The Blackwood Brothers are an American southern gospel quartet. Pioneers of the Christian music industry, they are 8-time Grammy Award winners in addition to winning 7 Gospel Music Association Dove Awards. They are also members of the Memphis Music Hall of Fame, Gospel Music Hall of Fame, the Southern Gospel Museum and Hall of Fame.
Group beginnings
The Blackwood Brothers Quartet were formed in 1934 in the midst of the Great Depression, when preacher Roy Blackwood (1900–1971) moved his family back home to Choctaw County, Mississippi. His brothers, Doyle Blackwood (1911–1974) and 15-year-old James Blackwood (1919–2002), already had some experience singing with Vardaman Ray and Gene Catledge. After adding Roy's 13-year-old son, R.W. Blackwood (1921–1954), to sing baritone, the brothers began to travel and sing locally. By 1938, a fifth group member playing the piano was included in the lineup, though the name of the group was not adjusted as the group still sang as a quartet. By 1940, they were affiliated with the Stamps-Baxter Music Company to sell songbooks and were appearing on 50,000-watt radio station KMA (AM) in Shenandoah, Iowa. Doyle left in 1942 and was replaced by Don Smith. After Doyle left, The Quartet relocated to Memphis, Tennessee in 1950. The move proved to be successful for the group as they began to appear on television station WMCT in coming years. In 1952 they signed a major recording contract with RCA Victor. After the move to Memphis, Roy left and was replaced with Calvin Newton, who was replaced with Cat Freeman, and after Freeman left, Alden Toney was hired to sing tenor. In 1951, Alden Toney and Don Smith left and were replaced with Dan Huskey and Bill Lyles. In 1952, Dan Huskey left and was replaced by Bill Shaw. On June 14, 1954, the Blackwood Brothers lineup of Bill Shaw (tenor), James Blackwood (lead), R.W. Blackwood (baritone), Bill Lyles (bass), and Jackie Marshall (piano), won the Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts competition on national television with their rendition of "Have You Talked To The Man Upstairs?" The win propelled them into the national spotlight and beyond just the Southern United States.
Clanton, Alabama plane crash
After winning on Talent Scouts, the group began flying to shows with their own private plane due to the demand of their performances. However, on June 30, 1954, the group was scheduled to perform with The Statesmen Quartet in Clanton, Alabama, during a town festival. Prior to the start of their show, members R.W. Blackwood and Bill Lyles, along with friend Johnny Ogburn, decided to take a quick ride on the plane around dusk. Tenor singer Bill Shaw recalled the event saying: "the plane went out its usual way, but then seemed like it got caught in the upward position and could not pull out, and then just fell to the ground and killed everyone on board." Members of The Statesmen Quartet also witnessed it and provided aid to the survivors, taking them back to Memphis that night. The funeral was attended by thousands in Memphis, including a young Elvis Presley. Members James Blackwood, Bill Shaw, and Jackie Marshall decided to press on, with R.W.'s younger brother, Cecil Blackwood (1934–2000), taking over as baritone and former Sunshine Boys Quartet member J. D. Sumner replacing Lyles as bass. Ken Berryhill, their producer, would later say that it was at about this point in their career that the group first crossed paths with the young Elvis Presley, with whom they became friends. In 1969, James Blackwood's oldest son, James "Jimmy" Blackwood Jr., took over as the main lead singer for the group. Jimmy had been a member of the Junior Blackwood Brothers and the Stamps Quartet. They won another Grammy in 1973 for their project L-O-V-E on the RCA Camden label and then again in 1974 for Release Me From My Sin. The group had 5-7 members at any given time with James Sr. and James Jr. sharing the lead, Bill Shaw and Cecil Blackwood on tenor and baritone, respectively, and John Hall and Conley "London" Parris taking over bass. The 1970s and 1980s lineup with Pat Hoffmaster, Jimmy Blackwood, Cecil Blackwood, Ken Turner and Tommy Fairchild had the Blackwood Brothers' biggest hit with "Learning To Lean". At the 22nd Annual Grammy Awards in 1980 they won another Grammy for Lift Up the Name of Jesus in the Grammy Award for Best Gospel Performance, Traditional category.
However, Mark Blackwood left in 2005, reforming his Blackwood Gospel Quartet, and was replaced with Brad White. Jimmy Blackwood, Wayne Little, Brad White, and Randy Byrd remained as the Blackwood Brothers, and appeared on the Gaither Homecoming video Rock of Ages (2008). Soon after that performance, White left and was replaced with Jimmy's younger brother, Billy Blackwood. In 2012, Byrd was replaced with Butch Owens. Also in 2012, Jimmy Blackwood retired and was replaced by Michael Helwig. In 2017, Helwig stepped down as lead singer due to a battle with ALS and was replaced by Jonathan Mattingly.
In 2020, the Blackwood Brothers decided to reduce their touring schedule, and as a result Butch Owens left the group and was replaced at bass by Eric Walker. On January 1, 2022, it was announced that tenor Wayne Little had died aged 60 due to complications from COVID-19.
On January 22, 2023, they performed at the memorial service of Lisa Marie Presley.
Commercial success
The Blackwood Brothers have recorded over 200 albums and sold over 50 million records. They have won eight Grammy Awards, four Dove Awards, and have been inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame, the Gospel Music Association (GMA) Hall Of Fame, the Southern Gospel Music Association (SGMA) Museum and Hall of Fame, the Memphis Music Hall of Fame.
Spinoff groups
In the latter part of his life and career, James Blackwood formed The James Blackwood Quartet along with Ken Turner at bass, Larry Ford at tenor, and Ray Shelton at baritone. The group performed a short while before folding in the late 1990s. Then, in 1964, Ron Blackwood, the oldest son of RW Blackwood, who was one of the original members of the Blackwood Brothers Quartet and who was killed in the 1954 plane crash, formed The Blackwood Quartet. R.W Blackwood Jr. and Ron Blackwood created the Blackwood Singers in 1963.
Cultural influence and notable appearances
The Blackwood Brothers appeal has reached across the musical spectrum for generations. Elvis Presley named the Blackwood Brothers as his favorite gospel quartet growing up and knew the Blackwood Family personally, often inviting them to his Graceland home just to talk and fellowship even at the height of his popularity. He shared a stage with them in 1955 while on tour for the first time in Texas and refused to sing rock and roll out of respect for, and a desire to sing with his idols. On January 20, 2023, the Blackwood Brothers announced that, just as it had been the case when Gladys Presley died, in 1958 as well as when Elvis Presley died, in 1977, that they had been invited by the Presley family to sing at Lisa Marie Presley's Public Memorial Services, to be held at the Graceland lawn on January 22, 2023. Ron Blackwood died in June 2025 at the age of 84.
Members (past and present)
Line-ups
{| class="toccolours" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="2" style="float: width; margin: 0 0 1em 1em; border-collapse: collapse; border: 1px solid #E2E2E2; border:1; width:99%"
|-
! width="25%" valign="top" bgcolor="#E7EBEE" | 1934–1938
<small>(Under the Name "The Blackwood Brothers")</small>
! width="25%" valign="top" bgcolor="#E7EBEE" | 1938–1939
! width="25%" valign="top" bgcolor="#E7EBEE" | 1939
|-
| valign="top" |
- Roy Blackwood – tenor
- James Blackwood – lead
- R.W. Blackwood – baritone
- Doyle Blackwood – bass
| valign="top" |
- Roy Blackwood – tenor
- James Blackwood – lead
- R.W. Blackwood – baritone
- Doyle Blackwood – bass
- Joe Roper – piano
| valign="top" |
- Roy Blackwood – tenor
- James Blackwood – lead
- R.W. Blackwood – baritone
- Doyle Blackwood – bass
- Wallace Milligan – piano
|-
! bgcolor="#E7EBEE" width="25%" valign="top" | 1939–1940
! bgcolor="#E7EBEE" width="25%" valign="top" | 1940–1942
! bgcolor="#E7EBEE" width="25%" valign="top" | 1942–1944
|-
| valign="top" |
- Roy Blackwood – tenor
- James Blackwood – lead
- RW Blackwood – baritone
- Doyle Blackwood – bass
- Marion Snider – piano
| valign="top" |
- Roy Blackwood – tenor
- James Blackwood – lead
- R.W. Blackwood – baritone
- Doyle Blackwood – bass
- Hilton Griswold – piano
| valign="top" |
- Roy Blackwood – tenor
- James Blackwood – lead
- RW Blackwood – baritone
- Don Smith – bass
- Hilton Griswold – piano
|-
! bgcolor="#E7EBEE" width="25%" valign="top" | 1944–1946
! bgcolor="#E7EBEE" width="25%" valign="top" | 1946–1947
! bgcolor="#E7EBEE" width="25%" valign="top" | 1947–1948
|-
| valign="top" |
- Roy Blackwood – tenor
- James Blackwood – lead
- Hilton Griswold – baritone/piano
- Don Smith – bass
| valign="top" |
- Roy Blackwood – tenor
- James Blackwood – lead
- R.W. Blackwood – baritone
- Don Smith – bass
- Hilton Griswold – piano
| valign="top" |
- Roy Blackwood – tenor
- James Blackwood – lead
- R.W. Blackwood – baritone
- Bill Lyles – bass
- Hilton Griswold – piano
|-
! bgcolor="#E7EBEE" width="25%" valign="top" | 1948
! bgcolor="#E7EBEE" width="25%" valign="top" | 1948–1949
! bgcolor="#E7EBEE" width="25%" valign="top" | 1949–1950
|-
| valign="top" |
- Calvin Newton – tenor
- James Blackwood – lead
- R.W. Blackwood – baritone
- Bill Lyles – bass
- Hilton Griswold – piano
| valign="top" |
- Cat Freeman – tenor
- James Blackwood – lead
- R.W. Blackwood – baritone
- Bill Lyles – bass
- Hilton Griswold – piano
| valign="top" |
- Alden Toney – tenor
- James Blackwood – lead
- R.W. Blackwood – baritone
- Bill Lyles – bass
- Hilton Griswold – piano
|-
! bgcolor="#E7EBEE" width="25%" valign="top" | 1950–1951
! bgcolor="#E7EBEE" width="25%" valign="top" | 1951–1952
! bgcolor="#E7EBEE" width="25%" valign="top" | 1952–1954
|-
| valign="top" |
- Alden Toney – tenor
- James Blackwood – lead
- R.W. Blackwood – baritone
- Bill Lyles – bass
- Jack Marshall – piano
| valign="top" |
- Dan Huskey – tenor
- James Blackwood – lead
- R.W. Blackwood – baritone
- Bill Lyles – bass
- Jack Marshall – piano
| valign="top" |
- Bill Shaw – tenor
- James Blackwood – lead
- R.W. Blackwood – baritone
- Bill Lyles – bass
- Jack Marshall – piano
|-
! bgcolor="#E7EBEE" width="25%" valign="top" | 1954–1958
! bgcolor="#E7EBEE" width="25%" valign="top" | 1958–1964
! bgcolor="#E7EBEE" width="25%" valign="top" | 1964–1965
|-
| valign="top" |
- Bill Shaw – tenor
- James Blackwood – lead
