jerrykendall_2000

I noted that a prior contributor stated that J. D. Sumner was in Range Beyond the Blue as a member of the Sunshine Boys. It is true that he was later the leader of the Stamps Quartet, which was Elvis' backup group for the last seven or so years of Elvis' life. J. D. had not joined the Sunshine Boys in time for Range Beyond the Blue, however, with his later arrival with the group often leading to his being improperly identified as a member in earlier films. In fact, J. D. and Fred Daniel appeared in only one movie as members of the Sunshine Boys with that being Prairie Roundup, a Durango Kid presentation, the final appearance in movies for the group. The members of the Sunshine Boys appearing in all movies except for Prairie Roundup were Ace Richman, brothers Tennessee and Smitty Smith, and Eddie Wallace. When the Smith Brothers left the group for a long tenure as The Smith Brothers in the Atlanta area, J. D. and Fred came on board. J. D. stayed from 1949 until 1954 when he left to join the Blackwood Brothers Quartet while Fred stayed until the mid sixties and later sang for several years with the Blue Ridge Quartet. The group of Richman, Wallace, Daniel, and Sumner appeared together as the Sunshine Boys for special events as late as the late 1990's, just prior to the deaths of Sumner and Richman. Daniel died in late 2007 or early 2008 while Eddie Wallace is doing well at age 84 as of July, 2008 and, as far as I know, Tennessee Smith still survives in the Atlanta area.