Fern Jones: Glory Road – COMPACT DISCS

Fern Jones’s 1959 LP Singing a Happy Song, along with additional material, has been re-mastered and released by the Numero Group as Fern Jones: The Glory Road. Southern hillbilly soul from Fern Jones – a minister, church singer and songwriter with a real feel for the secular shake of ’50s Sun Records, honky tonk, and shout blues – a pure evangelical with a worldly groove! Fern worked the gospel circuit of tent and church shows for many, many years – but only recorded two albums, this one for Dot/Paramount. Fern sings in the torch country style of Patsy Cline, often with spare rockabilly-styled guitar and drums backbeat. Backed by noted Elvis studio musicians Hank Garland (guitar) and Floyd Cramer (piano), this album is probably most noteworthy for the classic song I Was There When It Happened” – co-written by Fern Jones and made famous by Johnny Cash. But Fern’s album is more than worthy of a late discovery – she’s a true pioneer, fearlessly blending the Lord’s work with the Devil’s music – at a time when such poles were anathema for most artists, fans, and record labels alike!”