Remembering Don Baldwin

It's been a trying last few months for fans and friends of the original Couriers, hasn't it?

First, a few months ago, longtime Courier friend and supporter Ted Rossey passed away, then shortly afterward, Eddie Reece(the first pianist the Couriers had when they became a full-time gospel singing group)left this world on a missionary trip to Israel.

Now, yesterday morning, the Couriers' founder and manager, baritone, and stage MC for the group's first 10 years or so of their existence, Don Baldwin, has left this earth after several protracted battles with various physical ailments.

It is no secret to the readers of this blog that I am a huge fan of the Couriers...and I have explained why that is on numerous occasions. I therefore would like today to share some thoughts and reflections on the life of Don Baldwin, the man responsible for creating and leading the Couriers through their first rough, event-filled years.

I will not retell Don's story...I did that before on one of my SG History 101 articles for Southern Gospel News...and though I normally resist the urge to post links to my articles, I will here...for the benefit of readers who would like to know the story of this fine, visionary man. You can read Don's life story at http://www.sogospelnews.com/index/history/comments/5968/.

What I'd like to do here is simply reflect on Don a bit, in hopes that you can get a glimpse of what his life and work meant to me, a gospel music fan from California, and for most of my life a good 2500 miles away from wherever Don may have been physically at a particular point in time.

For you see, I never met Don Baldwin. I have met the other singers in the old Couriers Quartet when Don was in it, lead singer Neil Enloe, tenor Duane Nicholson, and bass Dave Kyllonen. In fact, Neil and Duane have become very dear friends of mine. I have also become a close friend of Cliff Cerce, an artist who was bitten by the gospel music bug as a young man primarily through the work of Don and the rest of the Couriers. And just like Neil and Duane, Cliff has generously shared stories of how Don touched his life. Incidentally, Cliff will soon have an article up on Southern Gospel News where he shares his own first-hand recollections of Don Baldwin...when it is up, I'll post a link to it here. Cliff is far better qualified to write an account of Don Baldwin than I ever will be...inasmuch as Don was like a second father to Cliff.

And I have also communicated often with Don's wife Cheri, who gave me a lot of the facts on Don's life that I used for my article. And finally, I have every one of the albums that the Couriers made as a quartet on CD. I know Don through his music.

What impressed me a great deal about Don was his seemingly boundless vision and enthusiasm in making the Couriers not only happen, but making them become one of the most unique and accomplished gospel artists that have ever recorded. Don was a fan of gospel music who wanted to form a group that make a difference in the industry, by legitimizing the idea that a gospel quartet could actually be used as a ministry tool through their music(a notion that even if it existed elsewhere at the time, was largely pooh-poohed in the entertainment oriented gospel music industry of the day).

Don was not a professional singer when he organized the Couriers, nor were any of the others he brought in to make up the group. That was readily apparent from the group's earliest records(though they have a certain charm about them today if one listens), but that small obstacle never deterred Don.

For they loved to sing, and they knew there was a place for them in the world of gospel music...and Don never let them forget that. Don had a vibrant personality, and could sell a concept he believed in to anyone. And he spent a lot of the peak years of his life selling the Couriers and their mission to not only the gospel music world, but the entire world. Within three years after becoming a full-time gospel quartet, the Couriers had developed as singers to the point where their albums were better than most of the other quartets who had been around for years, and right up there with the best groups in the business!

Don had a great sense of humor, which was evident not only on stage with the Couriers, but on the bus privately with the quartet. He would use it not only to entertain audiences and his co-workers, but to lighten the spirits of those he would share it with, but encourage all of them to forget their worries and cares, and truly make a "joyful noise" in their world.

And Don was not afraid to go forward with something a little different in order to achieve the goals he set for himself and his colleagues. After hearing the Oak Ridge Boys set the gospel music world on its' ear with their 1962 album "Sounds of Nashville", he wondered aloud why the Couriers couldn't do that as well. The result of that wondering was the Couriers' breakthrough collectors item album, "Nothing...But The Gospel Truth", which, like the Oaks' album, was issued on Warner Brothers Records.

