Elvis - A Lighted Candle

[Rainbow Light]

Terry Blackwood & Jim Murray Interview
By: Arjan Deelen - June 19, 2002
Source: Arjan Deleen

When The Imperials first worked with Elvis during the May 1966 ”How Great Thou Art” sessions, he told them that he had been an admirer of their music for years. Murray and Blackwood were not singing with The Imperials yet at that point, but they were there when Elvis returned to live performances in 1969. The Imperials continued to sing back-up for Elvis until the fall of 1971, and can be seen in 'That’s The Way It Is'. They recorded in the studio with him in May / June 1971, where Elvis recorded the Grammy Award winning album 'He Touched Me'. Because of Presley’s love for Gospel music, Murray and Blackwood got to know him quite well, and in the following interview they shed some light on their relationship with him. This interview took place on October 22, 2000 in Odense, Denmark.

When did you first meet Elvis?

Terry: In the mid-fifties, my father Doyle Blackwood was running for the state representative position in Tennessee, and that’s when I first met him, because Elvis loaned my daddy his pink Cadillac to be in a parade in downtown Memphis. So that’s when I first met him, but Elvis had been a fan of Gospel music ever since he was a kid, and he would go to all the Gospel concerts. I’m sure we’d probably met him at one of those concerts, because whenever they had concerts in Memphis he would come. He’d come backstage. Sometimes in the evening they would announce that Elvis Presley was there, and he’d come out and take a bow. Colonel Parker wouldn’t let him sing because of contracts, but he’d come out and take a bow...

Jim: …and in about ’66 or so, we did some studio work with him. He had asked us to be on a Gospel album with him. During that time is when he heard us and got to know the Imperials. So when he decided to go back on the road, The Jordanaires weren’t able to come, so he asked us to come. That’s when we really started working with him: in ’69, ’70 and ’71.

What were your first impressions of him during those ’69 rehearsals?

Terry: He was a workaholic! (laughs). We rehearsed from probably nine in the morning to six in the evening, and we would go over the same song dozens of times, just because he wanted to be comfortable with it. So we knew the songs backwards and forwards by the time we started doing the shows!

Jim: He wanted us to work as hard as he did. And he worked very hard.

There were two vocal groups - The Imperials and The Sweet Inspirations - and one solo vocalist, Millie Kirkham. Wasn’t it difficult blending all these voices together?

Terry: The styles were different, but ’blend’ may not be what he was going for. He was going more for power and big sound. He had a 40-piece orchestra, he had The Sweet Inspirations to sing all the high stuff, and we were singing all the mid-range stuff and Millie Kirkham (the soprano) was singing above the Sweets. So he just had a cast of thousands out there that just sounded humongous. It just sounded huge with everybody singing. So 'blend'… we blended among ourselves, among The Imperials we blended, but…

Jim: … and the Sweets blended. So just the combination of all those voices together… I don’t know how you explain it, but it sounded pretty good! (laughs).

Do you remember the songs that were rehearsed?

Terry: Everything that he did, every song that he sang…

Jim: Everything he did in the show, the Las Vegas show…

Terry: And some that we actually didn’t do in the show…

Jim: …extra songs that he never used, that didn’t make it into the show.

Terry: But we did a lot of songs.

Opening Night - July 31st, 1969…

Terry: Everybody was there, everybody that was anybody in showbusiness was at the International that night. It was electric, ’The Event of the Decade’. And he was prepared. His physical ability was at its prime. Vocally he was great. He was nervous, very nervous. He had a lot of nervous energy. He was always concerned about doing a good job. That was something that he never… he never slacked off. He never did less than his best.

August ’69 was pure rock ’n’ roll, but in the engagements after that it seems that he focused more and more on ballads. Do you think that this was a conscious change?

Jim: No, he just knew a good song, he liked good songs. He didn’t care what slot it fit into.

Terry: I think he probably evolved from 'Blue Suede Shoes' and 'Hound Dog' to songs with a little more substance (laughs).

Some of the August ’70 were recorded by MGM for 'That’s The Way It Is'. Were there any differences with the previous engagements because of that?

Terry: It was just another concert for us. The only difference was that there were cameras everywhere. We did the same thing we always did.

