So Westmoreland, 42, will spend the weekend in Las Vegas, where she first met Elvis in 1970 and where her sister is a backup singer for Wayne Newton. Add to Cart. Although the whole incident was not so simply explained, "Black backup singers walked out after Elvis said they 'smelled like catfish'" is the memory the public has retained of an evening best forgotten. On the back of his success, Shawn embarked on an unprecedented world tour - performing to thousands of fans in theatres and arenas across the USA, South America, Europe and Australia. Thanks for visiting our page! The session produced the group's biggest R&B hit in some time. Up until the day she died, Myrna Smith made a living telling old stories of Elvis and even singing as a back up singer for Elvis impersonators. ", BURBANK, CA - JUNE 27: Rock and roll musician Elvis Presley performing on the Elvis comeback TV special on June 27, 1968. Joe Guercio, conductor, died in 2015. "Keep your eyes on the stars, and your feet on the ground." Theodore Roosevelt. Friday, June 17, 2016 Saturday, June 18, 2016Fri, Jun 17, 2016 Sat, Jun 18, 2016, Tulsa Performing Arts Center Chapman Hall, Tulsa, OK. Shawn Klush, Elvis' Sweet Inspirations, Elvis' original Drummer DJ Fontana and introducing sensational new 50's Elvis Jake Rowley. The 'Sweets' worked with Elvis in Vegas, on his national concert tours and on recordings from 1969 to 1977. Pat Hodges & The Sweet Inspirations. Just listen to Son of a Preacher Man sometimeand you get the idea of how important the Sweet Inspirations were to the Atlantic Sound. The 'parade' footage is good to see as it puts you in the right context with color and b&w footage. The incredible Shawn Klush first exploded onto the UK scene when 6 million viewers tuned in to see him crowned The World's Greatest Elvis' live on BBC One. They are, left to right: Cissy Drinkard Houston, Myrna Smith, Sylvia Shemwell and Estelle Brown. According to Elvis.com, Elvis loved the song so much that he contacted the group to have them sing back up for him. The Sweet Inspirations was founded by former members of The Drinkard Singers, a long-running Gospel singing group whose membership included Cissy Houston (ne Drinkard), mother of Whitney Houston, and Lee Warwick, who was Cissy's sister and the mother of Sweet Inspirations members Dee Dee and Dionne Warwick.. As a backup group, the Sweet Inspirations was in high demand among . Sweet Inspiration (1967) was covered in Sweet Inspiration by Diana Ross, The Supremes and The Temptations (1968) I Need Your Sweet Inspiration by The Pioneers (1970) Sweet Inspiration by King Curtis (1968) see 4 more connections. 9. 568-573). (4-pk) $ 40.00 Quantity: Product Type: Product Vendor: Sweet Inspirations LLC. We humbly honor the old school soul music era and will keep pushing forward to keep it alive. I always say, God I thank you and Elvis I thank you too!. " The original song was made for the new film SCREAM VI, and even comes with a music video. [3] The association with Presley became well-publicized as he routinely introduced the Sweet Inspirations (along with the TCB Band members, the J. D. Sumner & Stamps Quartet, and Kathy Westmoreland) on his telecast concerts and live recordings. 'Songs of Faith and Inspiration' by 'Cissy Drinkard & The Sweet Inspirations' would be released in the summer of 1968, right in between 'Tighten Up' by Archie Bell & the Drells and The Midnight Mover by Wilson Pickett. You can also hear Estelle's voice on the records of Aretha Franklin, Dusty Springfield, Wilson Picket, Van Morrison and Dionne Warwick. They would provide the background vocals that June as they were recording Aretha's 'Lady Soul' (that's them on Chain Of Fools!! Inspirations magazines. Kathy explained: I dated him for about six months on a regular basis it was fun. Cissy Houston, The Sweet Inspirations, still active. However, that didnt stop the King from showing Smith love and affection. KTBS 3 Public File | KPXJ 21 Public File. His engagement that christened The International Hotel in Vegas that July would mark his first appearance in over eight years. Its surreal, but theres an energy here. The Sweet Inspirations appeared with Elvis in more than 1,000 concerts and featured in the concert movies 'That's The Way It Is' and 'Elvis On'tour', as well as the television specials 'Aloha from Hawaii' and 'Elvis in Concert'. Bill Baize, The Stamps Quartet, still active. The Sweet Inspirations were an all-female gospel/soul quartet consisting of Cissy Houston, mother of the late Whitney Houston, Sylvia Shernwell, Myrna Smith, and Estelle Brown. Lee, who was the mother of Dionne and Dee Dee Warwick, had also adopted another daughter named Judy Guions (who would later become known as Judy Clay). [3] She died on December 24, 2010.