Today’s post was written by Paul.
Last weekend, Corie, Tipper, and I were one of three groups that played at the Martins Creek Community Center’s monthly singing. It was a great event overall.
The Reverend Paul Ray Morgan sang with his wife. Paul Ray is the son of one of Pap’s best friends and earliest music partners, the late Slim Morgan.
I especially loved the fact that all three groups, including me and Corie, sang at least one Louvin Brothers song.
The first time I ever heard the Robbinsville Quartet sing was at Pap’s funeral.
He asked me many years before he died to make sure they sang at his funeral, if possible. It struck me as very odd at the time that a man who loved duet singing so much would request for a quartet to sing at his funeral.
We were able to track them down, and they came out of musical retirement to grant Pap his wish, by singing at his funeral back in 2016.
The quartet that played at the community center was the Milsaps family, but some of them played with the Robbinsville Quartet over the years as did their father. The group in the video I’m sharing today is made up of three Millsap brothers from Graham County and one of their sons (the large young man with the curly hair and beard, who is a great singer in his own right) and their close friend, who leads this song and plays the guitar in the center of the group. I believe his name is Dick Webster, but I need to confirm that.
Corie filmed several other songs they sang that night. I wish we had filmed their whole set as well as Paul Ray Morgan’s.
I think Pap liked the Robbinsville Quartet’s singing so much because, unlike a lot of quartets, they sing very naturally. This is hard to explain, but they don’t put any sort of stylistic pretense in their voices. They just sing like a really, really good church choir.
Scott Millsap (in the light blue shirt on the far right) has the most powerful bass voice I’ve ever heard in person. He really doesn’t even need a microphone, and all the other men sing with such ringing melody in their voices. It’s really beautiful in person, sometimes giving me chills.
It was an honor to sing at the same event as them and Paul Ray Morgan. In one of the videos that Corie captured, Scott Millsap tells a story about the quartet first meeting Pap and his brother, Ray (the Wilson Brothers) at a concert at Western Carolina University in 1976! I was 2 at the time, so I don’t remember that show. 🙂 He said that PBS was there to film a documentary on both groups as examples of Appalachian harmony singing. He told me off stage that he doesn’t think the documentary ever aired. Man, what I’d give to have a copy of some of that footage.
I’ll be sending a link to this video to some of the quartet members. I hope their family and friends enjoy seeing it. This is an encore performance of “He Can Be Found.” They sang it earlier in their set, but I asked them to sing it once more, and they kindly obliged. I thought about saving it and uploading it on Ira’s birthday, but it’s a long time till April.
The lyrics are below:
He Can Be Found (words and music by Ira Louvin)
He can be found in a mother’s smile. He can be found in the eyes of a child. He can be found… He is here everywhere. When we kneel in prayer, each plea He hears.
He can be found in the air that we breath. He’ll always hear a heart that grieves. He can be found on life’s stormy seas. He can be found in you and me.
He can be found in the hearts of great men. He will reach down for one who has sinned. The peasant’s daughter or the rich man’s son. All who believe, and who will, let him come.
He can be found in the air that we breath. He’ll always hear a heart that grieves. He can be found on life’s stormy seas. He can be found in you and me.
I hope you enjoyed the video.
Thanks for watching!
Paul
*Updated information about the Millsap Family can be found here.
Tipper,
this was a beautiful video and the song, He Can Be Found, is beautiful also. I can remember my daddy listening to a preacher on the radio, his nam3 was Kenneth Hicks, I think it was Kenneth. i wonder if anyone in the quartet knows of hin. I fear the quartet members are far to young to remember him. Again, great video. keep up the good work.
We’re Millsaps from the other side of the mountain (Monroe County, TN), and this made me so homesick that I sent it to my Momma and siblings, and all my cousins, aunts, and uncles. We all sing together, too, and after hearing this, Thanksgiving can’t come too soon. Longing for home. Thank you for sharing this.
What a wonderful song and such beautiful harmony! 🙂
What a beautiful old song, well sung.
I understand why Pap liked them so much. They sing beautifully together. Thank you for sharing.
This song gave me pure chills. It is the last song Daddy and I sang in church. Thank you , I am truly blessed for having heard it today.
