Speck-Coulter

"I often wondered why Clayton, who seemed so good to me, never took his guitar and made it down in Tennessee." - Tom T. Hall (The Year Clayton Delaney Died)

Cecil Pryor once told me about the time that he - fresh out of the Army in 1966 - my dad and Gene Coulter went to Nashville and dad and Gene pitched some songs to Tom T. Hall. It was a pretty bold move to pitch songs to a writer such as Tom T. Hall, author of such hits as "Harper Valley P.T.A.," “The Year that Clayton Delaney Died,” “Old Dogs, Children, and Watermelon Wine” and “I Love,” but this was just after he had been hired as a writer for New Key Publishing in Nashville, in the days before Tom T. made a name for himself. According to Cecil, dad and Gene didn't take a back seat to anyone when it came to writing songs. Dad co-wrote "I Love Country (And I'd Rather Fight Than Switch) with singer Jack Barlow, who took it to #21 on Cashbox in 1965. Dad and Gene wrote "Big Singing Day." The Speer Family not only recorded it, they made it the title of their album, considered by many to be their best work. They also wrote "What'll I Do (If My 'Baccer Don't Sell) and "Duvall Valley," two very popular songs by the Singing DJ's. Cecil said if you listen to a lot of songs from back in the earl days of dad and Gene's songwriting partnership, a lot of their ideas were definitely stolen. Jerry Perdue likes to say there was Lennon-McCartney, there was Henley-Frey and there was Speck-Coulter.

Darrell Speck, left, and Gene Coulter

Pat Bowlin's Legacy

~ In loving memory ~

Just recently, the choir at my church learned to sing "I've Never Been Sorry," a beautiful hymn written by Albert E. Brumley. He published the tune in 1941, ironically the same year that Pat Bowlin was born. This song mimics her life perfectly.

"I’ve never been sorry (Praise the Lord)
That I trusted His name (Blessed holy name)
Ev'ry moment I find Him (All the way)
Exactly the same (He’s exactly the same)
My soul has been singing (Ev’ry day)
Since the Savior came (Since the Savior came)
I've never been sorry (Praise the Lord)
that I trusted His name, blessed holy name"

Pat, or 'Auntie,' as I called her in my youth, was saved and joined Clear Fork Baptist Church in 1960. She promptly set out to serve the Lord, and did in so many different ways for the rest of her life. She would pick up friends, or children, and take them to church. She taught numerous people how to play the piano, including some who play in church today. Another way she served the Lord was with her voice.

Born into a musical family on October 15, 1941, the daughter of Cecil and Dimple Speck, Pat had learned to play the accordion by the time she was in her late teens or early twenty's. In 1965, she and her brother, Darrell (my dad), formed the popular Clear Chapel Trio. The group performed throughout Kentucky and Tennessee, as well as Indiana and Missouri. They also had a 30 minute weekly radio show on WANY in Albany. The original line up included Pat, Darrell and Bro. Anson Perkins of Monticello. Sue Tallent of Albany later replaced Bro. Perkins. They had several backing musicians on the radio show. Their cousin, Libby McWhorter (later, Mullinix) would sometimes play piano, as would Cecil Pryor, who also would sometimes played bass. Ray Mullinix also played bass on the program. Sometimes Elmer Goodman would play guitar, mandolin or fiddle. Joe Cerrato, who was the local sheriff at the time, played drums.

In early 1967, the Clear Chapel Trio released two 45 r.p.m. singles on Miracle Records out of Bowling Green. The songs were "If God Was Dead," "This Feeling In Me," "The Greatest Man," "God May Not Let You Live That Long," "This Feeling In Me" and "Thank You For The Valley." All but the last song were originals written by dad and his songwriting partner, Gene Coulter.

The Gospel Servants
Later that year, the trio changed their name to the Gospel Servants. The line up would eventually include Pat, Darrell and their cousin, Libby. An album entitled, "The Gospel Servants Sing The Greatest Man," was recorded at Sounds of America in Nashville. The album featured studio musicians, including famed gospel singer and composer, Henry Slaughter, on organ, and legendary guitarist Hal Kennedy of the Dixie Echoes. Most of the songs on the album were original songs written by dad and Gene, including "Big Singing Day," which was later recorded by the Speer Family, and "The Greatest Man," which was also later recorded by Kennedy.