[8]. When Elvis glowered at the remaining singers and said, "Sorry for any embarrassment I might have caused, but if you can't take it, get off the pot," another Inspiration, Sylvia Shemwell, walked out, followed by Westmoreland. Bill Baize, The Stamps Quartet, still active. Emily's older sister, Lee, served as the manager of the group, which soon got noticed by Mahalia Jackson. During a sweltering two day session in late August of 1967, Dowd and Tommy Cogbill would produce some of the studio's finest work, not only on the Sweet Inspirations but on King Curtis and Don Covay as well. The Sweet Inspirations met him when they arrived for the first rehearsals for the '69 engagement. Though their first singles lacked much chart success, Atlantic was committed to the group, and an August session in Memphis yielded the bulk of songs used for the group's self-titled debut album, released in the late fall of 1967. The parcel being directed to me, I had a right to open it without being thought indiscreet, and, as my husband is in the full enjoyment of health, I could read his will without emotion. The DVD Contains recently discovered unreleased film of Elvis performing 6 songs, including Heartbreak Hotel and Don't Be Cruel, live in Tupelo Mississippi 1956. American singer and songwriter (19412010), https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Myrna_Smith&oldid=1133798944, Short description is different from Wikidata, Pages using infobox musical artist with associated acts, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 15 January 2023, at 15:48. Neal Matthews died on April 21, 2000. Emily and Lee were members of The Drinkard Singers, a family group that had the distinction of recording the first Gospel album to appear on a major label: A live recording from The Newport Jazz Festival in 1959. Their sound was defined by the piercing tenor vocals of Archie Watkins and the booming bass of Mike Holcomb. Part of our South American tour, don't miss our first time ever at the 5,000 seat Teatro Caupolican! But U. S. magazines are disappearing. Sylvia Shemwell, The Sweet Inspirations, died in 2010. The Sweet Inspirations had evolved from the Gospelaires group. By the time she was 8 years old, she was singing in a youth group called C.H. Estelle Brown, one of the Sweet Inspirations, responded to his remark by hanging her head, and Elvis continued by proclaiming, "Estelle, Sweet Inspirations, Stamps, if you don't look up,. In the early 1980s, she co-wrote all of the songs on Carl Wilson's 1981 solo album Carl Wilson, as well as a few of the songs on his 1983 solo album Youngblood, and Wilson's contributions to The Beach Boys' self-titled 1985 album. Justly acknowledged as the groundbreaking, chart-topping tour de force it is, it's hard to imagine what this legendary Bert Berns and Jerry Ragavoy production would sound like without the girls from Newark. Shawn Klush, Cody Ray Slaughter, Elvis' Sweet Inspirations and Elvis' original drummer DJ Fontana. It was released in 1968 under the name "Cissy Drinkard & The Sweet Inspirations. iloveoldschoolmusic.com. Doing what I love to do. They performed at Elvis Presley tribute shows,[2] and released new material in 2005. Meanwhile, The Kings ex-wife Priscilla has spoken of how she senses his spirit at Graceland. The Inspirations are a professional Southern Gospel quartet from Bryson City, NC. An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. The Sweet Inspirations continued to work as sessions singers during this period, appearing on classic cuts by artists as diverse as Aretha Franklin (Chain of Fools), Dusty Springfield (Son of a Preacher Man), Van Morrison (Brown Eyed Girl) and Jimi Hendrix (Burning of the Midnight Lamp). Unlike the king, Schilling never stopped pursing Schilling and he eventually won her over. window._taboola = window._taboola || []; "The hard days are what make you stronger." Aly Raisman. The Inspirations, a hallmark name in Classic Gospel Quartet Music, bring The One in the Water..If you were raised on the sounds of the Gospel Singing Jubilee. From suffragist Susan B. Anthony to civil rights activist Rosa Parks, they helped to shape the lives of not only the women who came after them but the world at large. 