The lineup was completed by Estelle Brown, Sylvia Shemwell and Myrna Smith. Doing what I love to do. Myrna Smith is one of the original Sweet Inspirations, the backing group who sang with Elvis in concert from 1969 until the end. 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'. 1131. While still singing with the Blackwood Brothers in 1962, Sumner took on the added responsibilities of managing the Stamps Quartet, developing them into one of the top gospel groups in the country. 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. I really, really want to get their other studio albums. Smith had many fond memories of Elvis in which she reflected on his love for music as well as his love for black women, particularly her. 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. Unbowed, they would sign with Stax (a company where it was still okay to be Black) as a trio in 1973. Your membership is the foundation of our sustainability and resilience. The Sweet Inspirations are an American R&B girl group mostly known for their work as backup singers on studio recordings for other R&B and rock artists. It simply doesn't get any closer than this! You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. At that point, Brown had had enough and walked off the stage. container: 'taboola-right-rail-thumbnails', The line-up included Judy Guions (who later became Judy Clay), Marie Epps, Larry Drinkard, Nicholas Drinkard, Ann Moss, Lee and Emily. The Sweet Inspirations was an R&B gospel group comprised of four members: Cissy Houston, mother of the late Whitney Houston, Sylvia Shernwell, Myrna Smith, and Estelle Brown. Kathy Westmoreland, backing vocalist, still active. Learn more about the Soul Explosion celebration: https://found.ee/SoulExplosionSplash-gThe Sweet Inspirations were one of the most in-demand backing acts of . mode: 'thumbnails-rr1', The group who sung with The King, including his Las Vegas residencies, featured Whitney. The original lineup included Doris Troy and the two Warwick sisters Dionne & Dee Dee. Although they would hit the R&B chart twice more for the label, by 1971, with Wexler now merely an employee and the Warner owned company's focus shifting to acts like Led Zeppelin, Derek & the Dominoes and Crosby, Stills and Nash, they chose not to renew The Sweets' contract in 1972. 'The Sweet Inspirations', four girls from New York, are in Britain to promote their latest recording hit, may be re-printed for public display without permission, Elvis demonstrated his desire for racial reconciliation, Elvis Presley and Racism: The Ultimate, Definitive Guide, Elvis Presley and Racism : The Ultimate, Definitive Guide, Interview with Michael Jarrett, songwriter, I'm Leavin', Interview with James Burton Sydney Australia 2006, James Burton : First Call For The Royalty Of Rockabilly, Interview with Terry Blackwood & Jim Murray. Cissy, meanwhile, was also the director of the Gospelaires, the young people's choir at her church, New Hope Baptist, in Newark. The Jordanaires worked with Elvis Estelle Brown will be attending a few events in Memphis, Portia Griffin will be singing on these both shows! Snopes and the Snopes.com logo are registered service marks of Snopes.com, Elvis Presley's backup singers walked out on a concert after he remarked that their breath "smelled like catfish. We thought it didnt fit. 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. add strawberry, blackberry or blueberry topping with whipped cream for additional - $2. Portia Griffin who has been with the group for 19 years sang with Jeffery Osborne, the Killers and many more. 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. Simply put, The Sweet Inspirations is essential listening for anyone with an interest in late-'60s soul music. Even after singing and performing in concerts, they allegedly would continue to sing and jam all night. They Come To Celebrate The King Of Rock & Roll Elvis Presley! Cissy's last recording session with 'The Sweet Inspirations' was in October 1969, since she wanted to pursue a solo career and concentrate on her family. Myrna was still making records with the Sweet Inspirations during her period with Elvis, but with limited commercial success. Myrna Smith is one of the original Sweet Inspirations, the backing group who sang with Elvis in concert from 1969 until the end. Through the use of multimedia film sequences, live stage acting and concert segments featuring back up singers Estelle Brown and Portia Griffin of the legendary "Sweet Inspirations" and Southern California's own tribute band, TCB Flash Band, Back to Live creates an entertainment experience like no other. 1995 - 2023 by Snopes Media Group Inc. I get the feeling needlework in general is still alive and well in Europe. 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. You have permission to edit this article. The Sweet Inspirations. By the way, I'm writing this with the album playing away. The 'Sweets' worked with Elvis in Vegas, on his national concert tours and on recordings from 1969 to 1977. However, that didnt stop the King from showing Smith love and affection. The infamous "catfish" incident that resulted in several of Elvis Presley's backup singers walking off stage in the middle of a concert was not merely a matter of their taking offense at a racist remark, but a reaction to the singer's increasingly bizarre behavior. 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. The group, at various times, comprised of: Cissy Houston (a.k.a. Shawn returns to Memphis on Elvis Tribute Week for the very 1st concert of the event. 