Just prior to that, Cissy had sung with the rest of her group (which now included Estelle Brown) on 'King Curtis Plays The Great Memphis Hits'. In a documentary called, This Time, Smith admitted that Elvis tried to pursue a relationship with her. The Sweet Inspirations had a close, playful and well-respected friendship with Elvis Presley. As stated above, the song Sweet Inspiration caught Elvis' attention, however it was the group, The Blossoms, who backed Elvis onhis '68 Comeback Special that was first choice forhis 1969 return to the stage in Las Vegas. The Sweet Inspirations 1969:Sylvia Shemwell, Cissy Houston, Myrna Smith and Estelle Brown. Matters came to a head during an evening performance in Norfolk. Are any of the Sweet Inspirations still alive? While performing on the "Elvis: The Concert" European tour in March 2010, Smith developed pneumonia which eventually led to kidney failure and a stroke. The Sweet Inspirations met him when they arrived for the first rehearsals for the '69 engagement. Sweet Inspiration (1967) was covered in Sweet Inspiration by Diana Ross, The Supremes and The Temptations (1968) I Need Your Sweet Inspiration by The Pioneers (1970) Sweet Inspiration by King Curtis (1968) see 4 more connections. The Sweet Inspirations | Discography | Discogs Welcome to the Official website of The Sweet Inspirations! Sylvia Shemwell, The Sweet Inspirations, died in 2010. Learn more about the Soul Explosion celebration: https://found.ee/SoulExplosionSplash-gThe Sweet Inspirations were one of the most in-demand backing acts of . That session produced the first two singles released by Atlantic, a version of Why (Am I Treated So Bad), a song previously recorded by 'The Staple Singers' and a soulful version of Let It Be Me, a French song which had been a pop and R&B hit for Betty Everett & Jerry Butler in 1964. (Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images), Careless Love: The Unmaking of Elvis Presley, 2 Backup Singers Walk Out on Elvis Presley During Performance. When Jerry Wexler signed Aretha in early 1967, he brought in Cissy (now going by her married name of Houston) to sing background with Franklin's sisters Erma and Carolyn on the timeless 'I Never Loved A Man (The Way That I Love You)' LP. Taking over for Cook is another fouding member of the group, former tenor Archie Watkins. I really, really want to get their other studio albums. Walters Choir. Clockwise from top. The Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist Contest Preliminary Round is June 25-26. What a Fool I've Been 2:38 2 Blues Stay Away from Me 3:25 3 Don't Let Me Lose This Dream 2:23 4 Knock On Wood 3:02 5 Do Right Woman - Do Right Man 3:04 6 Don't Fight It 2:29 7 Sweet Inspiration 2:55 8 Let It Be Me 2:41 9 I'm Blue Shemwell died on February 13, 2010. Smith even married Schilling briefly from 1982-1987. There was one person in particular who had sent the message. . The Festival Brings Elvis Fans From Far And Wide To The Perfect Holiday Haven Penticton, British Columbia. Glendale, CA: Glendale House, 1987. Myrna also backed Elvis up during his 1976 Graceland recordings, both in February of that year, and in the October/November sessions, resulting in two albums. When Elvis heard that sound he just had to have them sing with him. She was married previously to Jerry Schilling from 1982-1987. The follow-up, Let It Be Me, which had been recorded at those same New York sessions, did even better, just missing the R&B top ten. We love being here and connecting with peopleeverything starts with customer service! Its still that way.. Cissy Houston, The Original Sweet Inspirations and Elvis Presley ELVIS PRESLEY told girlfriend and backing singer of seven years, Kathy Westmoreland, that he knew he would die soon. [2] They group broke up shortly thereafter. The Sweet Inspirations also began recording and touring with Elvis Presley as both background singers and his warm-up act,[2] as well as doing occasional live dates with Aretha Franklin. We humbly honor the old school soul music era and will keep pushing forward to keep it alive. At that time, Sylvia Shemwell (sister of Judy Clay) replaced