Biography
Although they scored multiple successes spanning the dawn of the 1950s through the outset of the 1960s, the Chosen Gospel Singers count among the most difficult-to-trace ensembles from gospel’s classic period. Persistent roster turnover has left the group’s authentic background largely obscure, while the precise participation of its best-known former member, Lou Rawls, likewise stays uncertain. The Chosen Gospel Singers originated in Houston during 1950, initially comprising J.B. Randall, Aaron Wyatt, Willie Rose, and two little-documented figures later identified only by the surnames Sheridan and Files. Following guidance from manager Joe Johnson, himself an original Pilgrim Travelers founder, the ensemble promptly moved to Los Angeles; once on the West Coast, the first of innumerable membership shifts occurred, leaving Randall as the lone surviving charter participant.
Tenors E.J. Brumfield, George Butler, and Fred Sims, together with baritone Oscar Cook, were soon added to complete the Chosen roster, and this five-member unit cut its debut sides for Specialty in November 1952, producing the hit single “One-Two-Three.” (Soul singer Ted Taylor, who later gained recognition, also belonged briefly at that time, though he never recorded with the group.) These frequent personnel adjustments stemmed largely from the ensemble’s semi-professional character: demanding weekend road schedules disrupted members’ weekday employment, prompting many to abandon music for stable livelihoods. Family obligations further restricted touring beyond the West Coast for numerous singers.
When the Chosen returned to the studio in mid-1953, only Randall remained from the prior configuration; his new associates comprised low tenors John Evans, J.T. “Rattler” Ratley, and Preston Whitted, along with baritone Sam Thomas. During a later stop in Chicago, the group enlisted 17-year-old lead vocalist Lou Rawls, already an experienced gospel performer through earlier stints with the Teenage Kings of Harmony, the Holy Wonders, and the Highway QC’s. Rawls recorded for the first time as a Chosen Gospel Singer in February 1954; another session took place two months afterward, yet in the interval both Evans and Ratley had apparently departed, as had Randall, the final remaining connection to the original lineup. He was succeeded by Raeford Blair. Limited evidence suggests E.J. Booker, subsequently of the Pilgrim Travelers, may also have participated at this stage, though other accounts dispute that claim.
Rawls entered the Army before the Chosen’s last Specialty date, taped in early 1955; Brooklyn native Bob Crutcher assumed the lead role for that session, which yielded the hit “Prayer for the Doomed.” Later the same year the group signed with Nashboro; Crutcher stayed in front, joined soon afterward by Tommy Ellison of the Harmonizing Four. Rawls reappeared on their fourth Nashboro release, “Walk with Me,” which may or may not have been cut prior to his military service; both Sims and Brumfield definitely rejoined, the latter fronting the final Chosen lineup that also incorporated members of the Tyler, TX quartet the Gospel Keynotes, led by singer Willie Neal Johnson. When Brumfield stepped down shortly thereafter, he passed leadership to Johnson, who reinstated the name Gospel Keynotes and thereby concluded the Chosen’s tangled history.
Tenors E.J. Brumfield, George Butler, and Fred Sims, together with baritone Oscar Cook, were soon added to complete the Chosen roster, and this five-member unit cut its debut sides for Specialty in November 1952, producing the hit single “One-Two-Three.” (Soul singer Ted Taylor, who later gained recognition, also belonged briefly at that time, though he never recorded with the group.) These frequent personnel adjustments stemmed largely from the ensemble’s semi-professional character: demanding weekend road schedules disrupted members’ weekday employment, prompting many to abandon music for stable livelihoods. Family obligations further restricted touring beyond the West Coast for numerous singers.
When the Chosen returned to the studio in mid-1953, only Randall remained from the prior configuration; his new associates comprised low tenors John Evans, J.T. “Rattler” Ratley, and Preston Whitted, along with baritone Sam Thomas. During a later stop in Chicago, the group enlisted 17-year-old lead vocalist Lou Rawls, already an experienced gospel performer through earlier stints with the Teenage Kings of Harmony, the Holy Wonders, and the Highway QC’s. Rawls recorded for the first time as a Chosen Gospel Singer in February 1954; another session took place two months afterward, yet in the interval both Evans and Ratley had apparently departed, as had Randall, the final remaining connection to the original lineup. He was succeeded by Raeford Blair. Limited evidence suggests E.J. Booker, subsequently of the Pilgrim Travelers, may also have participated at this stage, though other accounts dispute that claim.
Rawls entered the Army before the Chosen’s last Specialty date, taped in early 1955; Brooklyn native Bob Crutcher assumed the lead role for that session, which yielded the hit “Prayer for the Doomed.” Later the same year the group signed with Nashboro; Crutcher stayed in front, joined soon afterward by Tommy Ellison of the Harmonizing Four. Rawls reappeared on their fourth Nashboro release, “Walk with Me,” which may or may not have been cut prior to his military service; both Sims and Brumfield definitely rejoined, the latter fronting the final Chosen lineup that also incorporated members of the Tyler, TX quartet the Gospel Keynotes, led by singer Willie Neal Johnson. When Brumfield stepped down shortly thereafter, he passed leadership to Johnson, who reinstated the name Gospel Keynotes and thereby concluded the Chosen’s tangled history.
Albums