1970 This entire property is amazing! They also toured with the Bee Gees and released the disco album 'Hot Butterfly' in this period, but with the record achieving limited success the group decided to break up. [2] When she joined, the lead singer of the Sweet Inspirations was Cissy Houston, the mother of Whitney Houston and dynamic soprano featured on Aretha Franklin's "Ain't No Way". 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. 9. }); Copyright 2015 . Taking over for Cook is another fouding member of the group, former tenor Archie Watkins. The Sweet Inspirations (Estelle Brown, Smith, and Shemwell) got back together again in 1994, with new member Portia Griffin. 'The Sweet Inspirations', four girls from New York, are in Britain to promote their latest recording hit, What the World Needs Now. Their sound was defined by the piercing tenor vocals of Archie Watkins and the booming bass of Mike Holcomb. + Plus Bonus DVD Audio. Estelle Brown Obituary. All of which kind of makes Atlantic's decision to cut a Gospel album on them at the height of their success kind of strange. News headlines delivered at Noon Monday - Friday. ", As Presley biographer Peter Guralnick wrote, "Neither Kathy nor the Sweets knew exactly what he meant by the 'catfish' remark; none of them thought it was racial they just knew it was hostile, and there was an ugly undertone, not just to that comment but to his whole demeanor.". Presumably, Elvis' decision to have The Sweet Inspirations join him as part of his band must have been based partly on the strength of this album. The ladies of Sweet Inspiration worked with Elvis in Vegas, on his national concert tours, and on recordings from 1969 to 1977. Myna Smith: Elvis responded with, 'Well if they don't come, I don't come'. 1 Hot Cake Or French Toast With One Egg And Bacon Or Sausage Links. The Sweet Inspirations met him when they arrived for the first rehearsals for the '69 engagement. '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. The Sweet Inspirations originally did When Something Is Wrong with My Baby, But You Know I Love You, Do Right Woman - Do Right Man, Blues Stay Away from Me and other songs. The Sweet Inspirations met him when they arrived for the first rehearsals for the '69 engagement. The Sweet Inspirations. 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, I'm going to kick your ass." (4-pk) $ 40.00 Quantity: Product Type: Product Vendor: Sweet Inspirations LLC. 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. The band backed Elvis on everything from his rock tunes to gospel numbers, from Christmas songs to his movie soundtracks. Stay safe. And then from how we were raised church-wise, that was the devils music. Once back in the U.S., her condition continued to deteriorate, as she suffered kidney failure, further complicated by a severe stroke. Release Calendar Top 250 Movies Most Popular Movies Browse Movies by Genre Top Box Office Showtimes & Tickets Movie News India Movie Spotlight. Shawn Klush returns to Scranton, PA with The Sweet Inspirations! According to the documentary This Time, The Sweet Inspirations were hoping to resurrect their fortunes with the help of producer Peitor Angell, however, their fame would never be the same without the original King being alive and well. News headlines delivered at 7:00 am Monday - Friday. KTBS 3 Public File | KPXJ 21 Public File. She then went on to describe how she believes Elvis is an angel and still with us. The Sweet Inspirations were an American R&B girl group founded by Emily "Cissy" Houston (ne Drinkard), mother of Whitney Houston, and sister of Lee Warwick (herself the mother of well-known sisters Dee Dee and Dionne Warwick). Myrna Smith, The Sweet Inspirations, died in 2010. In addition to the work they were doing at Atlantic (basically taking the place of The Cookies who, as The Raelettes, had moved on when Brother Ray did in 1960), they would also back folks like Chuck Jackson and Maxine Brown for Wand, and become an integral part of the 'session scene' in town. shrimp, mushrooms, red onions, parmesan and feta cheese. Glendale, CA: Glendale House, 1987. The concert will feature backup singers Estelle Brown and Portia Griffin of the legendary Sweet Inspirations" who backed Elvis on several nationwide tours. [2] That session produced the first two singles released by Atlantic, a version of "Why (Am I Treated So Bad)," a song previously recorded by The Staple Singers and a soulful version of "Let It Be Me", a French song which had been a pop and R&B hit for Betty Everett & Jerry Butler in 1964. We were all touched by the same angel: Elvis Presley. Estelle Brown Sweet Inspirations In Las Vegas Sweets are headed to the UK for unprecedented Fall Tour starts Nov 3rd Visit http://www.elvisworldtour.co.uk/ for all the information Nov3 Shawn Klush Fall UK Tour Thursday, November 3Thu, Nov 3 Wolverhampton Civic Hall, Wolverhampton, UK 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. She later became the lead singer of The Sweet Inspirations, and in 1969, Myrna began her eight-year association with Elvis Presley when the 'Sweet Inspirations' were chosen as his opening act and backing singers for his engagement at the International Hotel in Las Vegas. Sylvia Shemwell died February 13, 2010. Myrna Smith died December 24, 2010. The Sweet Inspirations worked with Presley until his death in 1977. Rick Rowe's Where in the ArkLaTex: Estelle Brown of The Sweet Inspirations, Possible tornadoes leaving damage across the ArkLaTex, Renters forced out of Stoner Avenue apartments, Governors urge residents to brace for severe weather on Thursday, Shreveport man busted with drugs, stolen gun. Buy it Interview with Myrna Smith Cissy Houston Remembers Elvis Presley. Until Now! When did Roy Orbison and Elvis Presley start singing together? [3] It was released in June 1967 and rose to No. Originally from Savannah, Georgia, the Drinkards moved to New Jersey in the early fifties. Local breaking news delivered as it happens. 