Troy, while Cissy Houston took over from Dionne, with Dee Dee Warwick as the group's official leader. Did Elvis Presley's Backup Singers Walk Out On a Concert After He Said Farewell Martin Cook, Welcome Back Archie! | Fuson's Findings Snopes and the Snopes.com logo are registered service marks of Snopes.com, Elvis Presley's backup singers walked out on a concert after he remarked that their breath "smelled like catfish. In 1969, the group recorded their fourth album, Sweets for my Sweet. http://www.ticketmaster.com/event/02004E599D9C46E7?brand=scrantoncc&camefrom=CFC_SCC_SCCCAL_ShawnKlush05152015. It was all symptomatic of the drug-induced, physical decline that would culminate in Elvis' death from an overdose two years later. She was replaced by Myrna Smith. I'm sure he said, 'And I want your daughter to drive them'. Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre, Atlanta, GA. Atlanta Elvis fans, the wait is over. The track hit number five on the R&B chart and was a top 20 pop hit. However, that didnt stop the King from showing Smith love and affection. Steve Priest, the bassist and co-founder of glam rock band Sweet, has died at the age of 72. He could have chosen anybody to sing with him, but he chose The Sweet Inspirations. The Sweet Inspirations had evolved from the Gospelaires group. Emily and Lee were members of The Drinkard Singers, a family group that had the distinction of recording the first Gospel album to appear on a major label: A live recording from The Newport Jazz Festival in 1959. The Sweet Inspirations Top Songs - Music VF Large Pecan Pie Bites Jar w/Vanilla Bean Whipped Cream Filling 16 oz. He was known for his playful humour and outrageous costumes when Sweet played hits like Blockbuster and . The pop-rock-gospel trio of Don Sumner, Sean Nielsen and Tim Beaty is The Voice, which has being the opening act and backup group for Elvis Presley. The Sweet Inspirations. ", BURBANK, CA - JUNE 27: Rock and roll musician Elvis Presley performing on the Elvis comeback TV special on June 27, 1968. Even after singing and performing in concerts, they allegedly would continue to sing and jam all night. Movies. This first-of-its-kind musical performance tells the story of Presleys modest beginnings, rise to fame and return to live performing while featuring some of his greatest hits including Blue Suede Shoes and Hound Dog and even a few rare and classic tunes. Sweet Inspirations Page The parcel being directed to me, I had a right to open it without being thought indiscreet, and, as my husband is in the full enjoyment of health, I could read his will without emotion. An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. Artists Moods Energetic Positive Sweet Yearning Devotional Soothing Wistful Elegant Exciting Lively Relaxed Romantic Sentimental Sophisticated Strong Uplifting Warm Gentle Striding Gutsy Passionate Dreamy Artists Themes Faith Housework In Love Compassion Heartache Introspection Religion Yearning Healing/Comfort Passion Peace The late April session produced a version of The Bee Gees' "To Love Somebody", which became the group's fourth R&B chart hit, and a version of The Righteous Brothers' "Unchained Melody," which gave the group a charted, though minor hit. 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 charts. The Sweet Inspirations were an American R&B girl group founded by Emily "Cissy" Houston (ne Drinkard), mother of Whitney Houston, and sister of Lee Warwick (herself the mother of well-known sisters Dee Dee and Dionne Warwick). Houston's last recording session with The Sweet Inspirations was in October 1969, since she wanted to pursue a solo career and concentrate on her family. This original backup group that was so in demand among producers, publishers, artists, and songwriters in the early '60s included Myrna's cousins Dionne and Dee Dee Warwick, Doris Troy and Judy Guions (later Judy Clay). In the video, Demi attends a screening of the movie, only to be haunted . The original line-up comprised of group leader Emily "Cissy" Houston, Sylvia Shemwell, Myrna Smith and Estelle Brown. I always say, God I thank you and Elvis I thank you too!. As the story goes, Dan Penn and Spooner Oldham got up off the couch, wrote a song for The Sweets, and cut it themselves while Dowd and the rest of the Atlantic crew went to lunch. Really, really recommend it. Your membership is the foundation of our sustainability and resilience. 