Statesmen Quartet - 1949 - I'VE GOT A NEW BORN FEELING.wmv

[PreservingMemories2]

Thanks so much for your comments and your love for the sensational Statesmen Quartet. I was so fortunate to have seen the Statesmen several times while growing up in my hometown of Fayette, AL. Yes I would love to acquire a CD of the Statesmen at the National Quartet Convention.

[preacherman1338]

Thank YOU so much for this vintage footage. I was born in 44, so I have never seen th Statesmen in the when they first started out. I have a tape I made at the National Quartet Convention. Check it out at preacherman4796. I can put it on a CD, all you have to pay is the postage. The Statesmen were the BEST GOSPEL Quartet EVER. Thanks again, Me

[PreservingMemories2]

Thank you so very much. I have the hardest time remembering his name. When he left the Statesmen to join Bobby Strickland and the Crusaders, the accident that killed Bobby Strickland broke Bervin's back and from that day he was never able to travel with a quartet group again due to the pain in his back. That is so sad because he was a great talent. Thanks again for the info, God bless and Merry Christmas.

[PreservingMemories2]

Yes you are right, this is the first videos the Statesmen ever made. The high Tenor is Cat Freeman, Sister Vestal Goodman's brother from Fyffe, AL. I can not remember the baritone's name. But he left the Statesmen to join Bobby strickland when he formed the Crusaders in Birmingham, AL. The Crusaders were a great quartet but tragedy struck when a drunk driver hit their car head on when returning from a concert. Bobby Strickland was killed,

[NouveauPasse]

@PreservingMemories2

The baritone is Bervin Kendrick.

[preacherman1338]

This is the oldest video I have ever seen in the Statesmen. Thanks so much for publishing it. Where did YOU get it. I don't even know anyone, but Jake, Hovie and Chief and the tenor looks familiar. Anyway, it made my night to see them from so many years ago. I miss All of them

[PreservingMemories2]

You are most welcome. I'm glad I could share,

[oldsgt6]

What a fantasic find.Thank you for sharing this

[PreservingMemories2]

Yes Cat Freeman is one of my favorites as well. Yes Cat followed Bobby Strickland.

[musicmike4145]

Did Cat sing tenor prior to Bobby Strickland leaving the group? I thought that Bobby was the tenor until about 1950 or 51. I did enjoy seeing the footage with Cat and Bervin. I have never seen a video with that line-up. Cat Freeman is one of my favorite tenor singers.

[bjsc67]

Another wonderful video! What good looking men they all were, along with being such marvelous singers.

[PreservingMemories2]

Thanks you!! I was thrilled when I found these. They are the only ones in existence.

[beatapt5]

Thank you, thank you!!!!!!!! I have seen short clips of this, but didn't know if more existed. Only clips I've seen of Cat and Bervin Kendrick.

[minralb]

I may be the only person still alive who remembers when Big Chief James Wetherington was singing bass with the Sunny South quartet. They had a 1/2 hour radio show on WFLA in Tampa every day at noon. Grandpa and I would come in from working in the field and listen while we ate lunch. Horace

Floyd sang tenor, Lee Kitchens sang lead (I think) and Big Chief sang bass, but I don't remember who sang the other part. Big Jim joined the Statesmen not long after that and the Sunny South group broke up.

[PreservingMemories2]

Thanks much for your positive comments. There are no earlier videos of the Statesmen before the two that I have entered. I also like the Rangers very much and will search my sources to see if there are anymore available.

[siempre33]

What a shame that only a few have viewed this rare piece of

Statesmen history.....I've combed over youtube for at least 200

gospel videos, mostly Statesmen, and have only just now found

this one.....I am also an admirer of the early Rangers Quartet

who I saw in person around 1957, and would love to see much

more of them, esp. In My Father's House Are Many Mansions,

and other great numbers....

[PreservingMemories2]

You are so very welcome. I love the Statesmen as much as you do. I think Cat Freeman was wonderful. I remember seeing the Statesmen with Cat Freeman one time as a child in front of the court house square in Fayette, AL as they campaigned with a candidate for Gov. of Alabama. I remember that Hovie called him Sister Cat Freeman. I am told that he got that name when he was very young when some would say that he sounded like a cat when he would hit those very high notes.

[NouveauPasse]

THIS IS WONDERFUL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!­!!!!

There is a short clip of this on a "History Of Gospel Music" video but I've never seen the entire clip. This is undoubtedly the earliest footage of this wonderful quartet. Great to see Cat Freeman, Jake Hess, Bervin Kendrick, Big Chief and Brother Hovie Lister.....AND IN COLOR!!!!

Thanks so much for sharing this.