Don's later innovations involved recording studios, a record company, men's clothing, and educational Christian literature. Clearly he was a man whose life mission went beyond simply gospel music.

But gospel music was where he made his reputation, and his outstanding mark. As a singer, Don was gifted with a strong, virile voice that could communicate the depth of a lyric as well as anyone...and one could tell he was most content singing about the message of Jesus in a song.

And the Couriers almost made it to the very top of the gospel quartet world while Don was with them, in large part no doubt due to Don's vision, determination, and drive.

Perhaps the most moving example of Don's ability to communicate himself and the message of a song came during his performance of his "sugar stick", "More About Jesus", which can be found on the Couriers' 50th Anniversary Reunion concert, available on DVD.

"More About Jesus" was one of the Couriers' most popular songs during their quartet days, largely due to Don's tremendous vocal solo. But in the years prior to the 50th anniversary to the Couriers, Don had been ravaged by a series of major health problems, and his vocal strength had been severely sapped.
So on the DVD, you see Don trying to sing the song, but he is unable to sing the lyrics in anything much more than a relative whisper, yet, determined to communicate the message in the song, Don bears down and does his best. It is extremely moving...the audience is hanging on every word Don is singing. When his solo ends, the audience gives Don a huge ovation, for he triumphantly communicated the message of the song in spite of the struggle he had trying to do so.

As I type this, I'm listening to Don sing "Sometimes It Seems" with the Couriers, on the last album he made with them, "The Sensational Sounding Couriers Quartet"(Canaan 4608/9608). That was another of his classic vocal performances. As Mosie Lister's song states eloquently, "When the morning comes, I know I'm going home."

For Don Baldwin, the morning has finally come. Welcome home, Don.

UPDATE: As promised, here is a link to Cliff Cerce's excellent first-hand impressions of Don Baldwin...you can find it at http://www.sogospelnews.com/index/features/comments/6838/.

A pause for refreshment

I am going to wait at least 24 hours before I post anything new here.

It's not that I don't have further things in mind to post about...I do. And I'm looking forward to sharing it all with you.

I'm waiting to see if something will happen here that, in a perfect, just world, would happen.

But since we don't live in such a place, it probably won't. Especially when considering that the people that I'm waiting for are not the sort of people exactly known for doing the right and proper thing.

Still, I hope...for the very best.

See you back here in a few hours.

Happy Birthday, JCB!

Today I'd like to use my corner of the Web to honor a worthy colleague.

Maybe "colleague" isn't the most exactly appropriate term to use, since we don't write for the same people...but we write about the same things, and he set the standard that I aspire to in my own work.

This week, John Crenshaw celebrates his 50th birthday...I have long considered John to be the foremost authority on recorded gospel music on the North American continent. I only stop there because I'm not sure who else there may be in the rest of the world who is comparable to John in terms of gospel music knowledge and the possession of gospel music memorabilia...in the latter, I don't know of anyone that has more gospel-music related possessions(photos, programs, souvenirs)than John.

And as many of you know, John was the first writer for the monthly feature I now write for Southern Gospel News(SG History 101)and he has since moved on to the website for the Grand Old Gospel Reunion to write similar articles, in addition to contributing periodically to the Singing News, and other websites.

As a longtime fan of gospel music myself and a collector of it as well(though nowhere near on the level that John and some others are), John has been a help to me in learning about gospel music, and acquiring some of the most treasured recordings of it in my own collection. I came to the various gospel music message boards in 2003 because I was looking for a place where it was discussed, because my appetite for it had been whetted anew because of circumstances in my life at that time. Like many, my enthusiasm for gospel music had had it's high and low points...and I was just coming out of one of those low points when one night, when I was online doing a search for London Parris, I discovered this one particular poster who seemed to know a lot about him and the Rebels Quartet(for whom London sang for 13 years). Anxious to learn more, I read on.

I discovered that John had written all these articles online about some of the best groups that ever recorded gospel music...such as the Blue Ridge Quartet, the Prophets, the Harvesters, the Imperials, the Sons of Song, and yes, the Rebels, too! It wasn't long before I began corrspondence with him, picking his brain about various gospel music personalities and records.

