James "Big Chief" Wetherington Remembered

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15 жыл бұрын

Former statesmen quartet personell, Jake Hess, Hovie Lister, Rosie Rozell and Jack Toney along with Bill Gaither remember the great bass Jim Wetherington otherwise known as "Big Chief."
One of Southern Gospel's all time great bass singers, James Wetherington is remembered as a man of class and dignity.
He began his career in the late 1940s singing with the Sunny South Quartet and then with the Melody Masters. In 1949, he became the bass singer for the Statesmen Quartet and it would be with that legendary group that his name would be forever etched.
When Wetherington joined the Statesmen, both Hovie Lister and Lee Roy Abernathy suggested he needed a nickname. Paying homage to his Indian heritage, Wetherington became "Big Chief" and a part of Southern Gospel history lore.
A key member of the Statesmen for 24 years, he continued to entertain and delight audiences till his death at the National Quartet Convention in 1973. "Big Chief" Wetherington set the standard by which all other bass singers are still judged. - Taken from SGMA Site www.sgma.org/inductee_bios/big...

Пікірлер: 39

@brittgilmore3409 7 жыл бұрын

Chief was my friend; I sure do miss Chief, along with a lot of those ole stars of mine.... RIP

@minralb 12 жыл бұрын

I met him and shook hands with him after after a gospel concert in Myaka City FL in the late 1940's when I was about 8 or 9 years old. He was singing with Horace Floyd's Sunny South quartet, but even way back then I think most people who heard him knew he was going to make a big name for himself in gospel music. No other bass singer has ever had that smooth and mellow voice. No doubt about it, he was the best bass singer EVER.

@CadillacL 8 жыл бұрын

He definitely set a bar that NOBODY will reach.

@ambershopp441 7 жыл бұрын

Big Chief was and is my great uncle!! so proud of the heritage!!

@yes_no_maybe45 4 жыл бұрын

Amber Shopp wow that’s amazing, u have the most amazing bass singer as a great uncle

@raeganelizabethh 4 жыл бұрын

Amber Shopp he’s my great grandfather!

@Grandolegospelman 3 жыл бұрын

You guys have and had a jewel of legacy in your family I have always tried to model my bass singing after him he was truly a gentleman and friend to all miss him greatly such morals and standards, he lived his life for God on and off stage never changed for no one love and God bless you all

@elizabethroscoe326 3 жыл бұрын

What a wonderful heritage you share. Not many bass singers in the field today can measure up to to The Chief in any of his gentleman's ways of comportment. God Bless you all as you continue in his excellent Legenancy of Excellence in Gospel Music!

@edbowers3445 2 жыл бұрын

I always admired Big Chief! Can anyone tell me the lowest note Big Chief ever sang?

@BlackBart48 13 жыл бұрын

I met Chief in about 1969 and he was such a gentleman. He was very patient and kind.

@sandracox3504 10 жыл бұрын

Donna, I was blessed to have a mother who loved gospel music and I grew up in the northern part of Alabama where they would often hold "all-night singings" - the Statesmen were my favorites. Big Chief was my first "crush" - I idolized him! I remember when I was maybe 8 or 9 (1954-5) we were sitting second row center listening to them sing and a man sitting behind us leaned forward and asked my mother if my sister and I were Big Chief's little girls. I was thrilled! Always will remembered that!

@barbaradean1728 6 жыл бұрын

I was such a fan of the Statesmen. They were and still the best.

@JivinJoe1984 Жыл бұрын

My mom said my great grandfather (dad) resimbled him. They called him Chief and/or big chief. He was porch creek and Cherokee. We are from the Birmingham Alabama area. I'm never really listened to much gospel but I found two that I really like. The statesmen and the stamps, and found out both sang with Elvis.

@barbaraholt4928 8 жыл бұрын

He was such a handsome man

@arkyhumbos 5 ай бұрын

Chief’s best recitation was The Common Man. JD’s was The Touch of the Master’s Hand, and George Younce was both The World is Mine, and Should I Go First & You Remain. I never hear of any bass singers doing recitations anymore. On one of JD’s videos he did for Gaither was The Farmer & The Lord.

@CadillacL 13 жыл бұрын

I first learned of the Statesmen from the first Gaither video. Since then I've always felt Chief was the standard that all others follow, or should.

@CadillacL 14 жыл бұрын

I know what you mean. He did when I was 2. Awesome to see this clip. He & the rest of the Statesmen totally set a standard that nobody has matched IMO.

@leeshacklock8791 5 жыл бұрын

just watched this with subtitles on, i don't know if i should laugh or cry!!!

