The Stamps Quartet

In 1973, J.D. Sumner and the Stamps Quartet came to sing at the Caldwell Auditorium in Tyler, Texas and my life would never be the same. I had never experienced that level of perfection. Four-part harmony and perfect stage presence. J.D. Sumner was funny, full of wit, and the deepest voice in history. Bill Baize sang tenor with the sweetest refrains. Ed Hill filled the middle of the range with his baritone voice and Ed Enoch sang lead, establishing the vocal legacy of the quartet.

I immediately purchased the J.D. Sumner and the Stamps, Something Special (1972). I learned every song and envisioned myself singing on stage with the Stamps. Two years later, I purchased the 1974 album, Live at Murray State University. I thought I would never experience better harmony, then I saw the Imperials.

The Stamps and Imperials shared the legacy of Elvis. Both quartets took turns backing up the King of Rock and Roll on tour and in the recording studio, culminating in the Aloha from Hawaii. I continued to follow the Stamps Quartet but soon discovered other groups with fantastic bands.