Jim: I think by then he was pretty much… He knew what he could do on the stage, and he was pretty much in charge of everything. I don’t think he was afraid of doing it, but I think that just the fact that with all these cameras around and all these extra people on stage and everything… But I don’t think he changed anything he ever did. He was who he was. They had to work around him! (laughs). It's interesting, because the first movie 'That’s The Way It Is' included a lot of interviews of fans. 'How do you feel about seeing Elvis for the first time', you know. They have just re-released a new 'That’s The Way It Is' and they put a lot more rehearsal and concert footage in there, and a lot of that footage hasn’t been seen before. The Imperials are on all of that.

Yes, I have seen it and it’s great. I love that part during the rehearsal of 'Bridge Over Troubled Water' where he says (about the Imperials): 'These guys sound like they are lost, which is true, but we don’t want to emphasize that!'.

Terry: (laughs) I don’t remember that!

Jim: It sounds like something he would say! (laughs).

With the Imperials being a Gospel Quartet, were you ever criticized for playing in Las Vegas with Elvis Presley?

Terry: There were probably some people who criticized us, but there always have been criticisms of people who are trying to do something different. I’m not justifying what we did, except to say that Elvis’ background was Gospel music. He loved Gospel quartets, that’s what he listened to. But he was known for his rock 'n' roll music, so when you work with Elvis Presley, you sing his songs. He didn’t sing your songs. Except in rehearsal… I mean, when we were off the stage, and we were enjoying our time together, was when we sang Gospel music, because that’s what he loved to sing. So what we were doing is… I don’t feel like we were compromising… He was there because he was a rock ’n’ roll singer and we were backing him up on his songs. I think we had an influence on his life. I don’t know to what degree, but… I think that’s what we as christians are supposed to do, is somehow impact other people’s lives without being judgemental. Being true to ourselves, but also getting a chance when we can to share our work for the Lord.

How did you feel about Elvis as a human being?

Terry: Very generous, very kind, very polite to his elders… a Southern gentleman. Very respectful of…

Jim: Very loyal. Loyal to the people that worked with him. He’d take good care of you. And very much in defense of the people that worked with him. He would defend you.

Do you have specific examples of that?

Jim: Well, without going into a long story, one of our members had some things stolen from his house, or his house was broken into. Elvis jumped in to defend, 'call the sheriff', 'call the police'…whatever it took to find out who did it. That was the way he was.

Terry: But he expected loyalty from his people too. He had a group of men who were lovingly called the Memphis Mafia. They were around him all the time and helped him, supported him, encouraged him… Because deep down he was not really sure that he was worthy to be called The King of Rock 'n' Roll. So he had to be reminded of how great he was. It’s difficult to go out there every night and prove that you’re The King of Rock 'n' Roll, when you may not feel like it that night.

During the September 1970 tour, The Imperials were replaced by The Hugh Jarrett singers. Why?

Terry: We had a conflict…

Jim: We had a conflict with the schedule of our own concerts. So a lot of times we weren’t available to go with him, and I’m sure he had other people. We had our own concert tours, singing all across the country. A lot of the times they would just say: 'In two weeks we’re gonna do this!'. Well, that’s too late for us to change our schedule, because we already had booked things. So a lot of times we couldn’t just go when he said ”go”. Which really was kind of the reason that we ended up moving on and leaving, because it got to be too hectic with two schedules.

Terry: See, when you have a contract with someone to be someplace, you’ve given them your word that you are gonna be there. So if Elvis and his organisation comes along and says: 'Can you do these dates?', and you’ve already got them booked, it’s really not the right thing to do, to cancel someone who you’ve given your word that you’ll be there, to go and work with Elvis. But we loved Elvis.

Jim: Elvis respected us for doing that. He wasn’t upset with us. We just couldn’t do the dates. It was never about money or anything like that.

Terry: Elvis was always very generous.

Did you receive any gifts from him?

Jim: Oh yes, lots of them.

Terry: Watches, a bracelet, a T.C.B. necklace… We had a picture made with Elvis when he gave us the necklaces.

Jim: He was very generous. There was one funny incident. He gave us a watch, a really nice 22 karat gold watch. Then somewhere later on he gave us another one, a little one that wasn't quite as nice. After a few months, one of the guys went to him, and said: 'Elvis, my watch is broke'. And Elvis said: 'I just give ’em, I don’t fix ’em!' (laughs).

From all the concerts that you performed together with him during those three years, is there anything that sticks out in your memory?

