JAY SIMMONS Daddy Saw the Light bass singer Harvesters Prophets Plainsmen rare

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  Biography
Jay Simmons was born in 1934 in Surry County, in the mountains of North Carolina. He began his professional gospel quartet bass singing career at age 19 with the Simmons Brothers in Harrisonburg, Virginia. In 1959, Jay moved to Charlotte, NC and joined the Harvesters Quartet with Bill Hefner, Buddy Parker, Don Norman, and Jack Clark. They appeared regularly on WBTV, Charlotte’s CBS affiliate. In October, 1962, Jay moved on to the Prophets Quartet with Ed Hill, Roy McNeal, Big Lew Garrison and Joe Moscheo in Knoxville, Tennessee. They had a very high range and Jay balanced out the sound with his solid, low bass singing. During Jay's tenure with the Prophets, they were regulars on the Gospel Singing Caravan syndicated television program, along with the LeFevres, the Johnson Sisters, and the Blue Ridge Quartet. Jay left the Prophets in 1964 and joined the great Plainsmen Quartet in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. After two years he joined some other Plainsmen members to form the Marksmen Quartet in Wichita, Kansas. After a short time, some members of both quartets re-grouped as the Plainsmen Quartet. Jay’s tenure with the Plainsmen and Marksmen spanned ten years. During his time with the Plainsmen, they appeared on the ABC television program Ozark Jubilee and performed with many top country music singers including Jimmy Dean and Roy Clark. They were regulars with the late former Louisiana governor Jimmie Davis’s performances for several years. After Jay left the Plainsmen, he joined the Sego Brothers for a short time. Jay went on to a diligent solo ministry of singing and testimony before closing out his career. Throughout his singing career, he was known not only for his ability provide the foundation for the quartet’s sound and to hit the low notes, but Jay also excelled at solos. He was often featured on songs which rarely featured a quartet’s bass singer. Gospel music legend, the late J.G. Whitfield referred to Jay as “a bass singer’s bass singer” and said Jay was one of the “best ever.”

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ORIGINAL VINYL LP