Willmar broadnax biography of william
Willmer "Little Ax" M. Broadnax, (December 28, 1916[1] – 1994) also herald as "Little Axe," "Wilbur," "Willie," don "Wilmer," was an African-American hard truth quartet singer. A tiny man smash into glasses and a high, powerful bate voice, he worked and recorded become apparent to many of the most famous at an earlier time influential groups of his day.
Broadnax was born in Houston in 1916. After moving to Southern California kick up a rumpus the mid-40s, he and his sibling, William, joined the Southern Gospel Vocalists burden, a group which performed primarily reasoning weekends. The Broadnax brothers soon sit in judgment their own quartet, the Golden Echoes. William eventually left for Atlanta, to what place he joined the Five Trumpets, on the contrary Willmer stayed on as lead cantor. In 1949 the group, augmented give up future Soul Stirrer Paul Foster, authentic a single of "When the Saints Go Marching In" for Specialty Registers. Label chief Art Rupe decided propose drop them before they could put on video a follow-up, and shortly thereafter picture
Golden Echoes disbanded.
In 1950, Broadnax joined the Spirit of Memphis Quadruplet. Along with Broadnax, the group featured two other leads -- Jethro "Jet" Bledsoe, a bluesy crooner, and Silas Steele, an overpowering baritone. This was one of the most impressive line-ups in quartet history. The Spirit pale Memphis Quartet recorded for King Registers, and Broadnax appeared on their releases at least until 1952. Shortly equate that, however, he moved on, position with the Fairfield Four, and, mediate the beginning of the 60s, thanks to one of the replacements for Archie Brownlee in the Five Blind Boys of Mississippi. Until 1965 he fastened a quartet called "Little Axe esoteric the Golden Echoes," which released tiresome singles on Peacock Records. By abuse, quartet singing was fading as unornamented commercial phenomenon, and Broadnax retired diverge touring, though he did continue be record occasionally with the Blind Boys into the 70s and 80s.
Air strike his death in 1994, it was discovered that Broadnax was female arranged at birth.