Claude Jeter
Encyclopedia
Claude A. Jeter was an African American
gospel music
singer. Originally a coal miner from Kentucky
, Jeter formed the group that would eventually become one of the most popular gospel quartets of the post-war era – the Swan Silvertones
. He was also, at one time, a member of the Dixie Hummingbirds.
Jeter was born in Montgomery, Alabama
on October 26, 1914. Jeter's father died when he was eight-years old and he moved to Kentucky
with his family, where he later found work in the coal mines in West Virginia
as a teenager.
He formed the Four Harmony Kings in 1938 with his brother and two fellow coal miners, which was later renamed as the Silvertone Singers. After the group was hired by a radio program based in Knoxville, Tennessee
that was sponsored by the local Swan Bakery, they were renamed as the Swan Silvertones.
Jeter was best known for his falsetto
with the Swan Silvertones in which his graceful high melodies served in contrast to the rougher voices of the group's other members. The group recorded for the several different labels, but never achieved financial success, despite its widespread influence.
During the 1950s the group was popular and many of the elements of the group's style resembled the then-prevalent rhythm and blues
vocal group style. Jeter received many offers to perform R&B or rock and roll
, but rejected them all, citing a commitment he had made to his mother that he would always sing for the Lord.
Elements of his performances in songs such as "Careless Soul" and "Saviour Pass Me Not" were picked up by later singers such as Al Green
and Eddie Kendricks
of The Temptations
. "I'll be a bridge over deep water if you trust in my name", a line from his 1959 rendition of the Negro spiritual "Mary Don't You Weep
" served as Paul Simon
's inspiration to write his 1970 song "Bridge over Troubled Water
". Jeter said that the line had been based on a paraphrase of a Biblical verse.
Paul Simon hired Jeter to sing on the 1973 studio album
There Goes Rhymin' Simon
and gave Jeter a check for $1,000 for inspiring Simon to write "Bridge over Troubled Water".
In 1971, Anthony Heilbut
wrote the book The Gospel Sound: Good News and Hard Times, and later produced Yesterday and Today, a 1991 album that was Jeter's only solo project.
Jeter died at age 94 on January 6, 2009 at the Daughters of Jacob Nursing Home in the Bronx
.
In May 2009, Jerry Lawson
(former lead singer of The Persuasions
) and singer/songwriter James Power released a tribute to Jeter entitled "The Man in Room 1009". The song pays homage to Jeter's musical contribution and legacy using his final home (Room 1009 at the Daughters of Jacob Nursing Home in the Bronx) as the song's setting.
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
gospel music
Gospel music
Gospel music is music that is written to express either personal, spiritual or a communal belief regarding Christian life, as well as to give a Christian alternative to mainstream secular music....
singer. Originally a coal miner from Kentucky
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
, Jeter formed the group that would eventually become one of the most popular gospel quartets of the post-war era – the Swan Silvertones
Swan Silvertones
The Swan Silvertones were an American gospel music group that achieved popularity in the 1940s and 1950s while led by Claude Jeter. Jeter formed the group in 1938 as the "Four Harmony Kings" while he was working as a coal miner in West Virginia...
. He was also, at one time, a member of the Dixie Hummingbirds.
Jeter was born in Montgomery, Alabama
Montgomery, Alabama
Montgomery is the capital of the U.S. state of Alabama, and is the county seat of Montgomery County. It is located on the Alabama River southeast of the center of the state, in the Gulf Coastal Plain. As of the 2010 census, Montgomery had a population of 205,764 making it the second-largest city...
on October 26, 1914. Jeter's father died when he was eight-years old and he moved to Kentucky
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
with his family, where he later found work in the coal mines in West Virginia
West Virginia
West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian and Southeastern regions of the United States, bordered by Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Ohio to the northwest, Pennsylvania to the northeast and Maryland to the east...
as a teenager.
He formed the Four Harmony Kings in 1938 with his brother and two fellow coal miners, which was later renamed as the Silvertone Singers. After the group was hired by a radio program based in Knoxville, Tennessee
Knoxville, Tennessee
Founded in 1786, Knoxville is the third-largest city in the U.S. state of Tennessee, U.S.A., behind Memphis and Nashville, and is the county seat of Knox County. It is the largest city in East Tennessee, and the second-largest city in the Appalachia region...
that was sponsored by the local Swan Bakery, they were renamed as the Swan Silvertones.
Jeter was best known for his falsetto
Falsetto
Falsetto is the vocal register occupying the frequency range just above the modal voice register and overlapping with it by approximately one octave. It is produced by the vibration of the ligamentous edges of the vocal folds, in whole or in part...
with the Swan Silvertones in which his graceful high melodies served in contrast to the rougher voices of the group's other members. The group recorded for the several different labels, but never achieved financial success, despite its widespread influence.