568-573). chocolates shopping sweet inspirations. 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. Almost motherly Then it became obvious to me that there were other women.. Joe Guercio, conductor, died in 2015. Another famous piece . Estelle spoke of how after Las Vegas shows the backing singers would be invited up to Elvis suite where they would sing gospel tunes until seven oclock in the morning. The Sweet Inspirations join Shawn Klush on his World Tour throughout the UK. 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. Myrna Smith, a member of the group, The Sweet Inspirations, sang back up for rock & roll legend, Elvis Presley. The group who sung with The King, including his Las Vegas residencies, featured Whitney Houstons mother Cissy. When I used to work down in this area we would order in from here all time time for business events and their pastries were always well received. Myrna also backed Elvis up during his 1976 Graceland recordings, both in February of that year, and in the October/November sessions, resulting in two albums. Also included from that set are "Thats The Way My Baby Is", and "Flash In The Pan". Sausage And Cheese. ", On March 30, 1968, the group scored their first and only top forty hit on the Billboard Top 40 Pop Chart with the song "Sweet Inspiration" on Atlantic Records. Sumner and the Stamps, a white male quintet that had replaced the Imperials, a similar quintet, back in 1971. Elvis loved gospel and soul music. Back to Live is a show unlike any other because it shows you Elvis human side. Popular music icon Elvis Presley dies in Memphis, Tennessee. Learn how and when to remove this template message, Elvis in Person at the International Hotel, "Elvis Presley Estelle Brown Sweet Inspirations Backup Singer Interview The Spa Guy", "The Dead Rock Stars Club 2010 July to December", "Peter Gabriel Receives Top Honor at BMI London Awards", "The Jimi Hendrix Experience - Electric Ladyland", "Myrna Smith - Interview - Elvis Information Network", From Memphis to Vegas / From Vegas to Memphis, Elvis Sings The Wonderful World of Christmas, From Elvis Presley Boulevard, Memphis, Tennessee, Amazing Grace: His Greatest Sacred Performances, Command Performances: The Essential 60s Masters II, Suspicious Minds: The Memphis 1969 Anthology, The King of Rock 'n' Roll: The Complete 50's Masters, From Nashville to Memphis: The Essential '60s Masters, Walk a Mile in My Shoes: The Essential '70s Masters, Peace in the Valley: The Complete Gospel Recordings, The Frank Sinatra Timex Show: Welcome Home Elvis, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Sweet_Inspirations&oldid=1141321166, Articles needing additional references from December 2010, All articles needing additional references, Pages using infobox musical artist with associated acts, Articles containing potentially dated statements from March 2011, All articles containing potentially dated statements, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, Sylvia Shemwell mezzo-soprano/2nd soprano (1966?1979, 19942001; died 2010), Estelle Brown contralto/2nd alto (19651979, 1994present), Ann Williams soprano/1st soprano (19691970), Kelly Jones mezzo soprano/soprano (2010present), This page was last edited on 24 February 2023, at 13:22. So Elvis always made sure he got even. 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 charts. In 1978, the group sang backing vocals on Frankie Valli's No.1 hit "Grease" from the film of the same name. Neal Matthews died on April 21, 2000. After being included on a 'Newport Spiritual Stars' compilation in 1954, their performances at the festival were always well attended. Direct from the USA, the world's most successful Elvis tribute artist of all time returns to the UK by popular demand. Come and meet them May 15thin Scranton at a special Concert inShawn's hometown. 4/14/2020. They would provide the background vocals that June as they were recording Aretha's 'Lady Soul' (that's them on Chain Of Fools!! Steve Priest, the bassist and co-founder of glam rock band Sweet, has died at the age of 72. He was known for his playful humour and outrageous costumes when Sweet played hits like Blockbuster and . Later they began traveling around the area and singing at various venues. The cover artwork tips a hat to Desolation Boulevard, 1975 and the band's first Headline Tours. Are any of the Sweet Inspirations still alive? The 'Sweets' worked with Elvis in Vegas, on his national concert tours and on recordings from 1969 to 1977. Sweets For My Sweet. Deep down inside, he knew the deal. But he was really upset about it. The group at this point was composed of Houston, Brown, Shemwell, and Smith. Myrna Smithalso backed Elvis up during his 1976 Graceland recordings, both in February of that year and in the October/November sessions, resulting in two albums. But U. S. magazines are disappearing. In fact, she gets it from the whole band." One more single that didn't do much would follow in 1974 and, when Stax went under the following year, they took their contract with them.Through this, they were still performing with Elvis. Tragically, Smith died at the age of 69 on December 24, 2010 from kidney failure. Shawn Klush, Cody Ray Slaughter, Elvis' Sweet Inspirations and Elvis' original drummer DJ Fontana.
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