The Dixie Hummingbirds

The Dixie Hummingbirds are one of the most influential American gospel singing groups who shape decisively the past 80 years, the development of the Gospel.

Band History

The Dixie Hummingbirds were founded in 1928 by James B. Davis and some school friends in Greenville, South Carolina. They sang in churches of their home area. After graduation she went on tour in the U.S. South.

In 1938 the only 13 -year-old Ira Tucker as lead singer of the Hummingbirds. The following year, the first recordings of the group appeared. In 1942, she moved to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Their popularity grew steadily, not least because of Tucker's extraordinary stage presence and vocal qualities.

The Hummingbirds learned some line-up changes over time. The line-up from 1952, almost a quarter of a century had shares is widely regarded as the best: Ira Tucker, James B. Davis, Willie Bobo, Beachey Thompson, James Walker and guitarist Howard Carroll.

After her much-acclaimed performance at the Newport Folk Festival in 1966, the Hummingbirds withdrew from the stage business and only occurred in churches. However, in 1973 they accompanied Paul Simon on his hit Loves Me Like a Rock. For this shot, the Dixie Hummingbirds in 1974 won a Grammy Award for Best Soul Gospel performance.

Willie Bobo died in 1976, Davis retired in 1984 entirely from the music back, Walker died in 1992 and Thompson 1994, but Tucker held the Dixie Hummingbirds with new singers alive.

For 80 years on the stage of the documentary The Dixie Hummingbirds was in the spring of 2008 by filmmaker Jeff Sheftel: 80 Years Young published. The active until recently as head of the Dixie Hummingsbirds Ira Tucker died on 24 June 2008.

The Hummingbirds influenced many other artists, including Jackie Wilson, Bobby " Blue" Bland, James Brown and the Temptations, to name just a few.