'I don't know if the road was really for me', she says. Both Troy and Dionne Warwick enjoyed solo careers with hits in 1963, "Just One Look" and "Don't Make Me Over" respectively, on which the Sweet Inspirations can be heard. "Elvis and his doctors told me how ill he really was." Shockingly, Kathy says . The Sweet Inspirations were hired by Elvis Presley in 1969 without an audition, due to Elvis being very familiar with The Sweet Inspirations. I don't know how you can do it all. [2] When she joined, the lead singer of the Sweet Inspirations was Cissy Houston, the mother of Whitney Houston and dynamic soprano featured on Aretha Franklin's "Ain't No Way". mode: 'thumbnails-rr1', When he made his first appearance in texas at the Astrodome, according to Myrna Smith, Elvis was told, 'Well, you can leave the black girls home. The Sweet Inspirations were founded by 'Cissy' Houston(Born Emily Drinkard, married to Gary Houston at age 21 for two years) mother of Whitney Houston, and sister of Lee Warrick (herself the mother of well-known sisters, Myrna Smith's cousins Dee Dee and Dionne Warwick). But he was really upset about it. Featuring Elvis's original backing singers 'The Sweet Inspirations' who toured with Elvis from 1969-1977 and featured in concert movies That's The way It Is, Elvis On Tour and TV special Aloha From Hawaii. Although they would hit the R&B chart twice more for the label, by 1971, with Wexler now merely an employee and the Warner owned company's focus shifting to acts like Led Zeppelin, Derek & the Dominoes and Crosby, Stills and Nash, they chose not to renew The Sweets' contract in 1972. The Sweet Inspirations met him when they arrived for the first rehearsals for the '69 engagement. Demi Lovato Is Back and Better Than Ever With ' Still Alive ' If you ' re a fan of the iconic Scream movies, you need to give a listen to Demi Lovato ' s new song " Still Alive. [7] They also backed Dusty Springfield on her album Dusty in Memphis.[3]. Sweet Inspirations - Facebook I don't think you can say enough about the importance of these ladies' vocals to the phenomenal 'New York Soul' records that were being produced in and around the city in the early sixties. The original line-up comprised of group leader Emily "Cissy" Houston, Sylvia Shemwell, Myrna Smith and Estelle Brown. The Sweet Inspirations originally did When Something Is Wrong with My Baby, But You Know I Love You, Do Right Woman - Do Right Man, Blues Stay Away from Me and other songs. Demi Lovato drops new song 'Still Alive' from 'Scream 6': Watch the The remainder of the album was recorded in November 1970, with Shemwell, Brown, Smith, and new member Ann Williams, a friend of Brown's who stayed for what turned out to be the group's last full Atlantic album. Pen-portraits of literary women, vol. 2 | Project Gutenberg And musicians who back Elvis and are no longer with us but left their legacy of great rock n roll music for over 3 decades from the mid 1950s mid 1970s, Elvis Musician Bill Black died died 1965. Estelle Brown will be attending a few events in Memphis, Portia Griffin will be singing on these both shows! Gordon Stoker died at 88 at his Brentwood, Tennessee, home on March 27, 2013, after a long illness. They dated for a while but remained close after it ended and Elvis continued to ask her to share his bed as friends for comfort. What Elvis song did Roy Orbison song on? - WittyQuestion.com Bill Baize, The Stamps Quartet, still active. Estelle Brown, The Sweet Inspirations, still active. Myrna Yvonne Smith (May 28, 1941 December 24, 2010)[1] was an American songwriter and singer. They began performing again and were in demand by the legions of Elvis fans who had seen them in the seventies with the King, in addition to the Soul intelligentsia overseas, where they retained a huge following. Please Note: Pit Seating includes a Pre - Show Meet and Greet and access