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Carolyn's Singing Memories 1
Well this is a page that I have been
so excited about doing.
I will probably do more
than one page too!
This has to be the one
that brings back so many
good memories to me!
Oh yes I sure wish my
Brother and Sister
was here to help me,
but they are both in Heaven
and I feel there presence with me
as I am listening to the song, and writing!
I know that many of our members
of the Quartets and Trio are gone
on to Heaven now!
And singing with all of God's singers
that have gone on before the rest of us.
It was in '1956' that we began to sing.
I was only a young girl of the age of 13 yrs old.
My Brother Arliss had a Quartet name
"The Waymaker's" and my Sister Dorothy
and I had a Trio named "The Three Notes".
We did our traveling on the week-ends from
Southern Calif to Northern Calif !
Every week-end we left on Friday
and came back on Sunday night.
Many week ends we did concerts
in our own home town as well.
When we first began we were a lot of
scared young teens that knew nothing about
getting up in front a crowd of people!
Oh, and we spent almost every night at my house
practicing for the upcoming week-ends.
I was so scared, and so shy, that the leader of us,
and our pianist too would tell me
to stand closer to the microphone, Ok!
One step at a time, and a lot of hard hard work.
And within 3 weeks he was telling
me to stand back! I will try I said!
I began to love what I was doing
so much that my voice
would get louder and louder!
Not too long after we began they said,
well maybe we will take the microphone
away from Carolyn !That still didn't work!
But with, like I said a lot of practice
and listening to the one that was leading us,
we all finally learned how to control our voices!
A lot of the concerts were
with crowds of 4000 people! Oh My!
Not many you say. No not for today.
But this was in the 50's.
That was a lot of people back then.
I would sing in a big concert
with all of those people,
but get me on stage at church
and my knees would start shaking!
Not for me, I loved the big crowds the best!
We did a lot with the
"Blackwood Brothers" and the "Statesmen".
"The Speer Family" was a big group with us
and don't forget the original
"Gospel Oakridge Quartet"!
This is only a few of the ones
that we did concerts with.
I still see many face that we did
many of our singings with.
But most have gone on.
God still does amaze me with Jake Hess
and all of his many illnesses,
but Jake he is not through with you yet.
Hovie is another one that we loved to be with.
Still trying to keep going too!
My heart did break though when I first saw
Rosie so sick and right before he died.
So many memories with that wonderful tenor.
He was the best in our days for sure.
And Daddy would sure want me
to mention "The Weatherford's".
He loved to hear them and that was
a special request from Daddy,
that he wanted for his funeral,
and it had to be the Weatherford's,
singing "Eastern Gates"!
He said I won't be there,
as I will be waiting
"Just Inside the Eastern Gates"!
And that he was!
When I began doing my site,
I never thought I would be able
to get some of the songs from our times,
and the singers from them also.
But here again God showed me how he works!
Thank you Lord!
I could sit here all the time
if I can hear my good
'Ole So Gospel' Friends!
My Parents had a lot to do
with our singing and that is what
kept us in Church and singing for the Lord.
The theme song for "The Waymaker's"
was "Jesus is the Waymaker"!
Arliss was the lead singer.
I was the lead in the Trio!
Boy I only wish that I could hit
those (high) notes that good today.
But I have ended up an alto,
and have a loud one too ! I try not too!
I just can't hit those high notes anymore!
This was when you had to stand still,
and if you can remember seeing
the singers in those days,
there was no playing around.
You had to stand still and look
at the people out in the audience!
Look over there heads, Oh !Ok ! lol
And don't forget that the Quartet
all dressed the same, in white suits,
and white shoes too!
We had matching dresses back then too!
And yes, they were so pretty!
Today they all can have a lot of fun on stage!
Jake that is not fair! Lol
And we did not stay only with the big concerts,
as we also wanted to sing in the churches too.
We stayed booked all of the time.
Never a free week-end.
Looking back, and sure we got tired,
but the best tired times of my Life!
Also this was at the beginning
when you didn't have a bus.
Not many did if any at all.
So many times "The Blackwood Brothers"
would come and if they didn't bring family
with them, they would fly.
And if they brought some family
they all drove a car or pick-up.
This is the way that all of the groups did!
We had so much fun with JD too.