Terry: There was one incident where, I believe it was in Vegas, someone was threatening his life, and he had gotten serious threats that he was gonna be shot on stage. Probably some jealous husband who thought his wife was gonna get to Elvis. I particularly remember that song, 'You’ve Lost That Loving Feeling', where he turns his back to the audience and the spotlight is right on his back. He was quite nervous about that!

Jim: And Ronnie said: 'I hope they don’t miss!', because Ronnie Tutt was right behind him (laughs).

Terry: At that particular show they had guys out there in the audience, looking and making sure that nobody was gonna stand up with a gun. It was quite serious.

We’ve heard a lot of stories about the Gospel all-night singings in his suite…

Jim: (laughs) They were literally all night!

Terry: We’d get through the second show at about 2.30, and then maybe once a week he would invite us up to the penthouse, and we would be up all night. Because we would stay up and sing until the sun came up.

And that was all Gospel music?

(both nod in agreement).

What kind of songs did he like?

Terry: He liked black spirituals, especially The Golden Gate Quartet, Jimmy Jones. He loved that old (sings in deep voice) 'Father along….'. (to Jim) Remember that one?

Jim: (sings) 'Farther along…' (laughs).

Terry: He played that over and over again. And a lot of the older Quartet music of The Statesmen, The Blackwoods… he loved all that old stuff.

You recorded an album of contemporary Gospel songs (’He Touched Me’) with him in Nashville in 1971, and I believe that several of those songs had already been recorded by The Imperials…

Jim: We always were ahead of our time. We as a group, The Imperials, we had a lot of people that didn’t particularly like everything we did.

Terry: Other singers! (laughs)

Jim: Other singers, yeah. But Elvis actually heard our project, and he turned around and recorded all of the songs that we had already recorded, because he liked them. So really he kind of jumped in on that, and made those songs his own.

At that point you had already done many live shows with him, so how was it to work in the studio with him?

Terry: It’s funny, because when you go in a studio, if you have ever seen people recording they stand around the mike, real close to the mike, and they just sing. Elvis would have the mike in his hand, and he’d be doing all of his stage gestures like he was on the stage! (laughs). I guess so he could get into the song. He just wasn't used to standing there with a mike hanging in front of his face. He had to have it in his hands. He was very animated.

What is your favorite songs of the ones you recorded with him?

Jim: That would be like saying: 'Which one of your kids is your favorite?'. That’s not a fair question! (laughs).

I have read that Elvis stormed out of the studio during the June 1971 session, because he was upset over the fact that the girl singers couldn’t get their parts right. You were present at that session, so do you remember that happening?

Terry: I don’t remember that at all.

Jim: I have heard that story before, and I can’t remember that happening. But we weren’t always… sometimes we went back in and did overdubs when he was not there. But I don’t remember that happening… He wasn’t really that kind of guy that would storm out of a studio. He just didn’t do that. He would stay there until it was done right. He wanted everything to be done well, and if it was him or the background singers or the musicians, they would stay until it was done right. Not that he didn’t lose his temper and get upset, but I don’t remember him storming out of a studio.

How would you evaluate the voice of Elvis Presley?

Terry: He would probably be considered a baritone, but he could reach notes that most baritone singers couldn’t reach, so…

Jim: He had a great range.

Terry: You had to say that much of his abilities were eminated from a very intense desire to execute a song as he wanted to do it, which meant that he really sang higher than he really was able to sing. Because he had the desire, he had the will to excel above what he was really capable of. I think often when the adrenalin is going, and the song is really pumping, you can get into that mode where you can actually do things vocally that you couldn’t normally do. He had a tremendous range because of his desire to excel and be better. That’s why he could do a lot of things that most people couldn’t do.

Why did your association with him end in late ’71?

Jim: Like I said earlier, it was a conflict of schedules. He started working a lot, and as he increased his schedule, he wanted us to do the same. We couldn’t do that. We were also working with Jimmy Dean, the country singer. It wasn’t because we didn’t want to, it was because we couldn’t do it all. We had more of a set schedule with Jimmy, and our own concerts. Sometimes Elvis would be last-minute. So that kind of solved the problem.

Terry: You just had to be available all the time. That’s not necessarily bad if that’s what you want to do, and we wanted to do it, but there was a schedule conflict. We just couldn’t get out of some of our commitments.

Did you stay in touch with him after that?

