Lee Roy Abernathy
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Lee Roy Abernathy (August 13, 1913 - May 25, 1993) was an American vocalist and composer.
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[edit] Early years
Abernathy was born in Canton, Georgia into a sharecropping family that frequently relocated during his teen years. He began singing at the age of five in his father's group, the Atco Quartet, and learned to play piano by the time he was 14. In addition to sitting under shape note instructors like James D. Vaughan and Adger Pace, Abernathy studied at the Conservatory of Music in Atlanta, Georgia.
[edit] Musical career
Abernathy wrote a number of gospel classics including "He's A Personal Savior," "A Newborn Feeling," "Wonderful Time Up There (Gospel Boogie)" and a parody of that song called "Terrible Time Down There." He was also noted as a Southern Gospel music instructor, particularly for his "Modern Gospel Piano Course By Mail." Abernathy is credited as being one of the first to introduce sheet music and mail order piano courses to Gospel music. Along with Dwight Brock, Abernathy was one of the first to play "turnaround" type introductions on songs. He also served as a vocal coach to individuals (like London Parris) who went on to have great success in the industry.
Abernathy was also well known as a performer. He pulled stints with the Rangers and the Homeland Harmony Quartet. Abernathy and Carroll "Shorty" Bradford also performed together as the Happy Two, billed as a "two man quartet." In 1983, a recording titled Command Performance paid tribute to the songs of Abernathy, with performances by the Rex Nelon Singers, Gold City, the Singing Americans, the Hemphills and others.
In addition to gospel music, politics also had an attraction for Abernathy. He composed songs for Franklin Roosevelt's 1936 campaign and was a candidate for governor of Georgia in 1958.
[edit] References
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