Group Members

Tenor
Dan Huskey (1952-1956)

Lead
Bob Shaw (1952-1955)
Jim Hamill (1955 briefly)
Roy McNeal (1955 briefly)
Don Butler (1955?-1956)

Baritone
Tommy Rainer (1952)
Larry Taylor (1952?-1953?) (also played piano)
Cat Freeman (1953?-1955)
Bill Ballew (1955-1956)

Bass
Jim Waits (1952-1953)
Johnny Atkinson (1954)
Gordon Hill (1954-1955)
Bill Huie (1955-1956)

Piano
Jerry Briggs (1952)
Atlas Howard (1952)
Larry Taylor (1952-1954; 1955-1956) (also sang baritone)
Wally Varner (1954-1955)

Revelaires Quartet (1952-1956)

The Revelaires Quartet was organized in Atlanta, Georgia by Dan Huskey soon after his departure from the tenor position with the Blackwood Brothers Quartet. The original Revelaires consisted of Huskey at tenor; Bob Shaw, lead; Tommy Rainer, baritone; “Big Jim” Waits singing bass, and Jerry Briggs at piano.

The Revelaires had considerable personnel turnover during their relatively short existence.

By the fall of 1954, in addition to Huskey and Shaw, their members were former Statesmen tenor, Cat Freeman at baritone; former Statesmen and All American Quartet member Gordon Hill at bass; and former Blackwood Brothers pianist, Wally Varner. This is the lineup that appeared on Arthur Godfrey’s Talent Scouts program on CBS television in 1955. During this time period, the Revelaires frequently appeared jointly with the Harmoneers Quartet. This team effort lasted around six months.

Gordon Hill left and was soon followed by Shaw and Varner. Rebuilding proved difficult as more personnel turnover ensued. By the middle of 1956 the members were Dan Huskey, manager and tenor; Don Butler, lead; Bill Ballew, baritone; Bill Huie, bass; and Larry Taylor at piano. This lineup continued until they disbanded around the end of 1956 or early 1957.

The Revelaires recorded both 78 rpm and 45 rpm records on the Bibletone Records label. They also had a number of recordings that were released as radio transcriptions on 33 1/3 rpm, 16 inch diameter discs, each containing twelve songs.

Huskey eventually retired from traveling and opened a fish camp in Forest City, North Carolina. He released a promotional LP for the fish camp which included six Revelaires Quartet songs (from the original 78 RPM singles) as well as six other songs by The Sharon Trio.

Complete Discography

78 and 45 RPM Singles:
(Bibletone Records 1010): When You Travel All Alone; Talk, Talk, Talk About Jesus.

(Bibletone Records 1011): In The Sweet Forever; Oh My Lord What A Time.

(Bibletone Records 1012): I Love That Jesus Man; Just A Little Talk With Jesus.

(Bibletone Records 1013): Lord Carry Me Home; In That Hour.

(Bibletone Records 1014): Gloryland Jubilee; His Hand In Mine.

(Bibletone Records 1015); Do You Believe; When I Move.

(Bibletone Records 1016): What A Savior; This Old House (Dan Huskey, Bob Shaw, Cat Freeman, Gordon Hill, Wally Varner).

(Bibletone Records 1017): At The End Of The justTrail?/Blow Your Trumpet Gabriel

(Bibletone Records 1018): I’m So Glad Jesus; I Can Tell You The Time.

(Bibletone Records 1019): Heavenly Love; I've Been With Jesus.

(Bibletone Records 1020): No Secret Yet Never Fully Told; My Jesus Knows.


Radio transcriptions on 33 1/3 rpm, 16 inch diameter discs, all on the SESAC label, and all featuring (Dan Huskey, Bob Shaw, Cat Freeman, Gordon Hill, Wally Varner).:
R-1601: I've Never Been Sorry; Living With Jesus; I Can Tell You The Time; Going Home (Keith); My Labors Will Be O’er; When He Calls I'll Fly Away.

R-1602: Alone In The Garden; What A Savior; My Dream Home In Glory; In That Hour; I Have A Home Across The River; It's All Over Now.

