Holiday Music | Other Country Styles

The Clay Eager Family "The Clay Eager Family" (Gloryland Records, 1973) (LP)
(Produced by Jack Casey & Marvin Jones)
A charming little down-home country gospel album. Rushville, Ohio's Wilbur Carl Eagy, Jr. (aka Clay Eager, 1925-1995) was a veteran of the hillbilly era and the early rock'n'roll scene who made this album while he was on the mend from a health crisis of the sort where when you get better you figure it was Jesus who healed you and you start writing about it in ALL CAPS. He's joined by various family members -- his wife, Helen Jo Eager, their daughter Lana Jo, and his in-laws, Mom and Pop Wood, who had previously had their own country music act on programs such as the Madison Lake Jamboree and the WCKY Jamboree, in Cincinnati, which also hosted Mr. Eager in the early 1960s. Rome Records owner Jack Casey sings on here as well, and provides a few studio pickers to fill out the sound, notably banjo player Carl Dutton, whose bright, rolling licks define most of the album. A lot of space is given to Lana Jo's little-girl vocals, which gives this album a more amateurish feel than was probably necessary, but it's still a sweet record, as much for its imperfections as for its soulfulness. Clay Eager released a string of secular singles back in the 1950s, but this may have been his only full LP.

Jim Eanes "In His Arms" (Rebel Records, 2004)

Earline "This Is Earline" (Shade Tree Records, 197--?) (LP)
(Produced by Jerry Sims)
Country gospel with vocals by Earline Scevers, daughter of Rev. Thurman Scevers, from Springfield, Oregon. Earline and her family scampered down to Modesto, California to record this album at the studio of Jerry Sims, with help from bassist Bill Carter, of the Christian Troubadours. Carter had been splitting his time between California and Oregon, seems to have been the driver of these session, and contributes liner notes as well. Backing the young Ms. Scevers were Bill Carter on bass, Roger Ely (lead guitar), Paul Landrus (piano), and Cal Veale on drums,

The Easter Brothers "They're Holding Up The Ladder" (Rebel Records, 2004)
Soulful and sweet. A great, gorgeous all-gospel bluegrass set, drawn from two albums the Easter Brothers cut for Rebel Records in the early '80s, I Feel Like Traveling Home, from 1980, and 1981's Almost Home. It's beautiful stuff, richly melodic and drenched in the classic 1950s style of Jim & Jesse, with plenty of sweet picking and high mandolin work to guide the songs. This is the sort of gospel bluegrass in which infectious musicality propels each song -- even folks who aren't into the whole Jesus thing should find themselves as drawn in by this disc as anybody else... It's just so darn yummy!

The Easter Brothers "By Request: Their Greatest Hits" (Daywind Records, 2000)

The Easter Brothers "Heart And Soul" (Daywind Records, 2000)
Sure, these guys were old farts by the time this record was recorded, but they sure did know how to harmonize and sing with plenty of soul. A nice, twangy bluegrass surprise from this Southern Gospel label.

Ed & Jolene "Glimpse Of Heaven" (White Dove Records, 1985) (LP)
(Produced by Rudy Q. Jones)
Coal County, Oklahoma, cattle ranchers Ed and Jolene Bullard were true amateurs who had only started taking their music seriously late in life... They eventually landed a few gigs at regional "opry" shows such as Georgetown, Texas's Saturday Night Jamboree and the Bluegrass Opera Barn in Stillwell, Oklahoma, and recorded several albums of their own material, including this all-gospel set. The Bulards are backed by producer/multi-instrumentalist Rudy Q. Jones, vocalist Debbie Kirkpatrick, Vern Siemens on lead guitar, and perhaps most intriguing, hillbilly old-timer and Starday albummaker Lonnie Glosson on harmonica. Originally from Oklahoma, Rudy Jones had recorded an album or two of country gospel himself, and was best known as a dobro picker and luthier -- at some point he moved to Florida, possibly sometime after this album.

Vanessa Edmonds "Oh What A Sunrise" (Gospel Shore Records, 19--?) (LP)
(Produced by Rusty York & Reverend Dan Brockman)
An eight-year old singer from Hamilton, Ohio, backed by Bill Croucher on bass, steel guitar player Chubby Howard, Gary Smith playing lead guitar, and Rev. Brockman on keyboards and guitar.

Joe Edwards "Gospel Guitar" (Little Nashvilles Records, 1975) (LP)
(Produced by Joe Edwards & Don Sheets)
An early souvenir of the Little Nashville Opry in Indiana, featuring the house band's lead guitar player, Joe Edwards, who also played some find fiddle. No other pickers are listed, though a vocal quartet led by Little Nashville stalwart Marti Mae gets a credit on the back.

