Singing Americans

The Singing Americans was a Southern Gospel group based in Maiden, North Carolina. They are best known for being a stepping stone to popular singers, such as Mark Flaker (Florida Boys) Ivan Parker (Gold City), Danny Funderburk (The Cathedrals), Clayton Inman (Kingdom Heirs, Won By One, and Triumphant Quartet), David Sutton (Kingdom Heirs and Triumphant Quartet), Michael English (Gaither Vocal Band), Mark Fain (Gold City and Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder), Taylor Barnes (Gold City), and Jeff Easter (Jeff and Sheri Easter). The group was popular throughout the 1980s and early 1990s.

The Singing Americans
OriginWinston-Salem, North Carolina
GenresSouthern Gospel
Years active1968 (1968)–1994 (1994)
Associated actsTriumphant Quartet
Gold City

History

The Singing Americans were started in 1968 in Winston-Salem, North Carolina (by Lemar and Sims) and was owned by Homer Wadford. In 1973 when the Oak Ridge Boys were beginning to make their transition from gospel to country, The Singing Americans were signed by the prestigious Lou Wills Hildreth Agency in Nashville. In an article announcing the signing, The Singing News predicted that based on their sound and popularity, that The Singing Americans would take the Oak Ridge Boys spot as the number one quartet in gospel music. Unfortunately, their owner, Homer Wadford had a different sound in mind, and wanted to see the group move in a different direction stylistically. In 1980, the group was sold to Charles Burke, who later went on to own the Kingsmen Quartet name for a few years, and obtained all new personnel with Mark Flaker singing tenor, Charles Surratt singing baritone, Ed Crawford singing Lead, and Charles Burke's son, Dwayne, singing bass. Mark Flaker left later that year and was replaced by Danny Funderburk. Ed Crwaford left and was replaced by Michael English, who would leave for a couple years and be replaced by Ivan Parker, and then Clayton Inman. Also, in 1982, Surrat would leave and be replaced by Southern Gospel legend, Ed Hill. When Michael English left for the second time in 1985, he was replaced again by Clayton Inman, who would replace Hill in 1987 in the baritone spot, leaving the lead open for Scott Whitener. The 1990s started a decline in the popularity of the Singing Americans, but it did not mean they still weren't capable of producing popular singers. David Sutton and Taylor Barnes passed through the group during this time. Finally, in 1993, the Singing Americans produced their final album, "Live from Chicago", before retiring in 1994. In August 1996, promoter/historian Charles Waller reunited English with Ed Hill, Rick Strickland, Dwayne Burke and Milton Smith as the Singing Americans, before an audience of over 4,000 gospel music fans at the Grand Ole Gospel Reunion. and in 2010 at the National Quartet Convention in Louisville, KY at a showcase commemorating the 100th anniversary of Southern Gospel music.

Members

Line-ups
1968–1971

(Under the Name "Singing Americans")

 1971-1972 1972-1973
  • Bob Sims – tenor
  • Preston Yates – lead
  • Bob Lemar – baritone, piano
  • Norris Rife - bass
  • Bob Sims – tenor
  • Preston Yates – lead
  • Bob Lemar – baritone, piano
  • Rick Lott - bass
  • Rodney Hoots – tenor
  • Bob Lemar – lead, piano
  • Mickey Blackwelder – baritone
  • Danny Gallimore - bass
  • Joel Harris - piano
1973-1974 1974-1979 1979-1980
  • Rodney Hoots – tenor
  • Bob Lemar – lead, piano
  • Glenn Dye – lead
  • Mickey Blackwelder – baritone
  • Hovie Walker - bass
  • Jimmy Taylor - piano
  • Rodney Hoots – tenor
  • Wayne Maynard – baritone
  • Jerry Brown - bass
  • Rodney Hoots – tenor
  • Ed Crawford – lead
  • Jerry Brown - bass
1980 1980-1981 1981-1982
  • Mark Flaker – tenor
  • Ed Crawford – lead
  • Charles Surratt – baritone
  • Dwayne Burke - bass
  • Danny Funderburk – tenor
  • Ed Crawford – lead
  • Charles Surratt – baritone
  • Dwayne Burke - bass
  • Danny Funderburk – tenor
  • Mike English – lead
  • Ed Hill – baritone
  • Dwayne Burke - bass
  • Jerry Hatley - piano
1982-1983 1983 1983-1984
  • Danny Funderburk – tenor
  • Ivan Parker – lead
  • Ed Hill – baritone
  • Dwayne Burke - bass
  • Jerry Hatley - piano
  • Danny Funderburk – tenor
  • Clayton Inman – lead
  • Ed Hill – baritone
  • Dwayne Burke - bass
  • Jerry Hatley - piano
  • Martin Gureasko - piano
  • Danny Funderburk – tenor
  • Mike English – lead
  • Ed Hill – baritone
  • Dwayne Burke - bass
  • Martin Gureasko - piano
1984-1985 1985-1986 1986-1987
  • Rick Strickland – tenor
  • Mike English – lead
  • Ed Hill – baritone
  • Dwayne Burke - bass
  • Martin Guraesko - piano
  • Rick Strickland – tenor
  • Clayton Inman – lead
  • Ed Hill – baritone
  • Dwayne Burke - bass
  • Milton Smith - piano
1987-1988 1988-1989 1989-1990
  • Phil Barker – tenor
  • Scott Whitener – lead
  • Clayton Inman – baritone
  • Dwayne Burke - bass
  • James Rainey - piano
  • Greg Shockley – tenor
  • Scott Whitener – lead
  • Clayton Inman – baritone
  • Dwayne Burke - bass
  • James Rainey - piano
  • Greg Shockley – tenor
  • Scott Whitener – lead
  • David Jenkins – baritone
  • Dwayne Burke - bass
  • James Rainey - piano
1990-1992 1992 1992-1993
  • David Walker – tenor
  • Scott Whitener – lead
  • David Harvell – baritone
  • Larry Stewart - bass
  • Keith Denson - piano
  • David Sutton – tenor
  • Scott Whitener – lead
  • Buddy Burton – baritone
  • Larry Stewart - bass
  • Jerry Kelso - piano
  • David Sutton – tenor
  • Scott Whitener – lead
  • Buddy Burton – baritone
  • Larry Stewart - bass
  • Joe Lane - piano
1993 1993-1994 1994
  • David Sutton – tenor
  • Scott Whitener – lead
  • Buddy Burton – baritone
  • Larry Stewart - bass
  • Randy Matthews - piano
  • David Sutton – tenor
  • Scott Whitener – lead
  • Buddy Burton – baritone
  • Larry Stewart - bass
  • Joe Lane - piano
  • Greg Bentley – tenor
  • Loren Harris – lead
  • Buddy Burton – baritone
  • Larry Stewart - bass
  • Chuck Trivett - piano