@minralb 8 жыл бұрын

I can still remember seeing and hearing Big Chief at the gospel music singing conventions in Myaka City, Fl way back in the late1940's, before he became so well known singing bass with the Statesmen Quartet. I remember him shaking my 12 year-old hand one night as the audience filed out the door after the singing was over. Yep, I'm that old, and I still love southern gospel singing, but not crazy about the modern instrumental stuff. A good pianist is all that's needed to make gospel music sound right IMHO.

@jerryalexander4775 7 жыл бұрын

minralb You are so right! I am about your age, and I love the old Southern Gospel music. Especially as presented by The Statesmen, Blackwood Brothers, Stamps, Rebels, Cathedrals, and Master's V.

@virgilbutler1516 Жыл бұрын

Big chief went to see his Big Chief.

@yeshualionofjudah7107 4 жыл бұрын

statesmenfan, I don’t know if you’re still out there or not. I see all your videos are from years ago. But thanks. I spent a couple hours listening to all the videos. Really enjoyed them.

@chowman007 14 жыл бұрын

Big Chief is one of my favorite bass singers. The man had an awesome voice no doubt about it. Now, In my opinion George had a more resonance n lower range. Tim Riley, is an awsome bass singer too. He is not my favorite. Richard Sternban, a good bass singer but not in my top list. Big John Hall, in my opinion is the overall best bass "singer" when it comes to southern gospel. He has a "natural" bass voice. Jim McClintock is the best overall bass "singer" when it comes to execution, depth, resonan

@BishopGeraldDunston 7 жыл бұрын

Ahmed Caraballo, I had a teacher in high school who sang in a quartet with Jim McClintock and John Thurber before they joined the King's Heralds.

@jordancoleman714 3 жыл бұрын

Lol yeah no way Jim M. measures up to Richard Sterban.

@GooglFascists 11 жыл бұрын

These guys were performers alright, and could sing tear-jerkers and move a crowd. But you wonder how many of them were actually saved and how many were just in it as a way to make a living. LaVerne Tripp said for years he'd sing in churches with the Blue Ridge Quartet then come out on the bus and get roaring drunk or high on drugs. Thankfully he did get really saved and delivered from that lifestyle, but singing in a Gospel Quartet don't mean a person truly knows Jesus.

@statesmenfan 13 жыл бұрын

@ShallCatsAdore Big Chief wrote it himself.

@GamingDrummer89 14 жыл бұрын

Big Chief could sing low and boomy but without sounding muddy. Only other bass singers that can match that are Tim Riley (the best), George Younce, and Richard Sterban (probably the closest of these 3 to Big Chief...in other words he was a little less boomy and a little more clear than Tim or George). Those 3 and Big Chief had the overall best sound quality of all bass singers of all time.

@GamingDrummer89 7 жыл бұрын

Okay, so someone liked this comment and that sent a notification to me. Since I made this comment (a LONG time ago), my opinions have somewhat changed. I take back the last sentence in this comment. "Of all bass singers of all time" is WAY too much of a blanket statement and one that is very hard to determine when it comes to who or what is the "best" (since that word covers a wide variety of facets in the first place). Tim Riley and Big Chief are still my two favorites in the gospel genre. However, I have since gotten into choral basses as well, so there are a lot of them that are on my favorites list as well. Plus, there are others who can sing low without sounding muddy besides the ones I listed, so that was too uninformed of a statement as well. Just had to clear that up.

@aloisiofilgueirasjr8850 3 жыл бұрын

JD Sumner was a big one too, don't forget him.

@rickyrichards7596 3 жыл бұрын

Too many bass singers sing DARK which is wrong, they should sing Brite. Tenors should sing DARK but most sing Brite, which is incorrect. If you have never had formal voice training...you most likely don't know what I'm talking about.

@Lightning7smith 15 жыл бұрын

the big cheif was better at narrations than ole red sovine

@alirashada2006 5 жыл бұрын

I didn't know that James Stephen Wetherington was a black man

@raeganelizabethh 4 жыл бұрын

Ali Rashada um he wasn’t ? he was half native american. i’m his granddaughter so i know :)

@alirashada2006 4 жыл бұрын

@@raeganelizabethhUM native Americans are black people to they come in a spectrum of colors the same as we do they come light skin and they also come dark skin he's all non white people comes under black he has a black man's rythym and he moves like a black man and he talks like a black man now those other 3 guys they are white, case close you have a good day

@yes_no_maybe45 4 жыл бұрын

Ali Rashada they’re all Christians so it doesn’t really matter what race they are. Hope y’all have a great day

@stevemcdonnough9010 4 жыл бұрын

@@alirashada2006 What does it matter? Are you a racist? He is one of the best base singers ever (some say the best) and while alive he spread the gospel. That is what matters. Your comment is totally irrelevant.

@alirashada2006 4 жыл бұрын

@@stevemcdonnough9010I always knew he was a brother you have a good covid 19 night