Group Members Tenor Bobby Strickland (1950?-1953) Bill Hefner (1953-1954) Lead Barney Courington (1950?-1951?) Bervin Kendrick (1951) (also sang baritone) Buddy Parker (1951?-1954) Baritone Lonnie Burroughs (1950?-1951?) Bob Prather (1951) Bervin Kendrick (1951-1954) Bass Warren Holmes (1950?-1951) Ralph Ivy (1951?) Irby Gardner (1951?) Hershel Wooten (1951?-1953; 1954) Doug Jones (1953) Ivan Hale (1954) Piano Charles McClain(1950?-1952?) Dickie Matthews (1952?-1954)

Crusaders Quartet (1950-1954)

After Bobby Strickland left as tenor of the Statesmen Quartet in September, 1950, he started the Crusaders Quartet in Birmingham, Alabama. In addition to Strickland at tenor, early members were Warren Holmes, bass; Barney Courington, lead; Lonnie Burroughs, baritone; and Charles McClain at piano. McClain had been a member of Strickland's Southlanders Quartet in 1948 prior to Bobby joining Hovie Lister and the Statesmen Quartet.

There were several personnel changes before the Crusaders lineup came together that is most remembered, in part because they made most of the Crusaders’ recordings. The group consisted of Bobby Strickland, tenor; Buddy Parker, lead; Bervin Kendrick (another former member of the Southlanders and the Statesmen,) baritone; Hershel Wooten, bass; and Dickie Matthews, piano. Hershel Wooten was sometimes billed as the “lowest bass singer in gospel singing.”

Bobby Strickland died in an automobile accident in September, 1953. Soon after, Bill Hefner became their tenor. The quartet continued well into 1954 and then disbanded. Hefner, Parker, and Wooten went on to become original members of the Harvesters Quartet in Charlotte, NC.

Discography 78 RPM

195? (Bullet Records 136): Journey To The Sky; Welcome To The Gloryland.

195? (Bullet Records 138): Just Wait Till We Get To Heaven; I’ll Leave It All Behind.

1952 (Bibletone Records 4010): Satisfied; Something Within. (Bobby Strickland, Buddy Parker, Bervin Kendrick, Hershel Wooten, Dickie Mathews).

1952 (Bibletone Records 4011): I'll Walk Dem Golden Stairs; I'd Rather Have Jesus. (Bobby Strickland, Buddy Parker, Bervin Kendrick, Hershel Wooten, Dickie Mathews).

1952 (Bibletone Records 4012): Do Unto Others; My God Is Real. (Bobby Strickland, Buddy Parker, Bervin Kendrick, Hershel Wooten, Dickie Mathews).

1953 (Bibletone Records 4013): This Heart Of Mine; One More River. (Bobby Strickland, Buddy Parker, Bervin Kendrick, Hershel Wooten, Dickie Mathews).

1953 (Bibletone Records 4014): The Great Homecoming Week; Yes Religion Is Real. (Bobby Strickland, Buddy Parker, Bervin Kendrick, Hershel Wooten, Dickie Mathews).

1953 (Bibletone Records 4015): His Hand In Mine; I'm Happy In Jesus. (Bobby Strickland, Buddy Parker, Bervin Kendrick, Hershel Wooten, Dickie Mathews).

195? (Bibletone Records 4016): I'm Climbing Up The Mountain; Jesus Knows Just What I Need.

195? (Bibletone Records 4017): I've Been With Jesus; Hand In Hand With Jesus.

(Some of the Bibletone recordings were also issued on 45 RPM).

(Larry Baker contributed to this article.)