I only had some of the Rebels' old LPs with London, not all of them. But I learned that John did...so I asked him to put them on CD for me, and he willingly did, along with London's first four solo LPs. I still have those CDs...they are among my most treasured recordings that I own. I'll never forget John's kindness in doing all that for me.

In addition, John also taught me a lot about the backgrounds of a lot of the finest gospel singers in history. We exchanged thoughts and information(and inevitably opinions)on a lot of artists and their recordings. Those discussions helped to form the basis of a lot of my current thoughts on gospel music history. I never forget a good turn done me, and I will always be grateful to John for spending that time with me and sharing his own resources and thoughts.

We don't have those discussions any more, and I miss them. I know that I can contribute a lot more to them now than I did then, because I've gone on to learn a lot more about this music we're both huge fans of. Regardless, I'm thankful that we were able to have them for as long as we did.

He must have taught me well enough to impress some people...for in late 2004, he resigned his position with Southern Gospel News, and I was the first choice of Susan and Deon Unthank to take his place!

Let me clear up any potential misconceptions right away...I don't pretend to have John's background, knowledge, and reputation as a gospel music historian...I never have, and I never will!

But I do share John's love for the history of this music, and I share his desire to tell its' story, and to tell it right, to the best of my ability.

And if I've succeeded to any degree in doing that, part of it surely is thanks to the influence that John had(and has)on me...so I'll always salute John Crenshaw!

And since a man only turns 50 years of age once in his life, I wanted to thank and salute John right here on my blog...in front of the world, and in my own little corner of the Web...for being a positive influence in my appreciation of gospel music, and for being a positive influence on my work. Thanks John, and happy birthday!

The 2007 SGMA Hall of Fame Inductees

Being the resident history writer for Southern Gospel News, I suppose I'm expected to comment on any additions to the Southern Gospel Music Association Hall of Fame...so, since they've chosen their class of 2007, I will!

By and large, the SGMA has done a fine job of honoring those who have contributed most to the tradition of gospel music over the years...I can't quibble about very much that they've done(or not done).

Well, maybe a little...such as taking so long to put obvious inductees such as Bill Shaw and Joe Roper in, and missing their chance in 2005 to put Neil Enloe in!(OK, so I'm a little prejudiced on that last one!):-)

But overall, the SGMA has done a fine job of selecting and honoring the individuals who have been the largest contributors to the "southern" gospel music tradition. And this year is no exception...so one by one, I will comment on each new member, and I hope you'll see why each person was chosen.

ROGER BENNETT-A key contributor to the final years of one of the very best groups in the genre, the Cathedral Quartet, plus the key figure in continuing that tradition with one of today's finest quartets, Legacy Five, as well as being an outstanding representative of gospel music both on and offstage(especially for his courageous battle with cancer), and being one of gospel music's best musicians for many years, Bennett is a worthy addition to the Hall. It is particularly good of the SGMA to honor him so while he still is present for such recognition.

ANTHONY BURGER-One of the all-time great pianists in gospel music history(with both the Kingsmen and the Gaither Homecoming cast), Anthony was one of the most tireless and popular examples of gospel music at its' best. His tragic and premature early passing has robbed the gospel music world of any further contributions from one of its' all-time most talented individuals, so why waste time waiting to give Anthony his due for his immense contributions to the genre? I'm glad he's going in this year.

JOEL HEMPHILL-Proving that good things DO come from Fresno, CA,...Hemphill was the patriarch of one of the most talented family groups in gospel music, in addition to being one of gospel's greatest writers in the late 20th century. Such gospel standards as "I'll Soon Be Gone" and "He's Still Workin' On Me" will always keep the name Joel Hemphill at the forefront of contributors to the gospel music heritage, as it should be.

LOU WILLS-HILDRETH-Not a name that automatically falls from the lips of every gospel music fan, few have been greater all around contributors to the gospel music tradition than this very classy lady. From her involvement with her famous Texas family group, to her pioneeering TV efforts, to her work with the Bill Gaither Organization, few have been involved with the breadth of the gospel music outreach than Lou Wills-Hildreth. I've always advocated honoring the labors of workers like this in the gospel music tradition, and I'm glad the SGMA is doing it with Lou.