Terry: Not as much, but… But I’ll tell you, I was shocked to see him several years later. He had put on quite a bit of weight since we’d worked with him. I was surprised at that, but he still had the desire. He was getting older, and it was tougher to execute all those songs… His concert was very demanding on him. The singing, and all the jumping around… it was very demanding. It just got increasingly difficult.

Much has been said over the years about his drug abuse. Did you ever experience him abusing drugs?

Terry: All I can say is: I never saw any drugs myself. We were with him in rehearsal, we were with him at concerts, and occasionally in the penthouse ’til daybreak, singing… I never saw drugs. So I can’t attest to whether he did drugs or not. Adn I’m not saying he didn’t; I don’t know. If he did, they were probably pills to get him up for a show that he physically wasn’t able to perform without some enhancement. And then he would have to take a pill to probably get him back down, so he could go to sleep. I mean, IF he took pills, because I don’t know that he did.

Jim: And he used to get those vitamin B shots quite often. Dr. Nick gave him B-12 shots. At least, that’s what they said it was. But we never saw him smoke dope, do cocaine or any of that stuff.

How do you look back on your association with him?

Jim: As a person, he was always so nice to us, and respectful to us. Here was a guy that was The King of Rock 'n' Roll, you know, and he made us feel part of that. He was just a great guy to be around. I have a lot of good memories.

Terry: I mean, to think that this man who had so many tremendous hits and was known around the world, would invite you after a concert to come up to his penthouse and sing. And then he would defer to you and your taste, partly because that’s what he loved. When he didn’t have to perform, he showed you what he really loved and where his heart was, and that was to sing Gospel music, quartet music. The songs that he grew up with. I thought that it showed a tremendous amount of respect for us, and the fact that he loved what we did, and wanted to be part of what we did.

Jim: He thought that he had offended us for a long time, because we didn't go up after the show. We would go back to our hotel and go to bed, you know, and of course the party was going on upstairs. He thought that he had offended us, and he came to the dressing-room one night and said: 'Have I done something guys to make you mad?'. We said: 'No'. And he said: ”Well, you don’t come up to the suite afterwards. We sing, we have food, have a great time, you know. I wish you would come up”. So we started going up after that. But he really thought that he had offended us, and we just didn’t know that we should go up there, you know, that that was his personal space. But he wanted us to be there, that’s what he enjoyed.

[Rainbow Light]

Here's some general information, great they acknowledge Elvis as a focal point in their career and how he helped them!

Terry Blackwood's Biography


Terry Blackwood is the son of Doyle Blackwood, original co-founder of the Blackwood Brothers Qt. Terry's distinctive vocal styling has been featured on many chart topping singles while associated with two highly acclaimed vocal groups, The Imperials and Andrus, Blackwood & Co. You may have seen him as a featured soloist on many Gaither Homecoming videos.

Terry is currently singing selected dates with the Imperials around the world and here in the US. Their association with Elvis has opened many doors for them to sing their gospel songs and they are being received very well. They have just released a new three song sampler available on the product page.

Terry's new solo project, "From The Heart", is now available and has taken him, as soloist, into many new churches across the country as he renews old acquaintances and establishes new friends. There are now three digitally re-mastered cd's of Andrus, Blackwood & Co. "Soldier Of The Light", "Step Out Of The Night" and just released, "ABC Live". They are all available on the product page.

Terry and his wife, Tina, are blessed with three wonderful children; Luke, 9, Jesse, 7, and Leah, 5. No more ages will be forthcoming for Tina and Terry. The Blackwood's make their home in Leipers Fork, TN.

[Rainbow Light]

Hope you will find this interesting:

The Imperials were formed when gospel legend Jake Hess decided to form his own "super-group". Hess had been the lead singer for Hovie Lister and the Statesmen for the previous 17 years. In 1963, he began the process of forming Jake Hess and The Imperials. He formed it in a very unusual way: rather than auditioning singers, or getting together with friends of his, he "hand-picked" singers from other quartets at the time that he thought of as "the best" in their respective categories.

The baritone singer was Gary McSpadden, a young man who had subbed for Hess with The Statesmen when Hess had to be hospitalized. Reportedly, when he heard what McSpadden sounded like with The Statesmen, Hess said "When I form my group, that young man will be in it." And he was, but he had to quit The Oak Ridge Boys, with whom he was singing at the time.

