Gospel Roots
By Mickey McLean

     Not many people can claim that they were personal friends with one of the most famous people of our times, Elvis Presley. We all know of this man but maybe not the same way Betty Russell of Oak Grove did. A chance introduction of Betty, who sings gospel, to one of the most famous gospel singers of all times, J.D. Sumner, who performed regularly with Elvis, changed her life. This friendship with Mr. Sumner and the Stamps Quartet began in the 1960’s and lasted until Elvis’ death.

     While Betty was living in her hometown of Hobbs, New Mexico, she met J.D. Sumner and James Blackwood while helping her friend out on some gospel shows. It was here that she made a favorable impression on the famous gospel group. She was soon working at the Stamps Brother’s music school and with most of the top gospel groups at that time such as the Oak Ridge Boys, The Statesmen, Bill and Gloria Gaither, The Lester’s, and many more.

     Betty reminisces that J.D. Sumner and James Blackwood came to be like her family. She traveled with them entertaining until Mr. Sumner had the opportunity to bid on working with Elvis, a spot that the Imperials had been occupying. “At the time, I was working with J. D. along with my friend, Juanita Carpenter from New Mexico. J.D. said we were a package deal so in the end I was working for Elvis, too. I had first met Elvis at a quartet convention in Memphis where he performed one night. He was completely enthralled with gospel music and loved singing it. My memories of Elvis are of a kind and generous man who loved his parents, his wife and daughter, but most of all, he loved God.

     “J.D. called me to come with him on one of his Hawaiian tours but I had another job at that time and it was impossible for me to go. Then I got the call from J.D. that will stay with me my whole life. J.D. said, “Betty, I just want you to know that Elvis died today and I wanted you to hear it from me. We want you to come, but if you can’t we know you will be here in spirit and that is enough.” So, I dressed up my spirits and sent it to say goodbye to my dear friend, Elvis Presley.”

     Betty’s time on stage with Elvis was always full of energy as he electrified the audience. She recalls that Elvis had a hard time understanding why the people loved him so much. She told him that besides loving his music, they loved him because he cared about them and they could feel this from him. He was a very compassionate man.
“For over 40 years, I’ve had the privilege to be involved in one of the things I love most, working and promoting gospel music. There are so many wonderful people in the genre of music and I am so glad to call them friends. For instance, I helped start the Albert Brumley Gospel Sing in Springdale, Arkansas 37 years ago. Mr. Albert wrote over 800 gospel songs and people sing them everywhere.”  She further states, “Another privilege and blessing that my husband and I have had is our friendship with the late Governor Jimmie Davis. He meant so much to us and was involved in the Dave L. Pearce Gospel Sing. We would travel on the bus with him to his shows and we would sit and talk for hours. The lyrics of one song he sang always rang true to me, ‘You can take away everything, but you can’t take away a memory’.”

     Betty is now married to Harold Russell of Oak Grove and they own Har-Bet Promotions. Their main project each year is producing the Dave L. Pearce Memorial Gospel Sing at the Fiske Theater. Working on this project brings Betty back to her roots of singing gospel, which in 1968 was the reason she began touring with the greatest showman that the entertainment stage has ever produced, Elvis.