J.D. Sumner

Born

1924-11-19

Died

1998-11-16

Birthplace

Lakeland, Florida

Biography

John Daniel "J. D." Sumner was an American gospel singer, songwriter, and music promoter noted for his bass voice. Sumner sings the final note on the Elvis Presley song "Way Down", a C1. His vocal range extended below the lowest playable note on the piano, reaching the note G0 in a 26-second vocal slide at a concert while singing backing vocals for Presley. There are some claiming he reached an Eb0 in a recorded live concert while singing with the Blackwood Brothers, however this cannot be verified. He was famous for his group J. D. Sumner and the Stamps Quartet and his associations with the Blackwood Brothers and Elvis Presley.