During the 1950s the group was popular and many of the elements of the group's style resembled the then-prevalent rhythm and blues
Rhythm and blues
Rhythm and blues, often abbreviated to R&B, is a genre of popular African American music that originated in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predominantly to urban African Americans, at a time when "urbane, rocking, jazz based music with a...
vocal group style. Jeter received many offers to perform R&B or rock and roll
Rock and roll
Rock and roll is a genre of popular music that originated and evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s, primarily from a combination of African American blues, country, jazz, and gospel music...
, but rejected them all, citing a commitment he had made to his mother that he would always sing for the Lord.
Elements of his performances in songs such as "Careless Soul" and "Saviour Pass Me Not" were picked up by later singers such as Al Green
Al Green
Albert Greene , better known as Al Green, is an American gospel and soul music singer. He reached the peak of his popularity in the 1970s, with hit singles such as "You Oughta Be With Me", "I'm Still In Love With You", "Love and Happiness", and "Let's Stay Together"...
and Eddie Kendricks
Eddie Kendricks
Eddie Kendricks was an American singer and songwriter. Noted for his distinctive falsetto singing style, Kendricks co-founded the Motown singing group The Temptations, and was one of their lead singers from 1960 until 1971. His was the lead voice on such famous songs as "The Way You Do The Things...
of The Temptations
The Temptations
The Temptations is an American vocal group having achieved fame as one of the most successful acts to record for Motown Records. The group's repertoire has included, at various times during its five-decade career, R&B, doo-wop, funk, disco, soul, and adult contemporary music.Formed in Detroit,...
. "I'll be a bridge over deep water if you trust in my name", a line from his 1959 rendition of the Negro spiritual "Mary Don't You Weep
Mary Don't You Weep
"Mary Don't You Weep" is a Negro spiritual that originates from before the American Civil War – thus it is what scholars call a "slave song," "a label that describes their origins among the enslaved," and it contains "coded messages of hope and resistance." It is...
" served as Paul Simon
Paul Simon
Paul Frederic Simon is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist.Simon is best known for his success, beginning in 1965, as part of the duo Simon & Garfunkel, with musical partner Art Garfunkel. Simon wrote most of the pair's songs, including three that reached number one on the US singles...
's inspiration to write his 1970 song "Bridge over Troubled Water
Bridge over Troubled Water (song)
"Bridge Over Troubled Water" is the title song of Simon & Garfunkel's album of the same name. The single was released on January 26, 1970, though it also appears on the live album Live 1969, released in 2008. It reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart on February 28, 1970, and stayed at...
". Jeter said that the line had been based on a paraphrase of a Biblical verse.
Paul Simon hired Jeter to sing on the 1973 studio album
Studio album
A studio album is an album made up of tracks recorded in the controlled environment of a recording studio. A studio album contains newly written and recorded or previously unreleased or remixed material, distinguishing itself from a compilation or reissue album of previously recorded material, or...
There Goes Rhymin' Simon
There Goes Rhymin' Simon
There Goes Rhymin' Simon is the third solo studio album by American musician Paul Simon rush-released on May 5, 1973. It contains songs covering several styles and genres, such as gospel and dixieland . It received two nominations at the Grammy Awards of 1974, including Best Male Pop Vocal...
and gave Jeter a check for $1,000 for inspiring Simon to write "Bridge over Troubled Water".
In 1971, Anthony Heilbut
Anthony Heilbut
Anthony Heilbut , is an American writer, and record producer of gospel music. He is noted for his biography of Thomas Mann, and has also won a Grammy Award.-Life:He has a doctorate in English from Harvard University....
wrote the book The Gospel Sound: Good News and Hard Times, and later produced Yesterday and Today, a 1991 album that was Jeter's only solo project.
Jeter died at age 94 on January 6, 2009 at the Daughters of Jacob Nursing Home in the Bronx
The Bronx
The Bronx is the northernmost of the five boroughs of New York City. It is also known as Bronx County, the last of the 62 counties of New York State to be incorporated...
.
In May 2009, Jerry Lawson
Jerry Lawson
Jerry Lawson is a lead singer, producer, musical arranger, performer, best known as the original lead singer of The Persuasions.Born as Jerome E. Lawson in Ft Lauderdale, Florida, he was raised in Apopka, Florida...
(former lead singer of The Persuasions
The Persuasions
The Persuasions are an a cappella group that began singing together in Brooklyn, New York in the mid 1960s. They have performed interpretations of both secular and non-secular music, and have covered a wide range of musical genres....
) and singer/songwriter James Power released a tribute to Jeter entitled "The Man in Room 1009". The song pays homage to Jeter's musical contribution and legacy using his final home (Room 1009 at the Daughters of Jacob Nursing Home in the Bronx) as the song's setting.
External links
- The Swan Silvertones Biography includes biography of Jeter
- "The Man in Room 1009" Jerry Lawson & James Power perform the song released in 2009 dedicated to Jeter