The Ever Ready Gospel Singers are a 65-year-old group that was featured in Robert Mugge's documentary, "Rhythm 'n' Bayous." At the time they were on Abbott Records they recorded as Willie Caston and the Ever Ready Gospel Singers. The group in recent years consisted of Eddie Giles, Elbert Green, Frank Edwards, Fortune Stephenson, and Charles Graves.
They retain a classic four-part harmony style that reflects their origins in 1946 in Shreveport, Louisiana. Popular along the East-Texas, northwest Louisiana corridor, they reflect the conservative traditional values of their area.
They came to the attention of Fabor Robison, of Abbott Records, in their hometown, where Robison regularly attended the Louisiana Hayride. The Louisiana Hayride attracted talent seekers like Robison, whose biggest find there was Jim Reeves. Robison also found the Rowley family at the Hayride as well as Bob Luman. Robison cultivated an amazingly eclectic stable of artists, from the sophisticated Latin cabaret style of the De Castro Sisters to downhome novelties like “Looking Back to See” by the Browns and “Boom Boom Boom Boomerang,” which was done by artists as varied as the De Castro Sisters and Jim Reeves. The Ever Ready Gospel Singers also recorded for Capitol Records, Peacock Records and W. Hall Records.
Their Abbott records were “One of These Mornings” b/w “Jesus I Love To Call Your Name” (Abbott 158 ) and “When the Moon Goes Down” b/w I Claim Jesus” (Abbott 149).
