Biography
In their home state of Mississippi, the Jackson Southernaires established themselves as enduring icons of gospel music. Producer Frank Crisler brought the group together in 1940, with Huey Williams, Roger Bryant, Jr., Maurice Surrell, James Burks, and Luther Jennings making up the original lineup. Drawing initial inspiration from the Mississippi Blind Boys, the five singers quickly developed a signature approach that set them apart, becoming pioneers in the region by incorporating guitar, bass, drums, and keyboard into live performances. Following many years on the road, they secured their inaugural recording deal with Duke/Peacock in 1963, and their first album Too Late ranked among the imprint’s top commercial successes. A short period with ABC/Dunhill in the early 1970s produced the albums Save My Child and Look Around, after which the ensemble joined Malaco in 1975 and achieved peak popularity through acclaimed releases such as Legendary Gentlemen in 1979, Touch of Class in 1981, and Down Home in 1982. Beyond maintaining a radio program for more than forty years, the Jackson Southernaires appeared in the television show Gospel Unlimited and received Traditional Male Group of the Year awards from the Gospel Music Workshop of America annually between 1987 and 1989. The 1991 project Thank You Mama for Praying for Me... also brought a Grammy nomination. The group sustained its activities in performance and recording through the 1990s, by which time Jennings stood as the sole surviving founding member.
Albums