into VIP Lounge 960, Saturday, August 13, 2016 Sunday, August 14, 2016Sat, Aug 13, 2016 Sun, Aug 14, 2016. Emily's older sister, Lee, served as the manager of the group, which soon got noticed by Mahalia Jackson. The group started with the superstar in the fall of 1973. The Inspirations Set to Release New Live Album in April Staff March 8, 2021 Arden, NC (March 8, 2021) Formed in 1964, The Inspirations are one of Gospel music's longest-standing quartets. So whenwe got there, we were greeted by this little blonde in a convertible and she had to drive us around and she was his daughter. The group sang backup for many stars, including Solomon Burke, Aretha Franklin, Wilson Pickett, and Esther Phillips. REDISCOVER The '60s: Soul Love. Advertising | EEO Public File | The Sweet Inspirations recorded by themselves for the first time in April 1967 for Atlantic Records. The Sweet Inspirations was founded by former members of The Drinkard Singers, a long-running Gospel singing group whose membership included Cissy Houston (ne Drinkard), mother of Whitney Houston, and Lee Warwick, who was Cissy's sister and the mother of Sweet Inspirations members Dee Dee and Dionne Warwick.. As a backup group, the Sweet Inspirations was in high demand among . Simply put, The Sweet Inspirations is essential listening for anyone with an interest in late-'60s soul music. Sweet Inspiration (Klaus Brothers, #1) by Penny Watson - Goodreads We thought it didnt fit. The Sweet Inspirations - Samples, Covers and Remixes One more single that didn't do much would follow in 1974 and, when Stax went under the following year, they took their contract with them.Through this, they were still performing with Elvis. Tragically, Smith died at the age of 69 on December 24, 2010 from kidney failure. Presley's behavior during a July 1975 performance in Norfolk, Virginia, was one of the low points in his long decline from superb entertainer to drug-sodden corpse. Sweet Inspiration; Give My Love to Somebody; You Roam When You Don't Get It At Home; Blues Stay Away from Me; Let It Be Me; When Something Is Wrong With My Baby; I'm Blue; But You Know I Love You; Chained; Why Am I Treated So Bad; Unchained Melody; It's Not Easy; Get A Little Order; What The World Needs Now Is Love; Don't Go; It's Worth It All . The group who sung with The King, including his Las Vegas residencies, featured Whitney. ISBN 0-316-33297-6 (pp. He and the rest of the cast are happy to be back in one of the original homes of this concert tour. Meanwhile, The Kings ex-wife Priscilla has spoken of how she senses his spirit at Graceland. If traditional Quartet harmonies delivered with exuberance and heartfelt earnestness speak to your heart, then you are already a fan of this new release from one of the most important groups in the history of Southern Gospel Music. All of which kind of makes Atlantic's decision to cut a Gospel album on them at the height of their success kind of strange. The Sweet Inspirations - The Whole World Is Out from Estelle, Myrna In March 2010, while on a European tour for Elvis: The Concert, Smith developed pneumonia. The Sweet Inspirations did a great job of blending their voices to make a soulful sound that Elvis couldnt get enough of. They Come To Celebrate The King Of Rock & Roll Elvis Presley! In 1979, after Estelle Brown left the group, they were asked by The Bee Gees to go on tour with them and signed by Robert Stigwood to RSO. window._taboola = window._taboola || []; They performed at Elvis Presley tribute shows,[2] and released new material in 2005. Wexler had been one of Chips Moman's first customers and had already cut Esther Phillips, King Curtis and Wilson Pickett at the studio. Deep down inside, he knew the deal. "Keep your eyes on the stars, and your feet on the ground." Theodore Roosevelt. Whaaatchu Say? Elvis Loved Black Women & His Background Singer Has Proof And then from how we were raised church-wise, that was the devils music. Westmoreland had had a relationship with Elvis, and when she refused to pick up where they had left off during a concert tour earlier that year and started dating a member of the band, he began to introduce