Dunham Jubilee Singers

The Dunham Jubilee Singers were a pioneering gospel quartet based in Westfield and Bessemer. The group was led by trainer Charlie Alf "Son" Dunham, who brought bass singer Leon Patrick with him when he moved to Jefferson County from Selma around 1920.

The group performed under numerous line-ups as Dunham trained nearly a whole generation of quartet singers. Among those he tutored were Jimmie Hollingsworth, Charlie Beal, Sollie Pugh, L. V. Cox, James Allen, Arthur Turner, and Sam Middlebrooks.

Dunham was enormously influential in the development of quartet singing in the Birmingham District. His groups also expanded the repertoire of quartet singing from Gospel standards to popular songs, work songs, blues, and Dunham's original compositions. The group toured around the South and midwest, sometimes picking up new members.

References

• Seroff, Doug (October 12, 1980) "Birmingham Quarter Scrapbook" for a Quartet Reunion in Jefferson County. Birmingham City Auditorium
• Phillips, Kimberley L. (1998) "'Stand by Me': Sacred Quartet Music and the Emotionology of African American Audiences, 1900-1930". Chapter 12 in Peter N. Stearns and Jan Lewis. An Emotional History of the United States. Vol. 4 in the History of Emotion Series. New York: NYU Press ISBN 9780814780886