- Cecil Stamps Blackwood – baritone
- J. D. Sumner – bass
- Jack Marshall – piano
| valign="top" |
- Bill Shaw – tenor
- James Blackwood – lead
- Cecil Stamps Blackwood – baritone
- J. D. Sumner – bass
- Wally Varner – piano
| valign="top" |
- Bill Shaw – tenor
- James Blackwood – lead
- Cecil Stamps Blackwood – baritone
- J. D. Sumner – bass
- Whitey Gleason – piano
|-
! bgcolor="#E7EBEE" width="25%" valign="top" | 1965–1966
! bgcolor="#E7EBEE" width="25%" valign="top" | 1966–1968
! bgcolor="#E7EBEE" width="25%" valign="top" | 1968–1970
|-
| valign="top" |
- Bill Shaw – tenor
- James Blackwood – lead
- Cecil Stamps Blackwood – baritone
- John Hall – bass
- Whitey Gleason – piano
| valign="top" |
- Bill Shaw – tenor
- James Blackwood – lead
- Cecil Stamps Blackwood – baritone
- John Hall – bass
- Dave Weston – piano
| valign="top" |
- Bill Shaw – tenor
- James Blackwood – lead
- Cecil Stamps Blackwood – baritone
- London Parris – bass
- Peter Kaups – piano
- Dwayne Friend – guitars
|-
! bgcolor="#E7EBEE" width="25%" valign="top" | 1970–1971
! bgcolor="#E7EBEE" width="25%" valign="top" | 1971–1972
! bgcolor="#E7EBEE" width="25%" valign="top" | 1972–1973
|-
| valign="top" |
- Bill Shaw – tenor
- James Blackwood – lead
- Cecil Stamps Blackwood – baritone
- London Parris – bass
- Tony Brown – piano
- Larry Davis – bass guitar
- Billy Blackwood – drums
| valign="top" |
- Bill Shaw – tenor
- James Blackwood – lead
- Cecil Stamps Blackwood – baritone
- Ken Turner – bass
- Tommy Fairchild – piano
- Larry Davis – bass guitar
- Billy Blackwood – drums
| valign="top" |
- Bill Shaw – tenor
- James Blackwood – lead
- Jimmy Blackwood – lead
- Cecil Stamps Blackwood – baritone
- Ken Turner – bass
- Tommy Fairchild – piano
- Larry Davis – bass guitar
- Billy Blackwood – drums
|-
! bgcolor="#E7EBEE" width="25%" valign="top" | 1973–1979
! bgcolor="#E7EBEE" width="25%" valign="top" | 1979–1980
! bgcolor="#E7EBEE" width="25%" valign="top" | 1980–1981
|-
| valign="top" |
- Pat Hoffmaster – tenor
- James Blackwood – lead
- Jimmy Blackwood – lead
- Cecil Stamps Blackwood – baritone
- Ken Turner – bass
- Tommy Fairchild – piano
| valign="top" |
- John Cox – tenor
- James Blackwood – lead
- Jimmy Blackwood – lead
- Cecil Stamps Blackwood – baritone
- Ken Turner – bass
- Tommy Fairchild – piano
| valign="top" |
- Pat Hoffmaster – tenor
- James Blackwood – lead
- Jimmy Blackwood – lead
- Cecil Stamps Blackwood – baritone
- Ken Turner – bass
- Tommy Fairchild – piano
|-
! bgcolor="#E7EBEE" width="25%" valign="top" | 1981–1983
! bgcolor="#E7EBEE" width="25%" valign="top" | 1983–1984
! bgcolor="#E7EBEE" width="25%" valign="top" | 1984–1985
|-
| valign="top" |
- Pat Hoffmaster – tenor
- Jimmy Blackwood – lead
- Cecil Stamps Blackwood – baritone
- Ken Turner – bass
- Tommy Fairchild – piano
| valign="top" |
- Robert Crawford – tenor
- Jimmy Blackwood – lead
- Cecil Stamps Blackwood – baritone
- Ken Turner – bass
- Jeff Stice – piano
| valign="top" |
- Rick Price – tenor
- R. W. Blackwood Jr. – tenor/lead
- Jimmy Blackwood – lead
- Cecil Stamps Blackwood – baritone
- Ken Turner – bass
- Jeff Stice – piano
|-
