The Kingdom of Elvis'
Tribute to J.D. Sumner
By Ivor Casey
J.D. Sumner was born in Lakeland, Florida on November 19th, 1924. At the age of 8 he began singing bass with a local church group. In 1945, J.D. formed 'The Sunny South Quartet', after been discharged from duty in the military. In 1948 he joined the 'Sunshine Boys'. By 1955, Sumner had joined the 'Blackwood Quartet'. In 1963, along with James Blackwood, J.D. purchased the 'Stamps conservatory school of music and 'The Gospel music company'.
Around this time he was noticed as the worlds lowest bass singer and in time would make it into the 'Guiness Book Of Records' for this talent. Although Sumner partialy owned 'The Stamps Quartet', he did not sing for them as he was still a member of the 'Blackwood Brothers'. However, soon after he switched places with 'Big John Hall' of 'the Stamps' who was also a bass singer.
J.D. Sumner had been a friend and had known Elvis Presley for a long time and from 1971, himself and 'The Stamps' backed Presley with recordings and in concerts. Elvis had a long time love for gospel music and the two talent performers combined to bring great gospel perfromances. Elvis often intorduced J.D. and often let him sing with his band on stage. They can be heard and seen singing in 'Elvis On Tour' and heard on the 1974 Elvis album, 'Recorded Live on stage in Memphis', with such songs as 'The Lighthouse' and 'Sweet, sweet, spirit'.
On August 18th 1977, J.D. Sumner and 'The Stamps Quartet' sang at Elvis' funeral. Shortly after Elvis' passing and after several heart attacks J.D. took a break from singing but returned in 1981 with a newly formed group 'Masters V', mainly because he missed singing.
During the years many people came and left from bands J.D. had made.
In Novemeber of 1998, J.D. and 'The Stamps' performed concerts but unfortunately on November 16th J.D. Sumner passed away from heart failure, three days from his 74th birthday.
J.D. Sumner has in his life achieved many goals. He has composed about 500 gospel songs. He inaugurated the 'National Quartet Convention' in 1957, ( an annual gathering of the major groups in the gospel music industry ). He has had an entery to the 'Guiness Book of Records' for singing the lowest note by anyone in the world, ( a low double C ). He was president of the Southern Gospel Music Hall of Fame at the time of his death. In 1964, Sumner along with others helped form the Gospel Music association and that organizations awards for the Dove awards. He was elected to the Gospel Music association, hall of fame in 1984 and was an inaugural member of Southern Gospel music association, hall of fame in 1996. In 1982, J.D. won a Grammy award for his work with the 'Masters V'.