Columns
Related Photos
Discussion
Jim Bailey: Eva Mae LeFevre joins Homecoming alumni
The Homecoming phenomenon Bill Gaither began got off to its spontaneous start when one of the old-time gospel singers persuaded Eva Mae LeFevre to sit down at the piano after the group finished its guest spot with the Gaither Vocal Band. That was about 18 years ago.
One by one, singers from that assemblage passed on to the heavenly choir: Hovie Lister, Jake Hess, J.D. Sumner, James Blackwood, Brock Speer, George Younce, Glen Payne, Buck Rambo, Howard and Vestal Goodman. The list of alumni grew longer as more old-timers participated in later video tapings.
Eva Mae was one of the survivors. No surprise there; her father lived past 100. But on May 18, a month after a bout with pneumonia and the discovery she had fractured a hip, she was reunited with her beloved husband Urias, his brother Alphus and her son Pierce. No doubt the LeFevres once again are singing together somewhere up there.
She had been singing and playing the piano since her childhood days at her father’s church in South Carolina. When she married Urias LeFevre in 1934, they formed the LeFevre Trio, which became the LeFevres when their sons Pierce and Mylon joined them. The group at various times included such well-known names as Janet Paschal, Jimmy Jones and Rex Nelon.
During his time with the LeFevres, her son Mylon penned the much-lauded gospel song, “Without Him.” He later forsook gospel music to do his own thing, but he returned to the fold. He is now a minister.
She was inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame in 1978, the first living woman member, and a decade later was the first gospel music inductee in the Georgia Music Hall of Fame.
Retirement wasn’t her thing, even as her body began refusing to cooperate. Only a year ago she had made an appearance at the Gaither Family Fest in Gatlinburg, Tenn. I got a picture of her with Bonnie.
The outspoken Eva Mae always spoke her mind. I once heard her take the late Chicago Mayor Richard J. Daley to task when the piano bench at the old Medinah Temple didn’t suit her. She’d tell it like it was, whether about her family or about one of her friends in the industry, including Gaither.
She was 91 when she died. And she never minded telling her age, as one of her famous cracks illustrated. “It’s like being pregnant,” she’d say, “it’s going to tell on you sooner or later.”
Her piano-playing style was unique, and her flawless alto voice gave the LeFevres the unique sound they carried throughout the four decades they were on the road. One of the earliest prominent mixed groups in the industry, they were a defining influence in gospel music.
Now, as she once quipped on a Homecoming video, she’s up there waiting for Gaither to join her so she can pester him through the rest of eternity.
Jim Bailey’s column appears on Wednesday. He can be reached by e-mail at jameshenrybailey@earthlink.net.
- Columns
-
-
Verna Davis: These are last words that really mean something
Ever wish you had the last word? Maybe you yearn for the last word in an argument. “I told you I was right. If only you had listened to me, you wouldn’t be in the mess you’re in right now. So, there!”
-
Susan Miller: Consider the sweet rewards of buying local
I recently saw a familiar face appear on my TV screen. Anderson entrepreneur Judy Zinszer was on Inside Indiana Business with Gerry Dick. Since the program isn’t a cooking show, I was intrigued. Was that a cookbook she was holding? Was she starting a publishing business?
-
Primus Mootry: All of us in Wonderland are wondering about things
The recent Tim Burton movie version of “Alice in Wonderland” has had widely mixed reviews. Some critics like it, many don’t. That’s pretty much the way it was when Lewis G. Carroll’s popular children’s fantasy was published in 1865. At the time, most readers thought Carroll was some kind of nut. Years later, critics and readers alike had to change their tune. Not only is “Alice” well written and illustrated, it is a brilliant satire of human behavior in times of great confusion and profound change.
-
Jim Bailey: Take me out to the great American ball game — and more
Cincinnati’s Great American Ball Park is four years old now. I can’t believe it took us this long to make it to a Reds game there, particularly with a daughter living in the burbs.
-
Scott Underwood: Reporters form core of newsroom
Many daily community newspapers, like The Herald Bulletin, have a significant amount of employee turnover in the newsroom. This can be particularly true among news reporters.
-
Jesse Wilkerson: What is faith?
What is faith? Have you ever thought about the answer to this question?
Everyone is believing or has faith in something.
Here is my definition of faith. Faith is not just believing. -
Rodney Richey: Ernie Pyle was our hero
Sometimes parents and children struggle to find common ground. Some more than others ...
-
Nancy Vaughan: Colts camp provides community engagement
Football. That’s the operative word throughout Madison County, but especially on the Anderson University side of town.
-
Jim Bailey: Public swimming not what it used to be
Summer is a time for swimming. But the venues for getting wet have changed considerably, and there are a variety of reasons.
-
Maleah Stringer: Bloggers barking up wrong tree
I want to thank all of you who responded with donations and support for Animal Care & Control in response to the column about the number of animals pouring into the facility and the July 16 newspaper article concerning Animal Care & Control.
- More Columns Headlines
-
Verna Davis: These are last words that really mean something