! bgcolor="#E7EBEE" width="25%" valign="top" | 1985–1986
! bgcolor="#E7EBEE" width="25%" valign="top" | 1986–1987
! bgcolor="#E7EBEE" width="25%" valign="top" | 1987–1988
|-
| valign="top" |
- Rick Price – tenor
- R. W. Blackwood Jr. – tenor/lead
- Jimmy Blackwood – lead
- Cecil Stamps Blackwood – baritone
- Ken Turner – bass
| valign="top" |
- Jerry Trammell – tenor
- R. W. Blackwood Jr. – lead
- Cecil Stamps Blackwood – baritone
- Ken Turner – bass
| valign="top" |
- Terry Edwards – tenor
- Mark Blackwood – lead
- Cecil Stamps Blackwood – baritone
- Ken Turner – bass
|-
! bgcolor="#E7EBEE" width="25%" valign="top" | 1988–1989
! bgcolor="#E7EBEE" width="25%" valign="top" | 1989
! bgcolor="#E7EBEE" width="25%" valign="top" | 1989–1990
|-
| valign="top" |
- Mike Loprinzi – tenor
- Mark Blackwood – lead
- Cecil Stamps Blackwood – baritone
- Ken Turner – bass
| valign="top" |
- Darren Krauter – tenor
- Mark Blackwood – lead
- Cecil Stamps Blackwood – baritone
- Cecil Stringer – bass
| valign="top" |
- Darren Krauter – tenor
- Mark Blackwood – lead
- Cecil Stamps Blackwood – baritone
- Cecil Stringer – bass
|-
! bgcolor="#E7EBEE" width="25%" valign="top" | 1990–1992
! bgcolor="#E7EBEE" width="25%" valign="top" | 1992–1994
! bgcolor="#E7EBEE" width="25%" valign="top" | 1994–1996
|-
| valign="top" |
- R. W. Blackwood Jr. – tenor
- Mark Blackwood – lead
- Mike Loprinzi – lead
- Cecil Stamps Blackwood – baritone
- Jeff McMahon – bass
- Tommy Fairchild – piano
| valign="top" |
- Steve Warren – tenor
- Mark Blackwood – lead
- Cecil Stamps Blackwood – baritone
- Eric Winston – bass
| valign="top" |
- Paul Acree – tenor
- Mark Blackwood – lead
- Cecil Stamps Blackwood – baritone
- Eric Winston – bass
|-
! bgcolor="#E7EBEE" width="25%" valign="top" | 1996–1997
! bgcolor="#E7EBEE" width="25%" valign="top" | 1997–1998
! bgcolor="#E7EBEE" width="25%" valign="top" | 1998–1999
|-
| valign="top" |
- Paul Acree – tenor
- Tony Peace – lead
- Cecil Stamps Blackwood – baritone
- Eric Winston – bass
| valign="top" |
- Tracy Trent – tenor
- Mike Loprinzi – lead
- Cecil Stamps Blackwood – baritone
- Eric Winston – bass
| valign="top" |
- Steve Warren – tenor, lead
- Mike Loprinzi – lead
- Cecil Stamps Blackwood – baritone
- Eric Winston – bass
- Chris Blackwood – additional vocals
|-
! bgcolor="#E7EBEE" width="25%" valign="top" | 1999–2000
! bgcolor="#E7EBEE" width="25%" valign="top" | 2000–2004
! bgcolor="#E7EBEE" width="25%" valign="top" | 2004–2005
|-
| valign="top" |
- Steve Warren – tenor, lead
- Rick Price – lead
- Cecil Stamps Blackwood – baritone
- Eric Winston – bass
- Chris Blackwood – additional vocals
| valign="top" |
- disbanded before 2004
| valign="top" |
- Wayne Little – tenor
- Jimmy Blackwood – lead
- Mark Blackwood – baritone
- Randy Byrd – bass
- Brad White – piano
|-
! bgcolor="#E7EBEE" width="25%" valign="top" | 2005–2009
! bgcolor="#E7EBEE" width="25%" valign="top" | 2009–2012
! bgcolor="#E7EBEE" width="25%" valign="top" | 2012–2017
|-
| valign="top" |
- Wayne Little – tenor
- Jimmy Blackwood – lead
- Brad White – baritone/piano
- Randy Byrd – bass
| valign="top" |
- Wayne Little – tenor