2021 will soon be with us and hopefully have Sweet performing at a Venue near you. Elvis Gold Piano Elvis Piano at Graceland. Finding . The groups most successful song was Sweet Inspiration, which was cut during a two-day session at American Sound in Memphis in August 1967. An all female American soul quartet, these ladies were some of the most prolific backing vocalists in 60's R&B, literally singing on dozens of hit records for other artists. Pat Terry would take Estelle's place on their disco flavored album, Hot Butterfly, which didn't sell much - probably due to the fact that the company had overextended itself by then, and was busy fighting off a lawsuit from those self-same Brothers Gibb. At any rate, I supposed my husband dead, and felt rather anxious to know what he might think of me while still alive. If you have Closed Captioning issues or have disabilities and have issues and require assistance accessing the KTBS or KPXJ Public File, She added: And he continues to. By the way, I'm writing this with the album playing away. Estelle Brown, Myrna Smith, and Sylvia Shemwell begun performing with Elvis in Las Vegas in 1969 and they continued to perform at every concert with Elvis all the way through the year of 1977 until Elvis' passing. The session produced the group's biggest R&B hit in some time. Your membership is the foundation of our sustainability and resilience. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. . This first-of-its-kind musical performance tells the story of Presleys modest beginnings, rise to fame and return to live performing while featuring some of his greatest hits including Blue Suede Shoes and Hound Dog and even a few rare and classic tunes. He was replaced by new lead Curtis Young. Elvis dear friend, Jerry Schilling, loved Smith too. Two more singles released from the LP failed to chart, however, and Cissy Houston left the group shortly after that. The singer who has performed with Van Morrison, Aretha Franklin, Jimi Hendrix and Dusty Springfield said: He was a Rock and Roll singer and we were gospel singers, so it did not coincide, it didnt fit. This isnt too surprising, as their have been rumors that Elvis was very fond of the ladies. Come and meet them May 15thin Scranton at a special Concert inShawn's hometown. She became a member of the Sweet Inspirations, which previously served as Elvis Presley 's backing group. I do feel his spirit is here, yes. She was married previously to Jerry Schilling from 1982-1987. Rank. The track hit number five on the R&B chart and was a top 20 pop hit. Bacharach, of course, would go on to make history with Dionne at Scepter, while Dee Dee and Judy Clay embarked on solo careers themselves shortly thereafter. So whenwe got there, we were greeted by this little blonde in a convertible and she had to drive us around and she was his daughter. But he was really upset about it. Award-winning entertainer and recipient of the Heart of the King Award Ted Torres Martin in conjunction with KWICK Productions is proud to bring the live stage production of Back to Live to El Portal. The Sweet inspirations had a hit record on the Pop, Soul and R and B charts in 1969. Another famous piece . A Gamble & Huff composition, "Gotta Find Me A Brand New Lover" appeared on the group's fifth album Sweet Sweet Soul. Esteemed Actor Ted Torres Martin to Perform Multimedia Musical Stage Production Show Based on the Life and Career of Elvis Presley. You couldnt sing the devils music because if you did you were going to hell., READ MORE:Elvis Presley had 'HUGE heart, Graceland like living at Disneyland'. Stay safe. The quartet began in 1964 when Martin Cook, a teacher at Swain County High School, invited several young men to his home for evenings of singing. It seems like 2 years flew by just like that. And there were times Smith provided backing vocals alone, minus her group. This original backup group that was so in demand among producers, publishers, artists, and songwriters in the early '60s included Myrna's cousins, With both Doris and Dionne enjoying solo careers with hits (. Perhaps the most striking example of their contributions during this period is their uncredited mind-blowing appearance behind Garnet Mimms on Cry Baby in 1963. Large Pecan Pie Bites Jar w/Vanilla Bean Whipped Cream Filling 16 oz. Today there are many inspiring. The group who sung with The King, including his Las Vegas residencies, featured Whitney Houstons mother Cissy.