We also did it for our love for the Lord,
and not for all of the money!
All of the concerts were free then!
Before I get some bad mail ,Just kidding !
I am in no way against making money!
I am just saying that we got paid,
but only that you couldn't make a living
on what you got back then,
and not many did for sure!
Just know if you broke down
in your car, you had better all pitch in
and get the car fixed, or walk off!
Many good and wonderful
friends that we made.
I hope that you are enjoying
our friends "The "Statesmen"
singing the song now!
Then many week-ends we would
leave in about 4-5 cars and
the trailer behind one car with all
of our equipment inside.
Get there set up all
of the things for our groups.
All of the different
groups had their own.
So that made for a lot
of stuff on stage.
Oh then came the all night singings!
They would begin at 7:00 pm and
end at 5:00 am the next morning.
Did most of the people stay and listen
to all of this music and singing? You Bet!
The best good clean entertainment,
that they could bring a family too
and all of the kids,
and yes they stayed
and enjoyed it too!
Since I was raised in a Southern Baptist
and Freewill Baptist Church
at this time,
and the denomination has
nothing to do with going to Heaven!
Only by accepting Jesus and be saved
can we enter the gates of Heaven"!
But the first time I ever heard
a person shout for the Lord,
was in a Baptist Church
in Northern Calif !
I was singing, and all of a sudden
this little old Grandma threw
her hankerchief in the air,
and stood up, and started
praising the "Lord", not us,
but the "Lord" ! I tell you what,
in all due repect
to that little old Grandma,
she like to have scared me
right off of that stage !That's true !
See today things are so different,
we can show our feeling and how we feel.
I say this not because of what that
sweet little old Grandma did,
but I say this because I am happy!
I love my singing, and this kind of songs too!
And if you feel the "Lord" and his presence,
then let it work through you.
Don't hold back, enjoy the singing.
I spend a lot of time in tears with my songs!
Sad, No! Happy tears, and good tears,
as they remind me of the good days!
Yes, the days of yesterday when we had more fun,
than we ever knew at the time.
Now I am getting older and
where have all of the years gone?
They go so fast, so enjoy life,
but most of all enjoy "God"!
Some of the singers,
got so far away from God.
They did a lot of other kinds of singing,
made tons of money!
They got that chance to make a lot more money,
so they went out into the world!
And many lost it all !
They had good friends that
didn't turn their backs on them!
Praying Mama's and praying Daddy's!
It works!
But like the Bible says pray and
when they get older they will come back to Him!
I also have got away from God,
but I thank him so much,
that I always get that knock on my heart
that says come back Carolyn!
A lot of parents did so much
praying for there children,
and many I know well,
and I see a lot of them now,
and they have come back.
Thank you Lord for your promise!
Some of the ones I will be using
their songs on my pages,
and you just might know them
as you will listen to them sing.
We had praying parents,
and I thank God for that.
That is my desire to just keep on praying
that my children and grandchildren
will come to the Lord,
or come back to the Lord!
God made that promise in His word!
Also I will be praying for all of you
that see this page and feel that you
want something, and feel something
tugging at your heart !
"That is God" !
The theme song for our Trio was
"Oh How I Love Jesus" !
Every time you get up to sing,
you would open with your theme song!
Well there will be more pages on all
of the good years of my singing days.
There is just too much too say!
I will say that we did our
singing from '1956-'1962' !
I love my parents so much for keeping me
in this work all of my teenage years!
Like I said I will be back with a lot more soon!
When All of God's Singers Get Home!
I would also like to ask you to pray for me too!
You know that I need a lot of prayers
to continue to do what I feel God wants me to do! Thank you !
In doing this page, the song that you are listening
to has become one of my all time favorites!
This is me at the time of our singing years !
This is Dorothy at the time of our singing years!
Arliss during the singing years,
He went right after we stopped
into the United States Air Force!
I would also like to say to my loved ones
and this includes all of the members of our groups
that are in Heaven now.
That one day, I will be coming home too.
Where we will continue our singing,
and I will get that lead voice back again !
But until then keep on singing !
Thank you CeeDee for This Special Music Award.
What A Honor to receive this for my Singing Memories
I would like to add this award in Memory of Dorothy and
Arliss and the many others in our
groups that have gone to Heaven
 
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