Tenor

  • Bob Sims (1968-1971)
  • Rodney Hoots (1972-197?)
  • Mark Flaker (1980)
  • Danny Funderburk (1980-1983)
  • Rick Strickland (1984-1986)
  • Phil Barker (1986-1988)
  • Greg Shockley (1988-1990)
  • David Walker (1990-1992)
  • David Sutton (1992-1994)
  • Greg Bentley (1994)

Lead

  • Preston Yates (1968-1971)
  • Bob Lemar (1972-1974) (moved from baritone; also played piano and managed)
  • Glenn Dye (1973-1974) (swapped lead parts with Lemar)
  • Ed Crawford (1979-1981)
  • Michael English (1981-1982, 1983-1985)
  • Ivan Parker (1982-1983)
  • Clayton Inman (1983, 1985-1987) (moved to baritone)
  • Scott Whitener (1987-1992)
  • Dale Forbes (1992-1994)
  • David Hill (1994)
  • Loren Harris (1994)

Baritone

  • Bob Lemar (1968-1971) (moved to lead; also played piano and managed)
  • Mickey Blackwelder (1972-1974)
  • Wayne Maynard (1974-1979)
  • Charles Surratt (1980-1981)
  • Ed Hill (1981-1987) (Surratt and Mike Lefevre filled in for Hill several months after he was injured in a bus wreck.)
  • Clayton Inman (1987-1989) (moved from lead)
  • David Jenkins (1989-1990)
  • David Harvell (1990-1992)
  • Buddy Burton (1992-1994)

Bass

  • Norris Rife (1968-1971)
  • Rick Lott (1971-1972)
  • Danny Gallimore (1972-1973)
  • Hovie Walker (1973-197?)
  • Jerry Brown (197?-19??)
  • Dwayne Burke (1980-1990)
  • Larry Stewart (1990–94)

Piano

  • Bob Lemar (1968-1972) (piano, also sang lead)
  • Joel Harris (1972-1973)
  • Jimmy Taylor (1973-1974)
  • Jerry Hatley (1981-1983)
  • Martin Gureasko (1983-1985)
  • Milton Smith (1985-1986)
  • Phil Huffman (1986-1987)
  • James Rainey (1987-1990)
  • Keith Denson (1990-1992)
  • Jerry Kelso (1992)
  • Joe Lane (1992-1993, 1993–94)
  • Randy Matthews (1993)
  • Chuck Trivett (1994)

Bass Guitar

  • Euclid Huella (1968-1971)
  • Tony Buttler (1971)
  • Jeff Easter (198?-1987)
  • Mark Fain (1987-1988)
  • Taylor Barnes (1988-1993)
  • Jason Clark (1993–94)

Rhythm and Lead Guitar

  • Harvey Blackwelder (????-????)

Drums

  • Jon Mark Russell (19??-197?)

Trumpet

  • Jerry Hill (1972-????)
  • Gary Barnhart (1972-????)

Musicians Unknown Positions

  • Benny Goins (????-????)
  • Jason Clark (????-????)
  • Roger Fortner (????-????)
  • Rory Rigdon (????-????)

Discography
  • 1973-Our Tribute To God And Country
  • 1975-Wanted Live
  • 1977-The Singing Americans
  • 1980-Tell the Angels
  • 1981-The Exciting Sounds of the Singing Americans
  • 1981-Hymntime
  • 1981-Gospel Favorites Vol. 2
  • 1982-Sensational Singing Americans
  • 1982-Sing Gospel Hits Volume 1
  • 1982-Sing Gospel Hits Volume 2
  • 1982-Sing Gospel Hits Volume 3
  • 1982-Sing Gospel Hits Volume 4
  • 1983-Everybody Ought to Praise His Name
  • 1984-Gospel Favorites
  • 1984-Something Old, Something New
  • 1984-Live and Alive
  • 1985-Black and White
  • 1986-Hearts of Praise, Songs of Majesty
  • 1987-Homecoming Live
  • 1988-Chartbreakers
  • 1988-Sing Out
  • 1988-We're Blessed
  • 1989-Angels on Board
  • 1989-Songs We Salute
  • 1990-Watch & Pray
  • 1990-Greatest Hits: 10th Anniversary Collection (Compilation)
  • 1991-Live & Well
  • 1991-Revival
  • 1992-On Stage
  • 1993-Live from Chicago
  • 1993-Golden Hits
  • 1993-Song of Praise
  • 1994-Sing the Old Songs
  • 1996-20 Favorites By The Singing Americans (Compilation)
  • 199?-The Devil Don't Want Us to Have a Revival
  • 199?-Singing Americans Featuring Buddy Burton
  • 199?-Singing For America (Compilation)
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