- Jimmy Blackwood – lead
- Billy Blackwood – baritone
- Randy Byrd – bass
- Mike Hammontree – piano
| valign="top" |
- Wayne Little – tenor
- Michael Helwig – lead
- Billy Blackwood – baritone
- Butch Owens – bass
|-
! bgcolor="#E7EBEE" width="25%" valign="top" | 2017–2021
! bgcolor="#E7EBEE" width="25%" valign="top" | 2021
! bgcolor="#E7EBEE" width="25%" valign="top" | 2022–Present
|-
| valign="top" |
- Wayne Little – tenor
- Jonathan Mattingly – lead
- Billy Blackwood – baritone
- Butch Owens – bass
| valign="top" |
- Wayne Little – tenor
- Jonathan Mattingly – lead
- Billy Blackwood – baritone
- Eric Walker – bass
| valign="top" |
- Jim Rogers – tenor
- Jonathan Mattingly – lead
- Billy Blackwood – baritone
- Eric Walker – bass
|}
In Memorian
- Cecil Stamps Blackwood (October 28, 1934 - November 13, 2000)
- Doyle Blackwood (August 21, 1911 - October 3, 1974)
- James Blackwood (August 4, 1919 - February 3, 2002)
- Roy Blackwood (December 24, 1900 - March 21, 1971)
- R.W. Blackwood (October 23, 1921 - June 30, 1954)
- Cat Freeman (March 11, 1922 - March 21, 1989)
- William "Covie" Gecovia Garner (July 5, 1935 - August 4, 2010)
- Whitey Gleason (May 18, 1932 - June 30, 2007)
- Hilton Griswold (November 12, 1921 - May 5, 2015)
- John Hall (February 7, 1939 - September 29, 2020)
- Mike Hammontree (d. May 22, 2021)
- Michael Helwig (December 6, 1976 - December 24, 2023)
- Pat Hoffmaster (July 7, 1948 - December 31, 1988)
- Wayne Little (November 10, 1961 - January 1, 2022)
- Bill Lyles (December 7, 1920 - June 30, 1954)
- Jackie Marshall (July 24, 1930 – August 27, 2018)
- Calvin Newton (October 28, 1929 - March 3, 2023)
- London Parris (May 25, 1931 - September 7, 1992)
- Joe Roper (July 10, 1919 - November 3, 1990)
- Bill Shaw (June 22, 1924 - September 7, 2018)
- Marion Snider (1914 - November 14, 2010)
- Jeff Stice (May 30, 1960 – September 14, 2021)
- J.D. Sumner (November 19, 1924 - November 16, 1998)
- Alden Toney (d. October 21, 2007)
- Wally Varner (January 13, 1926 - December 28, 2004)
Discography
Awards
Grammy Awards
- 9th Annual Grammy Awards: Best Sacred Performance (Musical) – Grand Old Gospel (with Porter Wagoner)
- 10th Annual Grammy Awards: Best Gospel Performance – More Grand Old Gospel (with Porter Wagoner)
- 12th Annual Grammy Awards: Best Gospel Performance – In Gospel Country (with Porter Wagoner)
- 15th Annual Grammy Awards: Best Gospel Performance (Other Than Soul Gospel) – L-O-V-E
- 16th Annual Grammy Awards: Best Gospel Performance (Other Than Soul Gospel) – Release Me (From My Sin)
- 22nd Annual Grammy Awards: Best Gospel Performance, Traditional – Lift Up The Name Of Jesus
- 23rd Annual Grammy Awards: Best Gospel Performance, Traditional – We Come To Worship
- 25th Annual Grammy Awards: Best Gospel Performance, Traditional – I'm Following You
GMA Dove Awards
- 1970: Album of the Year – Fill My Cup, Lord
- 1971: Album of the Year – My God and I(Nullified due to ballot stuffing)
- 1973: Male Group of the Year
- 1974: Male Group of the Year
- 1974: Associate Membership Award
- 1976: Associate Membership Award
- 1977: Associate Membership Award