her at performances using "a string of veiled and not-so-veiled sexual references." (4-pk) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dlNCvAFptM0. Myrna was a great soul singer whose voice was featured on some of the finest records of the second half of the 20th century. Inspirations magazines. During a sweltering two day session in late August of 1967, Dowd and Tommy Cogbill would produce some of the studio's finest work, not only on the Sweet Inspirations but on King Curtis and Don Covay as well. The singer who has performed with Van Morrison, Aretha Franklin, Jimi Hendrix and Dusty Springfield said: He was a Rock and Roll singer and we were gospel singers, so it did not coincide, it didnt fit. Hugh Jarrett died at 78 on May 31, 2008, from injuries sustained in an auto accident in March. Cissy Houston left in 1969 to pursue her own solo career but the Sweet Inspirations remained loyal to the king of rock & roll. The Sweet Inspirations were one of the premier female harmony groups of the 1960s, supporting Elvis Presley, Aretha Franklin, Jimi Hendrix, and Wilson Pickett. Smith became a high school English teacher in South Brunswick, New Jersey in the 1960s, while she also pursued her singing career. The Sweet Inspirations were one of the first Gospel groups to have an album released on a major record label, which was a live recording (released in 1959), of their performance at the Newport Jazz Festival. Almost motherly Then it became obvious to me that there were other women.. Back to Live is a show unlike any other because it shows you Elvis human side. Estelle Brown joined the team soon after, and the line-up that was to become an Atlantic recording group was set. Elvis Birthday Elvis Born January 8, 1935. An all female American soul quartet, these ladies were some of the most prolific backing vocalists in 60's R&B, literally singing on dozens of hit records for other artists. The Sweet Inspirations, Soundtrack: Deadpool. ISBN 0-961-86220-3. Today Rick visits with Estelle Brown of The Sweet Inspirations who were background singers for Elvis Presley Justly acknowledged as the groundbreaking, chart-topping tour de force it is, it's hard to imagine what this legendary Bert Berns and Jerry Ragavoy production would sound like without the girls from Newark. See a video below where Elvis is having a conversation with The Sweet Inspirations and Myrna is featured in the video. Cissy Houston, The Sweet Inspirations, still active. Myrna was still making records with the Sweet Inspirations during her period with Elvis, but with limited commercial success. Fontana Interview with Charlie Hodge Interview with Ernst Jorgensen Elvis Presley & the TCB Band, Copyright 2022 by www.elvis.com.au & www.elvispresley.com.au, https://www.elvis.com.au/presley/the-sweet-inspirations.shtml. They would provide the background vocals that June as they were recording Aretha's 'Lady Soul' (that's them on Chain Of Fools!! From suffragist Susan B. Anthony to civil rights activist Rosa Parks, they helped to shape the lives of not only the women who came after them but the world at large. We welcome all of our South American fans to see the show once again! The Sweet Inspirations - - Error! Hes still here because as long as were here and were keeping him going, hes here. The Sweet Inspirations Biography, Songs, & Albums | AllMusic . American singer and songwriter (19412010), https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Myrna_Smith&oldid=1133798944, Short description is different from Wikidata, Pages using infobox musical artist with associated acts, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 15 January 2023, at 15:48. In 1994, original members Estelle, Myrna and Sylvia reformed 'The Sweet Inspirations', adding a fourth singer, Portia Griffin. And now another former member Estelle Brown has revealed in a new interview how she believes Elvis is still around as an angel. Ed Enoch, The Stamps Quartet, still active. Elvis was said to have loved the singers -especially Myrna Smith and he loved their hit song so much that he hired the group of four Black female singers to do backing vocals for him.