Wilmer "Little Ax"
Broadnax (1916) |
Willmer
"Little Ax" Broadnax
After
moving to southern California in the mid-1940s, Wilmer and brother,
William, joined the Southern Gospel Singers, a group which performed
primarily on weekends. Wilmer and William soon formed their own
quartet, the Golden Echoes. William eventually left for Atlanta, where
he joined the Five Trumpets, but Willmer stayed on as lead singer. In
1949 the group, augmented by future Soul Stirrer Paul Foster, recorded
a single of "When the Saints Go Marching In" for Specialty Records.
Label chief Art Rupe decided to drop them before they could record a
follow-up, and shortly thereafter the Golden Echoes disbanded.
In
1950, Broadnax joined the Spirit of Memphis Quartet. Along with
Broadnax, the group featured two other leads -- Jethro "Jet" Bledsoe, a
bluesy crooner, and Silas Steele, an overpowering baritone. The Spirit
of Memphis Quartet recorded for King Records, and Broadnax appeared on
their releases at least until 1952. Shortly after that, Broadnax moved
on, working with The Fairfield Four, and in the early 1960s as one of
the replacements for Archie Brownlee in the Five Blind Boys of
Mississippi. Until 1965 Wilmer headed a quartet called "Little Ax and
the Golden Echoes," which released some singles on Peacock Records. By
then, quartet singing was fading in commercial viability, and Broadnax
retired from touring.
Wilmer (Transguys)
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