The bass singer was a young Filipino named Armond Morales who at the time was singing with The Weatherfords. Pianist Henry Slaughter also came from that group. Sherrill Nielsen, of The Speer Family, was hired as tenor.

In forming of Jake Hess and The Imperials each member, Jake Hess - Armond Morales – Sherrill Nielsen – Gary McSpadden and Henry Slaughter, each brought his part of the investment money to start the group. The first album of 1964 was with Skylight Records called Jake Hess and The Imperials.

Jake Hess and The Imperials were a unique group in a couple of respects. Firstly, they had a "Morals Clause" that meant all the members had to live what they sang. Secondly, they had a large repertoire that enabled them to sing all day without repeating a song. The Imperials signed with Benson Records and as a signing bonus the record company bought their first bus. They were very prolific, with three more albums released in their first year alone. They were "Introducing the Illustrious Imperials”, "Fireside Hymns", and "Blends & Rhythms". In 1965, they released "Talent Times Five", "Slaughter Writes - Imperials Sing", “Happy Sounds Of The Imperials”, “He Was A Preachin’ Man”, and “Slightly Regal”, but by 1966, Sherrill Nielsen had moved on, and a young tenor singer by the name of Jim Murray became a partner in the already popular group. For the next twenty years, Jim Murray would provide the other anchor of The Imperials trademark sound, and has become what many believed to be the greatest Tenor singer of his time.

By this time, Jake Hess & the Imperials had become a household name in Christian homes across the country. They performed many concerts with Hess's old group, the Statesmen, and others as well. They were famous for thinking "outside the box" and adding songs to their repertoire and performing in venues other than where southern gospel groups usually would. They released the album "The Happy Sounds of Jake Hess & the Imperials" before they had another change-over. Henry Slaughter left the group later that year, to be replaced by a young man named Joe Moscheo. (You can see him in the bottom right of the picture below.) Four more albums were produced between 1966 and 1967: "He Was a Preachin' Man", "The Imperials Sing Inspirational Classics", "The Imperials Sing Their Favorite Hymns" and "To Sing is the Thing".

Jake Hess again began to experience health issues. He was plagued by them all his life, and by the time he passed away in January 2004 he had suffered three heart attacks. Gary McSpadden and Jake Hess left the group at the same time in mid 1966 leaving Armond Morales, Jim Murray and Joe Moscheo as partners.

Armond, Jim and Joe reconstructed the group simply as "The Imperials" and began the search for new members. For a new lead singer, Armond hired Terry Blackwood (bottom left in the picture below), the son of gospel legend Doyle Blackwood, one of the original Blackwood Brothers. Roger Wiles (top middle below) was hired as baritone. When they released their 1966 album, the first without Jake, entitled "New Dimensions", they unveiled a new sound that wasn't entirely bound by the constraints of southern gospel. The almost modern-sounding album still contained the tight harmonies the group had become famous for. The beginning of 1968 the album “Now” was released and is considered an early classic. Terry Blackwood's dynamic lead vocals made him into one of the greatest lead singers in gospel music; a title which many still attribute to him today.

From 1968 to 1974 the group sang back-up for Jimmy Dean on his road shows along with Elvis Presley from 1969-1971. The group became incredibly well-known. They released a 1969 album entitled "Love is the Thing", and followed that in 1970 with a live album called "Gospel's Alive and Well". By the time that album had been released, Roger Wiles had left the group and Greg Gordon (top middle below) replaced him.

Greg was younger, and had a modern-style sound to his voice. The group began to noticeably change to a younger modern style themselves. Their hair got longer, their outfits flashier and their sound began to sharpen to a more contemporary flavor. They even released an album of modern-day pop hits called "Time to Get it Together", wherein they found the religious truth in songs like Bridge Over Troubled Water, Teach Your Children and Let It Be, among others. It was the only album Gordon recorded with the group. He left in 1971 and The Imperials performed several concerts with country legend Larry Gatlin filling in before finally hiring Sherman Andrus (second from right below), formerly of Andre Crouch and the Disciples. This made them the first interracial Christian group America had ever seen. Andrus and Blackwood both sang "lead" for this version of the group as they became less and less hardwired into "parts". The Andrus/Blackwood era became the most popular combination, to that point, as The Imperials began to set the pace for other styles of music. There are many fans that still hold to the belief that this was the best group The Imperials ever fielded. They released 5 albums: "The Imperials" (1972), "Live" (1973), "Follow the Man with the Music" (1974), "No Shortage" (1975) and "Just Because" (1976). The only change in the lineup during this time was Joe Moscheo, who left shortly after completing "Follow the Man with the Music". He sold his share of the group to Armond and Jim and was never replaced.

