The Kingsmen and the Goodmans…groups of a feather?

In a word, no.

Much has been written and discussed of late regarding the apparent similarities in style between the Kingsmen Quartet of the 1970s through the early 1990s and the Happy Goodmans of the 1960s and 1970s. Now I want to say from the outset that any kind of discussion of this nature is a positive thing....for it encourages the exchange of ideas, and such exchanges can lead to learning more about our favorite gospel music artists. I hope the following will be interpreted as yet one more point of view that can lead to an understanding of the issue involved, no more, and no less. I never consider my ideas and thoughts to be the "last word" on anything.

Having said that, let me explain my opening assertion.

The Kingsmen were a male quartet, firmly rooted in the traditions and history of that sub-genre of gospel music. The Goodmans were a family group, also firmly rooted in the traditions and history of THAT sub-genre. Their stylistic developments were completely separate, despite whatever superficial similarities may have resulted from those developments.

The Kingsmen began as a part-time quartet from western North Carolina in the late 1950s, and were influenced by all the music of that type around them in those days. This includes the mountain folk music of that region, the church singing from which they came, and the (then budding)professional gospel quartet singing of that era.

The latter at that point in time was best epitomized and popularized by the Blackwood Brothers and Statesmen quartets, who by that time worked as a team, booking themselves all over the Southeast(and beyond), drawing the biggest audiences, and selling the most records(both by that time were with major record companies). Since they were the best known and most popular quartets in that genre, they were essentially the standard bearers and role models for all aspiring quartets(and potential singers).

Of those two quartets, arguably the Statesmen were initially the more influential. Hovie Lister's dynamic management and direction led the Statesmen to reach an unparalleled level of professionalism in the gospel quartet field, rivaling even the top pop vocal groups of the day. Their innovative arrangements and staging were the envy of virtually every quartet, even the Blackwoods. The Blackwoods responded to the challenges by working harder than ever at their craft, and relocating from Iowa back to the Southeast(Memphis)to be in the thick of the quartet scene, eventually securing a recording contract with RCA(the largest major record label), and eventually reaching national recognition on television with their famous triumphant appearance on the Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts show.

The Statesmen soon followed suit by signing with RCA and also winning the Godfrey talent show, and the battle reached a new level. The Blackwoods were slowed temporarily by the tragic deaths of RW Blackwwod and Bill Lyles in the famous 1954 plane crash tragedy, but with the addition of new bass singer JD Sumner, they recovered quickly and became more popular than ever. Sumner's distinctive singing and stage presence proved to be one of the most influential sub-trends in gospel music history.

Sumner made his name by flaunting his unprecedented lower bass register, frequently ending songs with octave long slides to the lowest notes he could reach in key. Those endings became so distinctive that they forever changed bass singing in gospel quartet music. Song arranging became less of an attempt to capture the polished professionalism of the Statesmen, and became more of an attempt to duplicate the spectacular wide vocal ranges of singers like Sumner on the low end and James Blackwood on the high end(although he was not the Blackwoods' first tenor, he could sing higher than any ot the ones the quartet had).

Naturally, this approach had mixed results, much like quartets who tried to emulate the Statesmen without their natural singing ability. But even the attempts went over well with gospel quartet audiences, and as more and more quartet singers became confident in attempting these vocal gymnastics, that style became more prevalent with quartets.

Enter the Kingsmen(you thought I'd forgotten them, did you?). By 1970, they were ready to become a full time quartet...and they needed a way to stand out among the glut of quartets that were traveling full time by that time, so under the musical direction of new lead singer Jim Hamill, they began to gravitate toward a very flamboyant vocal approach, using tenor Johnny Parrack and bass Ray Dean Reese in the way Blackwood and Sumner were used some 15 years before. As time went on, Hamill tweaked and refined that approach with tenor successors Ernie Phillips and Garry Sheppard, as well as other portions of their live concerts, and the Kingsmen earned the reputation of having the most dynamic live style of all the gospel quartets.

So the Kingsmen performance style was a logical building on what came before them in the quartet industry.

The Goodmans, on the other hand, began in rural Alabama in the 1940s, far from any contact with any gospel music "industry". As such, they sang their music in a style typical of rural family singing groups(gospel or otherwise)of the periosd in the Southeast. What they may have lacked in formal training and polish, they made up for in sincerity and energy. This very approach was duplicated when they re-formed in the early 1960s, when Rusty Goodman left the Plainsmen Quartet to join them. With Rusty's musical acumen, along with Howard and Vestal's energy and stage drive, and Sam's comedic flair, the Goodmans developed into one of the most dynamic in person gospel groups not only of the period, but of all time.

But the Goodmans did NOT sound like the Kingsmen...or anyone else. Their appeal lay in the fact that they were able to communicate their music and message from the stage in a natural, "down-home" way...with Rusty's musical touches to smooth out any undue stridency in their singing. And the results are history...the Goodmans became legendary.

Both the Kingsmen and Goodmans were products of their time...and traditions...just as all the most memorable artists in gospel music history are. There may well have been various sociological trends at work during the height of their respective popularities, but they were no more than coincidental in light of their more direct musical histories and approaches.

What do you think?

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