What a beautiful song! Thank you, Paul for sharing the information and introducing the Robbinsville quartet to us. Your Pap, as well as all of you sure know talent when you hear it. Sometimes, you just can’t beat a quartet. All that harmony blended together, just wonderful! Have a blessed Sunday!!
Beautiful, and with such ease. Wish I’d seen the whole thing. Thank you, Paul.
I always love to hear the Millsaps brothers sing. They have a beautiful harmony!
I love a song that makes me want to sing with it. WOW that is a looooooow voice!
I always love the Sunday music.
Interesting. In Texas we have a town just down the road from me named Milsap.
Once they got going, it really took off!!! It was a good song with a great truth! Look around and if it’s natural and it’s perfectly good, it’s of God! He lives in a high and lofty place but also with he who is lowly and contright. He is indeed everywhere all the time!!! Praise God for his glory this fine Sunday!!!! Taste and see that the Lord is good!!!! Blessings to all BP& A family and to ones not saved perhaps is the day to think about eternity and what’s fixing to happen when you die.
Looks like your Dad’s request was the needed encouragement for the quartet to get back together. That has turned out to be a lasting blessing to many. I know Pap would be gratified at that outcome and perhaps a bit surprised also.
Just curious, is the Community Center any part of the Martin’s Creek school.buildings or separate? And is the school still active? Almost all of the rural schools seem to have gone away most places.
Ron-the community center is right beside the old Martins Creek School Paul, Steve, and I attended-and Pap too 🙂 The newer Martins Creek School that Paul works at is just down the road aways. Our small schools are hanging on by a very very thin thread.
Ron, there’s a small part of me that wonders if Pap made that request partly to get them to do that very thing, or perhaps the Lord put the idea in his heart. There are certainly many great groups to choose from, but they were the right choice.
I think it is just more evident how well loved and respected Pap was for the group to do that. That is a sweet ending to send Pap on his heavenly journey.
Really enjoyed this beautiful song. I agree with Pap – pure harmony! Thank you, Paul.
This article brought tears to my eyes . I don’t usually miss the Singings at the Martins Creek Community Center as I am usually the one who makes the call and gets the singers lined up for the months we have the Singings . Thanks to All the Singers that donate their time and talent for us to enjoy some wonderful Gospel Music . But unfortunately this year I had to miss 2 Singings due to unexpected illness . Tipper or Paul if you have any of the recordings I would love to hear some of them . Thank you all for all your wonderful participation in our Center . May the Lord always Bless you ! And please give your Mother a hug from me . Love you all !
Nina-we all missed you!! We are praying for your full recovery!! Love you!!
Nina, no worries about having to miss the singings. We hope you feel much better soon. Corie has some more video from the singing. Hopefully, she’ll upload it soon. Travis is the one who invited the Robbinsville Quartet to sing. I didn’t even know they were going to be there that night. I’m going to have to thank Travis. 🙂
Absolutely beautiful, both the harmony and the song. Nothing can beat family harmony. I would love to hear more of the Robbinsville Quartet.
On another note :), Paul and Corie’s harmony on some recently posted songs is so pure and beautiful. More, please!
I wish I was able to attend the monthly get-togethers and discover more like them. To me, those gatherings are where you are blessed to hear the best music ever.
Thank you for posting this, Paul.
HE CAN BE FOUND !HE’S EVERYWHERE ♡
Thank you for this wonderful music! After hearing them, I can understand why Pap wanted them to sing at his funeral. I love the harmony.
WOW….now that is some PURE singing. I had not heard that one, but I do love Louvin. You guys do travel in some PURE talent, beginning with your current family. I do with I still lived in Ellijay, traveling to hear it in person, would be awesome….still a treat with what you got and something to for sure keep. Thanks for sharing Tipper. And as always looking forward to tomorrow’s post. God Bless.
I did enjoy hearing this group! Thank you for posting this video. Thank you, Paul, for the well written description introducing us to the Robbinsville Quartet, and their history with your Dad. It is wonderful that your community center has monthly sings for everyone to come and see local talent that are probably much better than anything you can hear on the popular radio today.
Donna. : )