Sometimes you get a song stuck in your head and it triggers wandering thoughts. That was the case this morning.

For some reason, and I can’t even remember why, I had the song Counting Flowers on the Wall in my head. The song brought back memories of listening to it years ago with my friend Monty. I knew that it was sung by the Statler Brothers and I decided to see if I could find it on YouTube. Of course, there were several versions of it.

I then started wandering through other recommended videos and was soon watching and listening to one of my favorite singers.

J. D. Sumner was one of the best known bass singers in gospel music. He had a very deep bass voice and for many years had the record for the lowest recorded bass note.

J.D. Sumner sang with several different groups, but is best known for singing with the Blackwood Brothers, The Stamps Quartet and Masters V. The Stamps Quarter, which was better known as J. D. Sumner and the Stamps, sang backup for Elvis starting in 1971.

The record cover that is shown above is one of my favorite records of all time. I have listened to it many times and will still occasionally pull out the record and give it a turn on the turntable. This album was recorded when Sumner was still with the Blackwood Brothers. I like to sing along with the record, but have a hard time keeping up with him in some of the lower parts 🙂 Look Down that Lonesome Road and Nobody Knows are my two favorites from this album.

While scanning in the image above I noticed that J. D. Sumner had signed the back of the album cover. I had never noticed this before. Knowing that he signed it makes it even more special.

I also started to think of my own singing. Years ago when I was in college I turned down an audition with an acapella group. I also turned down a chance to join an acapella group in Kansas City when I had a job change that required a lot of travel.  However, that doesn’t mean that I have quit singing as I sing every week with my church family.

While thinking of college I also thought of my first roommate, Darrin.

My first college roommate now sings with a Southern Gospel Quartet. He is one of the founders of the group Of One Accord, and is their bass-vocalist. The picture above is not of a gospel quartet, it is simply four college roommates. Darrin is on the left and I am on the right.

You can find out more about Of One Accord by visiting their website: Of One Accord

I am looking forward to singing tomorrow morning. I hope we sing some songs with good bass parts 🙂

Steven