JIMMY JONES-An integral member of some of gospel music's greatest groups(The LeFevres, the Rangers, and the Deep South Quartet), in addition to being one of gospel music's finest writers, Jones embodies in every way what the SGMA Hall of Fame should be all about. His "Poetry Corner" segments on the old "Gospel Singing Caravan" are still fondly remembered to this day.

DAVID REECE-Younger gospel music fans might not know Reece too well, but they should. A suprememly talented musician, arranger, and manager, Reece not only kept the name of one of gospel music's most colorful groups intact(the Rangers), but he was one of the finest entertainers ever to grace a stage. His ability to create laughter and joy for singers and audiences alike makes him a most singular and outstanding contributor to the gospel music tradition. It's about time Reece finally got his due, and entered the SGMA Hall of Fame.

JAMES SEGO-Another very funny man, Sego was the guiding force behind the Sego Brothers and Naomi, one of the finest family gospel groups of the 1960s. Sego brought much of what Reece brought to gospel music, minus the arranging skills, but plus the addition of his legendary wife Naomi! Sego was a very popular gospel music personality of the 1960s, and it's good to see him in the Hall.

ARCHIE WATKINS-One of the most distinctive tenors in gospel music history, Watkins has been one of the most popular and univerally respected singers in the industry for his entire 43-year singing career...all with the Inspirations! As the Inspirations are unquestionably one of gospel music's greatest groups, and keepers of the quartet-style singing tradition most all gospel music lovers(including this writer)cherish, and since the group's founder and manager Martin Cook has already been recognized, so the key singer in the long history of the group should also be put into the Hall of Fame. The Inspirations are one of gospel music's all-time most popular groups, and Watkins has been their most popular and identifiable member...it only follows that Archie Watkins should enter the SGMA Hall of Fame.

There. My thoughts on the class of 2007. Maybe someday, the SGMA will stop overlooking Enloe and give him his just due as well...but until then, I can certainly be content with the current membership...and its' newest members.

Because it works!

Why am I a Christian?

Well, there are lots of reasons...but I suppose none is more pertinent to my life situation than the fact that apart from the love and grace of God through Jesus Christ, I would amount to nothing as a person.

But some 32 years ago, it was impressed upon me that I could best fulfill my destiny as a human being if I surrendered my will and desires for my life to those of my Creator.

He would be Lord of my life and circumstances, and love, care, and provide for me when nothing or no one else could.

Now I admit all that sounds like the all-time sales pitch of sales pitches...but you know what?

It's true...and it works...when you let it!

I'm posting this here today because for the 500,000,000th time out of 500,000,000...God's promise to take care of me in time of need was fulfilled!

And I did nothing to either deserve or hasten it.

And since I always like to give credit where it's due...I'm sharing this with you all today!

As I write this, I think of the old Blackwood Brothers classic, "Mail Order From Heaven", and corny as that old recitation may sound today, it's really true...there is 100% satisfaction in the product Jesus Christ offers people!

I am one more immensely satisfied customer, and would do a testimonial in a heartbeat!

If you're out there looking for something that can ultimately fulfill your life, I can highly recommend that you look no farther than a personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ.

It's tried, tested, and 100% reliable...I am living proof!

My all-time favorite record review

Being a fan of music for most of my life, I've read my share of album reviews.

Not that my colleagues James Hales, Deon Unthank, or David Bruce Murray should take note and heed, but I thought I'd share my all-time favorite review of an album.

It was found in Rolling Stone magazine in the early 1970s(something I read a lot in my adolescence)...and it was a review of the Archies' Greatest Hits...yes, the Archies...that nonexistent band created for a TV cartoon show consisting of some of LA's top studio musicians and singers.

I will now quote the entire review here...

"Contained within the grooves of this album are 12 convincing arguments against the capitalist system."

LOL!

A football analyst..or my high school math teacher?

Once again, I was struck with a thought while watching ESPN this morning.

Actually, I'm struck with thoughts far more often than that! It's just that this one inspired me to post something here(to my readers who fancy themselves comics, that is NOT a straight line!).