R-1603: If Heaven's Any Better; The Love Of God; Feed Me Jesus; Where The Roses Never Fade; Wait Till You See Me In My New Home (Wally Varner, piano solo); Everybody Will Be Happy Over There.

R-1604: Take A Moment And Live; I've Been Awaitin'?; I've Been Listening In On Heaven; Anchored In Love Divine (Gordon Hill, vocal solo); Heaven's Joy Awaits; I've Changed My Mind.

R-1605: I've Got That Old Time Religion In My Heart; When You Travel All Alone; Peace Like A River; There's A Little Pine Log Cabin; Help Me Lord To Stand; Rolling, Riding, Rocking.

R-1606: Somebody Loves Me; In The Sweet Forever; God Is Love; Over The Moon; I'm A little Bit Closer (Bobby Shaw, vocal solo); Soon We'll Be Going Home.


Group Members

(Partial List)

Charles Surratt
Harold Montgomery
John Barbee
Bill Funderburk
Ronda Montgomery
Danny Funderburk
Allen Hunter
Glenda Evans
Mike Evans
Don Boyles
Tommy Dodd

The Revelaires (????-????)

The Revelaires recorded on various labels during the 1970s, but most frequently on STS Records. Early members included vocalists Charles Surratt, Bill Funderburk, Harold Montgomery, and John Barbee with Montgomery's wife Ronda playing piano. Surratt later sang with the Singing Americans.

The group's Temple Records album titled The Joy Of Knowing Jesus is now a collector's item that sometimes fetches more than $1000. The album's inflated value to collectors is not for the merits of the album itself, however. After the secular rock group REM performed the words from the back cover of The Joy Of Knowing Jesus and released the result under the title "Voice Of Harold," their fans began buying up copies, driving up the price. The novelty track appears on the B-side to REM's single "So. Central Rain" and again on an album titled Dead Letter Office (1987).

Bill Funderburk's son and future Singing Americans/Cathedrals tenor Danny Funderburk also performed with Charles Surratt in a group billed as The New Revelairs (sic). Allen Hunter who later sang with the Harvesters was a member of the New Revelairs as well.

Discography

1977 Jesus The Man (STS Records/RSR 694)

1979 The Revelaires (STS Records/RSR 996)

hi-res
hi-res
???? The Joy Of Knowing Jesus (Temple Records/LST 390): The Joy Of Knowing Jesus; What A Friend He Is To Me; The Old Rugged Cross; Take The Hand Of The Lord; Disappointed In Me; Come All Ye Children; He Came And Died For Me; He Cared That Much For Me; I'm Going There; Thank You Lord. (Charles Surratt, John Barbee, Bill Funderburk, Harold Montgomery, Ronda Montgomery).

hi-res
???? It's Called Love (STS Records/RSR-510): It's Called Love; Beyond The Clouds; Victory At Calvary; I'm Gonna Be There; What A Day; Where The Soul Never Dies; Victory In Jesus; Ready For Years; Face To Face; Patriotic Medley. (Danny Funderburk, Allen Hunter, Charles Surratt, Glenda Evans, Mike Evans, Don Boyles, Tommy Dodd).


Other Revelaires

A Revelaires group based in Scarbrough, Maine began in 1968 with the following members: Elmer Young (tenor), Bud Knight (lead), Merton Poore (baritone), Fred Gowen (bass), and Stan Johnson (piano). A patriotic album released in 1976 indicates the same members were still together eight years later.

A group in California recorded at least one album as The Revelaires Quartet for the San Diego, California-based Anodyne Records label. The singers were identified on the back cover only by their first names (Bruce, Vernon, Dan, and Glen) with two (Dan & Glen) listed as college freshmen and the other two (Bruce & Vernon) listed as still being high school students.

A barbershop quartet called The Revelaires appeared with various other artists on albums titled 1961 International Barbershop Chorus Winners and 1962 International Barbershop Chorus Winners. The competitions were held in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

A soul vocal group called The Revelaires had a single released by the Decca Records label in 1965.

A surf rock group based in Belgium was called The Revelaires in the late 1990s and early 2000s.

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