In early 1976, just shortly after the release of "Just Because", Terry left due to the death of his father, needing to be home with his family. Dave Will (far right below) was hired as the new baritone, beginning a 23-year stint with the group, making him the longest-lasting group member other than Armond himself. Sherman left the group in late 1976 being replaced by Russ Taff (second from right below) becoming the new lead singer. His dynamic, distinctive voice became the voice of the group. At this point the group began to leave their trademark tight harmonies and became less a "quartet" and more of a four-man vocal band.

In the twelve year contract with The Benson Company they produced 22 albums. The next twelve years The Imperials were signed with Word Records and recorded 13 albums.

The stage was now set for this extraordinary combination of singers to take their place in the anthropology of The Imperials. Armond and Jim now joined by Dave, and Russ, would embark on a quest that would land them in the center of a growing Christian Music Industry. They broke down all of the musical barriers and helped lead the Contemporary Christian Music industry toward record breaking “record” sales, combined with a strong and enduring concert schedule. This combination has the distinct banner as one of the best Christian groups of all time. No one could predict the impact these four men would have on the Christian Music industry, on churches, and on the Body of Christ. The albums released by this lineup include "Sail On" (1977), "Imperials Live" (1978), "Heed the Call" (1979), "One More Song for You" (1979), “Priority” (1980) and finally, “Christmas With The Imperials” (1980). "Heed the Call", "One More Song for You" and "Priority" each are considered modern classics from the group and contain many of the group's hit singles.

In 1981, Russ Taff left to pursue his solo career, and his time with The Imperials produced many of Gospel music’s favorite songs, which are forever locked in the history of this organization. His replacement was Paul Smith (second from right below). Smith provided the group with an opportunity to get back to a four part vocal sound, and, although he had the edge of Taff, the group took a more direct approach to vocal harmony and purposeful ministry. He debuted with the group on the 1982 album "Stand By the Power".

In 1983, the group released an experimental album called "Side By Side", which featured a double album with each member singing on their own side.

The Imperials returned to their roots with the 1984 album "The Imperials Sing the Classics", which featured a return to the four-part harmony that made the group famous. A return to the rock style of the "modern" Imperials was prevalent on their 1985 release "Let the Wind Blow", which was the last recording for both Smith and Murray in 1985. Paul Smith left The Imperials in 1985. The below picture features his replacement Danny Ward (second from right below), who unfortunately wasn’t with The Imperials long enough to record.

By mid 1986, Murray had sold his share of the group to Armond Morales and left the group to pursue a solo career. Jim Murray was replaced by Ron Hemby (second from right in the picture below). This group was just getting off the ground when Ward left, and was replaced by Jimmie Lee (second from left below).

It was at this point that The Imperials took a drastic turn into contemporary music. Leaving all their musical roots, Word produced two projects led by the voices of Hemby and Lee that launched the group deeper into the rock and alternative Christian music categories. The Imperials had done what no group had done before. They had crossed all lines of traditional music and established themselves as the leader of change. Their look and sound became more identified with those in the hard rock category. The 1987 album "This Year's Model" featured high energy guitars and a strong rhythm to the likes of Petra or Whiteheart. The album didn't sell, and unfortunately, they alienated many who had been long time fans of the group. They answered with a second release by this group, 1988's "Free the Fire", which was more easy-listening. Lee left shortly after completing that recording for a solo career, and David Robertson (second from right below) replaced him. Robertson was only with the group long enough to record one album, 1990's "Love's Still Changing Hearts", with six of the songs in the top ten play list.

In 1990 both Hemby and Robertson left, and Jason Beddoe was hired as the new tenor as well as Jonathan Pierce (then known as Jonathan Hildreth) as the new lead singer. Beddoe was with the group a very short time, and by early 1991 the group was in the market for a new tenor once again. An album was already in the works and Armond needed someone fast.

