THE FAIRFIELD FOUR
During the 1940s, the Fairfield Four were among the top-ranked gospel quartets, along with the Dixie Hummingbirds, Five Blind Boys, and Soul Stirrers. Originally a gospel duet created in the early '20s by the pastor of Fairfield Baptist Church in Nashville to occupy his sons, Harry and Rufus Carrethers, they became a gospel trio with the addition of John Battle. The group was transformed into a jubilee quartet by the '30s and began the first of numerous personnel changes. They recorded for RCA Victor and Columbia during the decade and were known for their reinterpretations of standard hymns, featuring bright, close baritone and tenor harmonies. When the Fairfield Four sang, they utilized the full extent of their voices, moving easily from deep, rolling basslines to the staccato upper peaks of the tenor range, all executed with precise, intricate harmonies and ever-shifting leads.
The Fairfield Four reached their broadest audience when the Sunway Vitamin Company sponsored a nationally broadcast radio show for them daily at 6:45 a.m. on WLAC, Nashville. At the same time, they also continued touring; it was a grueling schedule, especially with the drive to Nashville, and often the group would be missing a member or two on the show. In 1942, the quartet recorded for the Library of Congress, but by 1950, it all became too much. Coupled with some financial trouble and a dwindling radio audience, the Fairfield Four broke up, though one member, Reverend Sam McCrary, used the group name to perform with other quartets. In 1980, the Fairfield Four from the '40s was reunited for a concert in Birmingham, Alabama, by Black gospel specialist Doug Seroff. In 1989, they were designated as National Heritage Fellows by the National Endowment for the Arts. They continue to perform, though the original members are either deceased or retired.
© Sandra Brennan & Bil Carpenter /TiVo
Discography
10 album(s) • Sorted by Bestseller
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I Couldn't Hear Nobody Pray
Gospel - Released by Word Records on Sep 9, 1997
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Still Rockin' My Soul
Gospel - Released by Fairfield Four Records on Mar 10, 2015
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Standing In the Safety Zone
Gospel - Released by Word Records on Jan 1, 1992
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Live from Mountain Stage (Live)
Funk - Released by Blue Plate Music on May 16, 2000
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The Bells Are Tolling
Gospel - Released by Universal Music Enterprises on Nov 19, 1962
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Standing On The Rock
Gospel - Released by Universal Music Enterprises on Jan 1, 1995
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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Rock My Soul
Gospel - Released by Fairfield Four Records on Feb 24, 2015
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The Bells Are Tolling
R&B - Released by Old Town Records on Jan 1, 1962
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The Bells Are Tolling: The Old Town Single
R&B - Released by Old Town Records on Aug 10, 2012
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo