James Blackwood

American musician (1919–2002)

James Webre Blackwood (August 4, 1919 – February 3, 2002) was an American gospel singer and one of the founding members of legendary Southern gospel quartet The Blackwood Brothers. He is the only person in any field of music to have been nominated for a Grammy Award for 28 consecutive years. He received 31 nominations and won nine Grammy Awards.

Blackwood was born on August 4, 1919, in Choctaw County, Mississippi, to sharecropper William Emmett Blackwood and his wife Carrie Prewitt Blackwood. He was the youngest of four children, which included his brother Roy Blackwood (December 24, 1900 – March 21, 1971), sister Lena Blackwood Cain (December 31, 1904 – March 1, 1990) and brother Doyle Blackwood (August 21, 1911 – October 3, 1974). In 1926, he and his brother Doyle had developed an interest in gospel music, singing at church gatherings, camp meetings, schools and any place they saw the opportunity. During this period, they sang on WTJS in Jackson, Tennessee. Blackwood formed a singing group with his nephew R. W. and his brothers Roy and Doyle. The Blackwood Brothers' first broadcast was on the radio station WHEF, AM 1500, in Kosciusko, Mississippi, in 1934. The quartet soon began broadcasting on the larger WJDX in Jackson, moving to Shreveport, Louisiana, in 1939, and Shenandoah, Iowa, in 1940. In early World War II, the quartet temporarily disbanded as James joined the war effort as a factory welder in California. As the other members joined him in California, they resumed singing and the quartet was based in San Diego, California from 1944 to 1945 as they continued simultaneously working in the war related industries. After the war, they returned to Iowa in September 1945 resuming their broadcast on KMA Radio in Shenandoah. In 1950, the quartet moved to Memphis, Tennessee, and the radio station WMPS. In 1951, they signed a recording contract with RCA Victor Records. Soon they began traveling to their concert appearances by private plane with R. W. Blackwood and the bass singer Bill Lyles as pilot and co pilot. On June 12, 1954, the Blackwood Brothers won first place on the CBS radio and TV program Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts Show. On June 30, 1954, in Clanton, Alabama, the quartet was preparing for concert at the airport for the Chilton County Peach Festival. During a few practice touch and go landings the plane crashed and R. W., Bill Lyles and family friend Johnny Ogburn died in the crash. The quartet re organized following the plane crash with R. W.'s younger brother, Cecil Blackwood as baritone and J. D. Sumner as bass. In 1956, the re organized group appeared on Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scout Show and won a second time. In the mid 1950s, the quartet started traveling in a customized bus, another first for the group. James Blackwood, Cecil Blackwood and J. D. Sumner founded the National Quartet Convention in 1957, originally a 3 day event held at Ellis Auditorium in Memphis. In 1964, the Blackwood Brothers chartered the Gospel Music Association. After singing with The Blackwood Brothers Quartet for 47 years, James (together with four other veteran gospel singers, Hovie Lister, Jake Hess, J. D. Sumner and Rosie Rozell) formed the Masters V Quartet, the highlight being a joint concert with The Rivertown Boys in Cape Girardeau, Missouri. In 1990, he formed the James Blackwood Quartet with Ken Turner, Brad White and Ray Shelton. Rosie Rozell sang tenor in the initial performances, but Larry Ford quickly became the permanent tenor as Shelton's health deteriorated. This group, like James' preceding groups, also received a Grammy nomination.

On May 4, 1939, Blackwood married Miriam (Mim) Grantham. Unreliable source: sure=yes They had two sons, James Jr. and Billy. He died of a stroke on February 3, 2002, at Methodist Healthcare Central Hospital in Memphis. He was buried at Forest Hill Cemetery East, in Memphis.

In 1974, the Gospel Music Association inducted Blackwood as the third living person to be voted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame. Sang at the Funerals of Gladys Presley and Elvis Presley. The Southern Gospel Music Association inducted Blackwood into the Southern Gospel Museum and Hall of Fame in 1997. In 1983, the Golden State University awarded him an honorary Doctoral Degree of Music. In 1986, Memphis State University awarded him its Distinguished Achievement Award in the field of communications and fine arts. In 1997, the Memphis and Shelby County Optimists Clubs named him Citizen of the Year, presenting him with plaques and citations from 16 government and civic groups. In 1994, the Singing News magazine presented him with the Marvin Norcross Award. In 1997, Gospel Voice magazine gave him the Living Legend Award. These are among the highest awards in gospel music. In 2001, he was presented with the General Superintendent's Medal of Honor from the Assemblies of God, the highest recognition from that organization. He appeared on all of the major television networks, in shows including Arthur Godfrey Talent Scouts (CBS), Dave Garroway (NBC), Johnny Cash Show (ABC), Tennessee Ernie Ford Show (ABC), Tom Snyder Show (NBC), Dinah Shore Show (NBC), Hee Haw (CBS), Barbara Mandrell and the Mandrell Sisters (NBC), Statler Brothers Show (TNN) and the 700 Club, PTL and TBN. He sang in all 50 American states, every Canadian province and 35 foreign countries.