I saw a report on ESPN's "Blitz" by one of their resident NFL "experts", John Clayton. Clayton seems to be a good reporter with well placed sources...what makes me wonder is...well, have any of you seen Clayton on camera?

Not that looks mean a lot when it comes to sports analysis...after all, I don't exactly look like Dan Marino myself! But Clayton, a smallish, bespectacled, soft-spoken man, looks more like my 9th grade geometry teacher than the popular image of an NFL "expert"!

Maybe he's there to prove to doubters that you don't have to be 6'6" and 240 pounds or an ex-NFL player to know your stuff....but in any case, there he is, John...deal with him!:-)

A brief thought

My good friend Daniel Mount has sparked a debate about when the appropriate time to release alleged "news information" about such items as group personnel changes. While Daniel may deny it, it seems to me that he is reflexively responding to perceived charges that he might be indulging in speculation or reporting rumors prematurely.

While I don't wish to enter that debate at this time, I wanted to point out one argument he made that I feel is unfounded in his making his case.

Daniel seems to feel that e-mail communication between the artist and a third party can be used as a source of confirmation of an alleged story. I respectfully disagree.

If someone were to tell me that they read an e-mail from an artist saying that he intends to leave the group he's in, I would not be inclined to accept that at face value. Where is the proof that the e-mail in question is actually from the artist? You(and Daniel)might say, "John, I have no right to doubt my source!" and you may be correct in saying that as far as it goes, but how do I know that someone else may have appropriated the use of the artist's computer, or his e-mail address? Or how do I know that this is not just the artist simply venting his frustration in private conversation with a friend? I don't...and if I were a reporter, I'd like a little more direct corroboration of what I'm trying to report than what a third-party(regardless of how trustworthy that party may be)tells me in an e-mail. Does that sound right?

As I said, I don't want to enter full force into that debate. That is simply one thought that came to this "inquiring mind".

The Love Of God

Most people who know me well know two things.

1) Gospel quartet music is my favorite kind of gospel music.
2) The Couriers were my favorite group.

And most fans of gospel music know that the Couriers began as a gospel quartet, influenced as they were to enter gospel music out of Bible College by the famous Blackwood Brothers Quartet.

Eventually, the Couriers became one of gospel music's finest quartets before they morphed into a trio, and in so doing became the benchmark for most all other gospel trios.

As I said I would do in a recent entry here, I'm going to review a classic gospel album in this space this time out...and I've chosen for this entry the Couriers' 1964 quartet album "The Love Of God"(Hymntone 3085).

The lineup for this album was my favorite version of the Couriers, musically speaking....Duane Nicholson on tenor, Neil Enloe the lead, Don Baldwin on baritone, and Dave Kyllonen singing bass. On the piano was L. David Young, known as "Little David", one of gospel's all time best pianists, writers, and arrangers. His addition to the Couriers in 1963 gave the group a huge shot in the arm, giving them an unprecedented stage presence, added musical expertise, a delightful traveling companion on the road, and an extra singing voice as well.

Young joined the Couriers soon after the release of their breakthrough album "Nothing...but the Gospel Truth", which was a very elaborate album released on Warner Brothers. "The Love Of God" was something less than fancy...it was recorded in Neil Enloe's living room of his then-new house back in 1964.

But what "The Love Of God" lacks in sophistication, it makes up for in terms of enthusiasm, heart, and style. It is the closest thing to a straight gospel quartet album the Couriers ever recorded. Since Enloe's home was not a state-of-the-art recording studio, there was no multi-tracking or overdubbing. The only sounds on the album were the voices of the Couriers and Young's always inspired gospel piano.

The album began with "Rolling, Riding, Rocking"...a Blackwood Brothers standard, and on this song, the Courires show what a musical debt they owe the Blackwoods. Enloe's lead vocal is reminiscent of James Blackwood, and Young's piano is reminiscent of the song's composer, Wally Varner. It is an energetic beginning to the album.

The next two songs are Young originals, "My Desire" is a fine ballad, highlighted by piano triplets throughout from Young...then "Gotta Get Right" is an energetic number that Young wrote while he was with the Prophets earlier in the decade.

