariel Rains. Entering "this and that" (with quotes) into the search form will return results containing the exact phrase "this and that". He said of that work, Aw, I stay in the studio from six-thirty or seven oclock in the mornin to about eight or nine at night, five days a week.. Hes like everybody else in the world of entertainment every once in a while hed slip but just because you slip doesnt mean youre down. Both Donnie and J. D. were closely associated with the late ELVIS PRESLEY on both his stage appearances and his recordings. Recently, I became aware of a new book written by Donnie. Whether or not that was actually the case may be open for debate. His parents; brother, Donnie Sumner; and sisters, Reba Faye Sumner, Myrtle Tucker, Minnie New, and Mary Murphy precede him in death. He was born March 3, 1953, to Alma and Orba Sumner. How do I say this? Music was in his blood and eventually he returned to the stage, this time with a much different focus'.I don't really consider it 'show business', it's just me', he said. I believe it was Ed Enoch who said the last song J.D.