Buzzbomb - Posted - 01/09/2016:  10:34:49

Looking through some old back issues of 'Bluegrass Unlimited' I found an obituary for J.D. Jarvis, a bluegrass/country gospel singer. The obituary (from BU April 2011, p17-18) mentioned that Jarvis composed songs like "Take Your Shoes Off Moses" & "Come On Little Children" (recorded by Ralph Stanley on his 1971 'Cry From The Cross' LP and later by several other artists) plus "Six Hours On The Cross" (Goins Brothers - 'God Bless Her She's My Mother' 1974).

The BU obituary mentioned that on some of his 30+ albums he was backed at times by the Clinch Mountain Boys, Josh Graves, Kenny Baker, Walter Hensley & Glen Duncan... Does anyone know what LPs featured any of the Clinch Mountain Boys? I've checked about 11 of them & drawn a blank.

At least one of LP includes Joe & Lilly Isaac and another has vocals by The Wilson Brothers (who Jarvis helped get started & who recorded at least 3 of his songs)... Josh Graves was also featured on the rather funky "The Best Of J.D. Jarvis" (Sagegrass) LP...

A bit of digging revealed that J.D. Jarvis was a veteran of the D-Day landings in Normandy, being one of the first to hit the beach, and in the course of helping liberate Europe was wounded three times.

There's an interesting short interview with him here (though the journalists claim about him writing songs on Ricky Skaggs/Keith Whitley's 'Second Generation' LP is wrong - neither of their albums feature any of Jarvis' songs (perhaps the scribe confused them with The Wilson Brothers?)). There's also more info on his army days here.

One more curiosity - both J.D. Jarvis and Ralph Stanley have BMI song credits for a song titled "What Kind Of Man" (Jesus Is) which Ralph first recorded in 1968 on his 'Over The Sunset Hill' LP (credited on BMI to Ralph & Larry Sparks) and J.D. recorded with Rusty York on 'Bluegrass Gospel Songs' (Rural Rhythm) 1968 (credited on BMI to J D Jarvis). They're pretty much identical, though the Jarvis version has less lyrics.