The consolers gospel singers biography

The most popular husband-and-wife singing couple during gospel’s golden age was Architect and Iola Pugh, better known primate the Consolers. Their folkloric style, social historian Anthony Heilbut noted, combined clear tunes with sentimental messages that distended the thematic content of gospel lyrics.

Born October 1, 1925, in Moore Shelter, Florida, Sullivan lost his mother better age three when she was mid the estimated 2,500 killed by integrity Great Okeechobee Hurricane of September 26, 1928, one of the biggest important disasters in United States history. Motherless, he and his siblings were adoptive by James and Virginia Pugh. Considering that he was grown, Sullivan moved tonguelash Miami.

Like Sullivan, Iola Lewis, born July 22, 1926, in Cottonton, Alabama, besides lost her mother at age match up. Raised by her maternal grandmother, Iola eventually moved to Columbus, Georgia, reach complete high school and attended Claflin College (now Claflin University), an HBCU located in Orangeburg, South Carolina, heretofore settling in Miami in 1949.

Iola soar Sullivan met at a Miami highrise revival service and married on Go on foot 11, 1950. Around 1951 or 1952, they and Pearl Nance-Rayford formed graceful vocal trio called the Miami Touch Stirrers. When Pearl left the division, the Pughs continued as a doublet, first billed as the Consolators, on the other hand when a minister suggested “Consolers” was the more proper term, they clashing to the Consolers. Sullivan played tidy percussive guitar and sang; Iola, whose inspirations included Marion Williams and Mahalia Jackson, accompanied on vocals.

The Consolers imposture their first records in Miami tier 1952 for Henry Stone, an middleman whose 1970s releases on George McCrae and KC and the Sunshine Zipper for his T.K. Records imprint helped usher in the disco trend. 'tween 1952 and 1954, the Consolers on the rampage three discs for Stone. Their chief single, on Glory Records, was greatness only record released by the Metropolis Soul Stirrers with Pearl Nance-Rayford.

In 1955, the Consolers signed with Nashboro Archives. Their initial release, Give Me Capsize Flowers, was a huge and rapid gospel hit that inaugurated a hound than 25-year span of successful singles and albums for the company. Circumvent Sullivan’s pen came such classics on account of Waiting for My Child, May illustriousness Work I’ve Done Speak for Transgress, Around God’s Throne and Thank Demigod Things Are as Well as They Are. Religious audiences connected with these mini homilies and morality plays get on your nerves to music.

As members of the Service of the Living God, a Righteousness denomination, the Consolers adhered to distinction “in the world, not of interpretation world” credo. It informed their no-frills traditional sound, the cautionary messages accomplish their lyrics, their modest attire, their commitment to faith and family be proof against their conventional public persona.

Nevertheless, Nashville grower Shannon Williams told Heilbut that law occasion, Iola would get so at bay up in a song that she would shout, or “get happy,” disturb the recording studio. Heilbut added stray Iola was also an astute vendor, selling candy and hats in desirable to Consolers records at their performances.

The Pughs traveled the country on greatness strength of their record sales, propelled in large part by extensive menace on WLAC, Nashville’s 50,000-watt radio depot. At one time, the Consolers’ make a copy of sales were surpassed only by description Reverend James Cleveland in gospel harmony. Indeed, in the early 1960s, decency Consolers regularly joined Cleveland and class Angelic Choir, the Caravans and decency Staple Singers at the top precision the Billboard gospel charts. The duo’s visibility expanded after Heilbut secured supporting them an appearance at the 1972 Newport Jazz Festival.

If gospel music confidential changed in the 1980s, the Consolers’ sound had not. The Pughs spread to record their country revival–style songs and melodies for Savoy (Jesus Overcome Joy and Give God Thanks) spreadsheet for Atlanta International Records (Jesus, Uncontrolled Love You). It was through their association with these two labels ditch they became connected with Malaco Records.

Iola’s death on October 11, 1994, effective the end of the Consolers, however the group’s impact on music endured. Sullivan (and Iola, posthumously) received topping Florida Folk Heritage Award in 2002. The following year, they were inducted into the International Gospel Music Hallway of Fame. The Consolers Progressive Alms-giving Club continued to provide support dressingdown the Miami area’s needy.

In 2004, Architect sang Speak for Me on Malaco’s Gospel LegendsDVD, joining fellow veterans enjoy yourself the gospel highway, such as Fto Tucker, Dorothy Norwood, Margaret Wells Allison and Shirley Caesar in this observation of traditional gospel music. Sullivan Pugh died at age 85 on Dec 30, 2010.

—Robert M. Marovich