Kyllonen is featured next on "Is Your Heart Right With God?", and then comes an Enloe original. Enloe would soon become among the elite songwriters in gospel music, but he was just starting to write at that time. "As Flows The River" is a fine song, performed in a jazz-blues vein by the versatile Enloe.

The next song became one of the all-time Courier favorites in concert..."More About Jesus" features Baldwin at his best. His virile baritone is especially expressive on this gospel standard, and he became strongly identified with this song.

"I'll Be Satisfied" was a Young original that was covered by many quartets, but never done better than here by the Couriers. The song is a bouncy delight, reminiscent of the pop hit "Ain't She Sweet". Young is featured on vocals on the next song, the standard "Just A Closer Walk With Thee".

Another Young composition follows, the bluesy "You'd Be Better Off". Despite the rather commercial approach to songwriting Young employed, his songs often contained good gospel messages in them as well. The next song is a pleasant cover of the old hymn "Let Us Break Bread Together".

The following tune is another Young original, which was my favorite song on the album when I first heard it at the age of 7..."Rock In The Storm" is a catchy tune with a good message, and it shows that the Couriers were contributors to the gospel quartet tradition, and not just faithful interpreters of it. Besides that, it's just fun to listen to.

The album concludes with Vep Ellis' famous title song...the Couriers' version features a fine lead from Nicholson, who is joined on the final chorus by Young and his high tenor, and a bass line by Kyllonen that is worthy of JD Sumner at his lowest!

All in all, "The Love Of God" is a delightful listen for the gospel quartet fan who likes his music pure, and considering the circumstances under which it was recorded, is a definite triumph of heart and soul over technological limitations that always was the hallmark of the best gospel quartet music of that era, and it was a triumph for the Couriers as well, for it showed that they could sing the basic gospel quartet style with the very best in their field. And even better things lay ahead for the Couriers, in terms of both their music AND their ministry.

If you like good, straight ahead gospel quartet music, you'll surely enjoy the Couriers' "The Love Of God".

On Anna Nicole Smith

I'll try to make this entry as straightforward as possible...I contemplated calling this entry "Anna Nicole Smith, R.I.P.", but then I realized that's kind of a silly sentiment given the occasion anyway. For regardless of what I say, the issue of whether Ms. Smith will now rest in peace or not had been decided some time ago, by One Who knows her a LOT better than I do.

Smith was just 39, and from what little I know of her, my first instinct when I think of her life is what a tragic story it turned out to be. Not because the world lost a celebrity who brought a lot to a lot of people...indeed, it seems that Smith's most demonstrable skill was that of being famous, and attracting attention...possibly endearing qualities to some, but not those in which many would feel satisfied with building a life upon.

I can't mourn her passing as though she were a loved one...I never knew her or much about her in a personal sense(and I doubt seriously that most pundits analyzing her today did either). Most all I know of her is what I read in the news or saw on TV or heard on the radio...and the extent to which I saw her, frankly, is not enough to build a strong image of her. My impressions of her are as someone who embodied the spirit of the generation from which she came...and that is the self and fame obsessed, and the deliberately rebellious archetype that is all too prevalent today.

Smith is definitely a product of the "American Idol" generation, in which notoriety and ultimate self-expression are key characteristics...and I, as an amateur societal observer, cannot help but think that all human beings can aspire to higher ambitions than that. The fact that Smith apparently did not is, to me, the main tragedy of her life. Rather than submit her desires and goals to a living Savior who can bring each and every human being up to his or her potential, it seems that Smith "settled" for instant self-gratification at every turn.

Perhaps her life will be an illustration of precisely how wanting that sort of lifestyle orientation can be...it's just a real human shame that so many lives today(including Smith's)tragically end before they get in touch with that Ulimate Power that can bring them to their utmost life potential.

THAT to me is the true tragedy in the premature passing of Anna Nicole Smith.

Not that I'm necessarily better...or more actualized than Smith...but at least I've been delivered from the certain doom that comes from not letting the Architect of Life have His way with me...completely.

And in saying all that, I'm NOT saying Smith did not, categorically...for I simply don't know.

But in the image that Smith left the world, it certainly appears she did not...and therein lies the tragedy in her passing.

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