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 It's hard to recall when I actually got bit by the "Gospel Bug", because I was born into a musical family, but I was approximately six years old when my father sat me on a stump and started teaching me how to read shape notes. Then, he started taking me to music schools that came to our area once or twice a year, where I learned to sing southern gospel music. My family formed a quartet, and because my voice hadn't changed, I was singing the Alto part. I remember we had a program on Sunday mornings on KSYL, and people would call after the program wanting to know the lady's name that was singing the Alto part. As I grew older, my voice changed, and I started singing Baritone. A lot of singing conventions were going on back in my younger years. It seemed as if everybody in those days loved to sing. I remember, after Sunday dinner, it was like a ritual that all the men, boys in my case, would go the living room, gather around the piano, and sing, sing, sing. I still recall how much I enjoyed doing that. In 1954, I went into the armed services (Korean War), and didn't sing much (only in the shower), for several years. I came back to Louisiana in 1967 and started singing with Link Lingenfelter's "Twin City Quartet". We sang for several years, then I left for awhile, started my own group, "The Gospel Tones Quartet", and sang for several more years. After a few years of not singing, I ran into Link Lingenfelter again one day and he asked if I would like to sing with the "Pine Ridge Quartet". Well, it worked out, and here I am having a great time, singing with these guys. |
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