Jubalaires — Casey Jones

www.vocalgroupharmony.com Dixiaires “Article” by George Moonoogian: For a group that recorded very prolifically over their short span, roughly 1948-50, there are very few photos of them, and all research has been pieced together. Here is a summary of what information I have. The Dixiaires were formed in late 1947 by JC, Ginyard, who at the time was a member of The Jubalaires. He had begun his career in 1936, forming a group known as The Royal Harmony Singers, renamed The Jubalaires by their manager in 1945 for recording purposes. In 1947, Bill Johnson, who had been with The Golden Gate Quartet, joined The Jubalaires. He immediately brought tension to the group, so Ginyard sought out people to start another group of his own. With himself as lead, Ginyard recruited tenor, Joe Floyd, and baritone, Jimmy Smith from The Silver Echoes. He later added bass, Johnny Hines, of The Reliable Jubilee Singers. Feeling he needed an accompanist, he tracked down guitarist, Abe Green, who had been with both The Gates and The Jubalaires in the past, and who was part of a jive unit called The Rays Of Sunshine. This new group, The Dixiaires, then started recording… and I MEAN…recording! They, at one time, were recording or having records released by as many as six or seven different labels, including Coleman, Continental, Lennox, Spirituals, Sittin’ in with (SIW), Sunrise, and, later, Exclusive (see label image at left). Trouble started in late 1948, when they had their only hit, “Go Long …