Mosie Lister

This week's "GospelFest Hour" showcases the songs of the great Mosie Lister! On any given recording, at any given concert, chances are a Mosie Lister song will be heard. Mosie was born in Cochran, GA and became a student of Dad Speer's while studying at the 1939 James D. Vaughan School of Music in Lawrenceburg, TN. He was an original member of the Sunny South Quartet prior to WWII. After returning from the war, he formed the Melody Masters Quartet with Jim "Big Chief" Wetherington, Alvin Tootle, Lee Kitches and Wally Varner. Despite similar last names, he is no relation to the founder of the Statesmen, Hovie Lister. He and Hovie were friends, and Mosie was hired as the original baritone for the Statesmen. Mosie later left the group as a singer, but continued with them as an arranger. 

All the while, Mosie focused on his songwriting. Despite a wide range of styles, all of his songs are Bible-inspired and evangelical in nature. He formed the Mosie Lister Publishing Company in 1953. That company merged with Lillenas publishing in 1969. Today, Mosie continues to write and arrange for Lillenas.

With the recent passing of Eva Mae LeFevre, I'm reminded of a story of one of Mosie's classics. The song "I'm Feelin' Fine" was written as a slow ballad and was offered to the LeFevres to record. They had a different idea for the song and recorded it as an upbeat convention song. At first, Mosie wasn't too sure about this new tempo, but history has proven it to be one of his most popular songs.

It's hard to choose the "best of" from a catalog as vast as Mosie Lister's, but there are songs that always rise to the top. In this week's "GospelFest Hour," we'll hear some of the best, including "How Long Has It Been?," "Goodby, World, Goodby," "Then I Met the Master," "His Hand in Mine," "I'm Feelin' Fine," and "Where No One Stands Alone." 

Please let me know what other writers, singers or groups you'd like to be featured on the "GospelFest Hour." I'd love to hear your ideas! Check out the new website at www.gospelfestministries.com.

Until next time...