Jamie Eitson "...Sings The Sweetest Song I Know" (Ja-Son Records, 1978-?) (LP)
(Produced by Robin Hood Brians & Randy Fouts)

Jamie Eitson "When Morning Comes" (Ja-Son Records, 1979) (LP)
(Produced by Robin Hood Brians & Randy Fouts)
The longtime pastor of Park Heights Assembly Of God, in Tyler, Texas, singer-guitarist Jamie Eitson recorded at least two albums at the local Brians Recording Studio, run -- remarkably enough -- by keyboardists Robin Hood Brians and guitarist Randy Fouts, both original members of the Lone Star garage-rock band, Mouse & The Traps. Fouts plays electric piano on the closing track, a version of "He Was There With Me All The Way," one of two Gary S. Paxton songs on this album, joined by other country-ish tunes such as Dottie Rambo's "I've Never Been This Homesick Before," a version of "Unclouded Day," and C. B. Wycuff's "What A Lovely Name," which also features a group called The Boyd Family. Mr. Eitson was still at Park Heights church as of 2023, having started his tenure fifty years earlier(!) in 1973.

Michael Elley "Gospel According To Country" (Air International Recording Group, 1980) (LP)
(Produced by Roberleigh Barnhart & Michael Elley)

The Ellison Family "The Ellison Family" (Vision Records, 196--?) (LP)
A family gospel band who appear to have done some performing on the evangelical circuit, the Ellison Family included Richard Ellison (Spanish guitar), Leana Ellison (accordion) and Mike Ellison (bass) with additional backing on steel guitar by Don Parks. They played old-fashioned country gospel, slow, doleful material reminiscent of early Roy Acuff or Gene Autry (or even Hank Williams). Alas, the album notes don't say where they were from, although Southern California is a good bet: this is an early release on the Vision label, with a mailing address in Lakewood, CA, where label co-founder Wayne Walters lived before moving to Nashville.

Elmo & Patsy "Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer" (Oink Records, 1982/Epic Records, 1984)
Though the song... you know which song... was originally written in 1977 and first recorded by Elmo and Patsy in 1979, it didn't become a national hit until the winter of 1983, when the video version was released to MTV. Then came this album, which also features other strained novelty numbers such as "Percy, The Puny Poinsettia" and "Senor Santa Claus," as well as some country-grass covers of holiday standards such as "Jingle Bells" and "Silent Night." By the way, Randy Brooks, the guy who wrote "Grandma" was also in a band called Young Country, and released his own version of... the song... which you can track down as well.

Brother Claude Ely "At Home And At Church" (Gold Star Records, 19--?) (LP)

Brother Claude Ely "...Sings Get Away Jordan" (Gold Star Records, 19--?) (LP)

Buddy Emmons "Christmas Sounds Of The Steel Guitar" (Step One Records, 1987)
Pedal steel whiz Buddy Emmons rings in the holidays with a luxurious set of sweet standards on steel... It's kinda cheesy, but hey -- isn't that what we expect from our Christmas records?

Paul Emms & The Green Valley Boys "Church In The Wildwood" (Arc Records, 196--?) (LP)

The Wes England Family "Touched By The Nail Scarred Hand" (Artist's Recording Company, 19--?) (LP)
(Produced by Tom Baker & Vic Clay)
An all-gospel set, featuring songwriter Wes England along with his wife and son (who oddly enough are pictured, but not named on the album...) With the sole exception of Dottie Rambo's "Build My Mansion," the songs are all Wes England originals, including "Home Is Just A Heartbeat Away," "I Gave Up Nothing" and "Today's The Tomorrow." The Englands are backed by a studio crew made up of producer-guitarist Vic Clay, Chris Lee on piano, Chuck Rich on steel guitar and drummer Tim Short. Although there are few liner notes, per se, we do learn that when this album came out, the family was living in Sharonville, Ohio, a suburb just north of Cincinnati.

Phil Enloe "For People Country Style" (Professional Artists Records, 1974) (LP)

Tim Eriksen "FestivaLink Presents Tim Eriksen And Shape Note Singers At Newport Folk: 8/6/06" (FestivaLink, 2006)

Ever Call Ready "Ever Call Ready" (Marantha Music, 1985)
(Produced by Al Perkins)
A country-rock supergroup jamming on some old bluegrass tunes and singing some gospel songs... This album is a continuation of basically the same group which previously recorded under the name Down Home Praise, back in '83... The ensemble includes Chris Hillman, along with Bernie Leadon and Al Perkins, as well as fiddler David Mansfield and bassist Jerry Scheff. They are clearly getting a kick out of singing the old songs, but a lot of it sounds tongue-in-cheek, such as their cover of the fundamentalist novelty anthem, "Don't Let Them Take The Bible Out Of Our School Rooms." Other songs seem more soulful and sincere. Fun stuff -- some of it quite sweet.

The Everly Brothers "Christmas With The Everly Brothers & The Boys Town Choir" (Warner Brothers, 1962)

Skip Ewing "Following Yonder Star" (MCA Records, 1990)

Skip Ewing "Until I Found You" (Word Records-Nashville, 1997)
(Produced by Billy Joe Walker, Jr.)
A mainly-gospel album, with secular-sounding "love" songs that have barely-masked religious overtones, like the uptempo "All That Matters To Me," which kicks off the album. It's on the more upbeat and more country-sounding songs that Ewing excels; the middle section of the record has a few slower, sappier songs that drags things down. But Ewing is one of those welcome rare artists who can take the most formulaic production and still bring the songs to life -- for the most part this is an album that'll draw you in and get your toes tapping. Standout secular tracks include "Some Fools," which sings the virtues of sad country songs... All in all, a nice record (though folks who don't like gospel material will want to steer clear of this one...)

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