Vestal Goodman was one of the most well-known female gospel voices back in the day, but while she was a great singer, she was no Patsy Speck. I always thought Pat was a much better singer. No one ever sang like my auntie. Her unique voice captivated audiences. She would throw her head back and wail like no other singer I ever heard. Her low alto range, so powerful it would almost shake the walls and you would sometimes think it was a man singing, commanded attention and she received nothing but respect and admiration from all who heard her.

"I’ve never been sorry (Praise the Lord)
That I trusted His name (Blessed holy name)"

When Pat became a christian, she put God first in her life and He remained first in her life 100% of the time. Pat, and her husband Jim Bowlin, a good and Godly man, never had children of their own, but Pat looked after other children, including nieces and nephews, and children outside the family who became her family. She told them about Jesus, took them to church and taught most of them how to play the piano.

"My soul has been singing (Ev’ry day)
Since the Savior came (Since the Savior came)"

It is difficult for me to come up with a favorite song that Pat sang, because she sang them all so well. "Who Am I" would have to rank at the very top. So would "I'll Follow The Lord." My favorite duet song that she sang with dad was "Somebody Bigger Than you And I." My favorite of all the trio songs would have to be their version of Dottie Rambo's "He looked Beyond My Faults And Saw My Need." When Pat takes over the lead on the last chorus, I am deeply moved.

On the day before my dad would have turned 77, Pat passed away at the age of 73. It is a sad time for us, but (to borrow the words of Pat's niece, Emily) we know that today in Heaven is a 'Big Singing Day.'

Pat was an inspiration to us all. Her love of gospel music touched my heart. Rarely a day passed that she did not sit at a piano and sing. It was the only Pat Bowlin I ever knew. It will forever be her legacy.

Blog Recognizes Song Written By My Dad

I wish I had seen this earlier.

On March 6, 2012, a popular gospel music blog, Southern Gospel Views From The Back Row, rated the Speer Family's 'Big Singing Day' LP as the groups' number one album. That makes me smile because two Albany boys wrote that song, my dad and Gene Coulter. And, not only did the Speer Family record the song, they made it the title of their album!

The Southern Gospel Views From The Back Row blog regularly publishes a 'Ten On Ten' feature and the March 6, 2012 blog highlighted the the Speer Family, which has always been referred to as 'first family of Gospel music.' Mom and Dad Speer (George and Lena Speer) started singing in 1921. Eventually, the article states, all the kids would be a part of the group and Brock and Ben Speer would go on to spend their entire singing careers with the Speer's.
The blogs writer, Steve Eaton, wrote "In trying to determine the Speer Family’s pinnacle recording, it came down to the top four. Big Singing Day, from 1968, ended up at #1. Brock and Ben Speer along with Harold Lane, Ann Downing, Jeanne Johnson and Bob Johnson were members during the time of this recording. Some of the best singing from the Speers was found on this recording. "There’s Nobody Like Jesus", "Salvation In My Soul", "When Jesus Breaks The Morning", "Joy In The Camp", "I Don’t Want To Walk In The Darkness" and "Going Home" all highlight this album."

What excites me about this article is Big Singing Day beat out the 1971 album The King Is Coming, which ended up at #2. The Speer Family were the group to popularize the Bill and Gloria Gaither's classic song. It became a signature song for the group and many groups would go on to record the song over the course of the last 40 years. 

Here is the rest of the top ten....

3. He’s Still In The Fire (1989)
4. Especially Warm (1975)
5. In Concert (1972)
6. The Speer Family Album (1955)
7. Between The Cross And Heaven (1976)
8. Sacred Hour (1963)
9. Touring That City (1973)
10. The Singing Speers (1960) Eaton concluded in his article, "Rarely do you have an artist in any genre of music that has released a 60th anniversary recording, a 70th anniversary recording and even a 75th anniversary recording, but the Speer Family has. They are a true Southern Gospel institution that should never be left out of discussions on Southern Gospel music’s biggest trend setters."

Thanks Southern Gospel Views From The Back Row for recognizing an album that my dad had a part in, The Speer Family's Big Singing Day. Click PLAY below to listen to dad's group, The Gospel Servants, sing Big Singing Day....

http://sogospelbackrow.wordpress.com/2012/03/06/