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The Quartet
When I was in the seventh and eighth grade my brother J. C., Virgil Wallace, Howard Wallace, and I started singing as a quartet. I don’t remember just how we got started. We practiced as often as we could with the Wallace boys coming to our house and in turn my brother and I would go to their house.
We sang at school and I believe we sang at New Bethel church one time. Our music career didn’t last very long and we sure did not gain any fame. We did sound pretty good singing and folks would brag on us some.
The old gospel hymns were our kind of music and we loved singing them. We learned several songs and could sing without looking at the words.
Virgil was a big boy and probably a little older than my brother and I and Howard was probably about the same age as we were. Virgil and Howard had kind of a hard way to go with a father that was apparently pretty strict with them and they had to work hard on the farm.
I did not see these boys after we left Liberty IV School for about 40 years and then only Virgil. I went to church at New Bethel with my cousin one night while visiting in Tennessee about 1993. Virgil was leading the music as he had done all those years and he also sang solos. When he got up to sing that night he kept looking at me and I think he did know who I was. I sure did recognize him. After the service was over I went up and gave him a big hug. We were very happy to see each other and spent some time talking. He had a long way to go to get home so he left before we had a chance to finish our talking. I did not know at the time that it was to be the last time I would ever see him.
Virgil worked pasting up advertisements on large billboards. In doing this it was necessary to use a tool of some kind with a long handle. One day while he worked he raised this long pole up to put up an advertisement and it came in contact with an electric line and he was killed instantly on the spot.
I was very sad to know that I would not see him again this side of heaven. I suppose he is up there leading music or maybe singing for Jesus. I know I will see him again someday.
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