Taking a chance, Armond hired his own sister, Pam Morales (second from left below), to sing alto with the group. It was the first, and so far, the only time a female has integrated The Imperials. Pam, who was tragically killed in a car accident, appeared on the albums "Big God" (1991) and "Stir it Up” (1992). She and Pierce (second from left below) sounded so much alike that when they sang together it was like one voice. The sound again changed to more inspirational pop, along the lines of Michael W. Smith.

Armond put the group on sabbatical in 1993, concerned that the group had become far too concerned with image, sound and money-making. As the only remaining original member, he felt it his responsibility to honor what the Lord had called The Imperials to do and represent. Jeff Walker (second from left below) was hired as the new lead and sounded remarkably like Russ Taff. Steven Ferguson (second from right below) became the new tenor. This group only recorded one album, 1995's "’Til He Comes", which, while still considered adult contemporary, featured a return to tight harmony and music that wouldn't be out of place in any church service. The group regained their harmony based sound, and once again became an all male group.

Walker didn't stay long, leaving in 1996 to enter the pastorate full-time, and Steve Shapiro (far left below) became the new lead singer. He appeared with the group for the first time on the 1997 album "It's Still the Cross". This album was also the first recorded on their new label "Big God Records", and the first with new producer, Barry Weeks.

In 1998 Shapiro left the group and Barry Weeks (top middle below) began singing with them. They only recorded one album, another Christmas album called "Songs of Christmas" released in 1998 in response to the growing fan request for the old "Christmas with the Imperials" release, which was out of print and the masters no longer existed.

In 1999, Steven Ferguson left the group to pursue a solo career, and Jeremie Hudson was hired to take his place. Shortly after that, David Will (the longest term Imperial other than Armond) left the group; join shortly after by Barry Weeks.

With Dave gone, Armond had to make several decisions about the future of the group. In the back of his mind, he was hoping to be able to pass the legacy on to his son, so in a leap of faith, Armond Morales hired his son Jason, to sing the baritone part. He also hired Jason Hallcox as the new lead singer.

By 1999, Jason Hallcox had left and Richie Crook (far right below) took his place. It was with this group that Armond would lend his voice for the last time as an Imperial. It is called, "I Was Made for This". Soon after recording this album in 2002, Richie Crook left and Shannon Smith was hired as his replacement.

In late 2003, Armond Morales announced he was retiring. After nearly four decades of guiding the Imperials through numerous ups and downs, Armond left the road and gave the reins to his son Jason.

With Armond Morales now living in Hawaii, it would seem that his nearly 40 year history would have concluded with a passing of the torch… but God had a different idea.

In a surprise return to the states, Armond Morales (original member. and former owner of The Imperials, Grammy and Dove award winner, and inductee into the Gospel Music Hall Of Fame), Jim Murray (long term tenor, former owner, Grammy and Dove award winner, and inductee into the Gospel Music Hall Of Fame), and Dave Will (longest member, Grammy and Dove award winner, and inductee into the Gospel Music Hall Of Fame) left retirement to form The Classic Imperials. This new group has been welcomed back by Imperial fans everywhere. They are joined by Rick Evans, formally with Dennis Agaianian Band, and the Franklin Graham Ministry team. And now, with ministry as their foundation and purpose, they are once again blending their voices together to honor the Lord in song.

Although they are careful not to represent themselves as The Imperials, who still travel under the leadership of Armond’s son Jason, The Classic Imperials embody the history that has become synonymous with the anthology of the group.

Together again, Jim Murray and Armond Morales re-establish the sound that took the world by storm. Now joined by their faithful friend Dave Will and new- comer Rick Evans, they are once again writing history onto the pages of the Christian music industry with their trademark sound.

SPANNING FOUR DECADES OF EXCELANCE IN CHRISTIAN MUSIC, THEY NEVER GROW OLD THEY HAVE SIMPLY BECOME “THE CLASSIC IMPERIALS”!!

[MaryInTheMorning]

Thank you so much for this great interview with Terry Blackwood and Jim Murray with us Sue-Lenora and for all of the other wonderful information concerning the history of "The Fantastic Imperials" as Elvis used to call them when introducing them onstge. He definitely called that one right and it was all very interesting to read.

[Rainbow Light]

Glad you liked the interview and found interesting too, Mari!!

[Rainbow Light]

Bringing this one back up to the top for anyone who hasn't had the chance to read yet!

[FairyTale]

Thanks for bring these Story's back up Sue!

[Rainbow Light]

Okie dokelly, you're more than welcome, dear Fairytale!