LA049 Interview: George McAlister (LA049Abbott_Side1)
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Description
Side 1 and 2: Interview with George McAlister on 1982-06-22. Abstract for McAlister: [00:00-46:45] George McAlister says that the first group he ever sang with was the Southern Wonders, which started up around 1935 – 0:19. He discusses the origins of the Humming Four and the relationship between Lorenzo Robinson and the rest of the group – 5:24. McAlister recalls that JT Smith, a singer with the Southern Wonders, caught pneumonia after a program in Beaumont and passed away – 7:30. He continues talking about touring all over the country with the Southern Wonders and also about his mother and stepfather, who managed the group – 8:17. He describes performing during the Depression when people were so poor that they could not afford the fifteen-cent admission ticket, and he recalls being paid with jars of preserves and fruit – 10:40. McAlister discusses radio broadcasts that he participated in with both his groups and the recognition and opportunities that the broadcasts provided – 11:38. Abbott and McAlister discuss Gilbert Porterfield's training techniques – 17:13. McAlister describes his mother's involvement with the female group, The Southern Harps – 19:59. He humorously recalls that no other singers impressed him much and that the Humming Four were so popular that if they went to see other groups perform, the audience would be distracted by their presence – 29:14. McAlister speaks about his time working and singing at the Naval Air Station in New Orleans with the other members of the Humming Four – 30:45. He describes Paul Exkano's strictness in rehearsal – 34:01. He recalls making records with the Southern Wonders and recording a commercial for Regal Beer – 37:53. He states that he left the Humming Four in 1958 or 1959 and joined the Mobile Soulsters – 44:55. [00:00-37:20] On LA049Abbott_Side2 McAlister recalls singing every night except Saturday and singing so hard that he would be ill at the end of the night. He describes touring and often doing short unplanned concerts at gas stations or stores – 1:22. He mentions singing with the Swan Silvertones for three years – 3:50. McAlister describes his birth, how his parents met and how he came to live in New Orleans – 10:17. He discusses other singing groups that were his contemporaries – 13:20. McAlister recalls that the Humming Four had their own vehicle with their name and photo printed on the outside that the group would travel in – 21:13. He shares how a chance encounter with Huey Long's son at a Lake Charles filling station led to the group performing a private concert for the governor – 24:50. He describes Paul Exkano's songwriting process, which often involved calling the other members at all hours of the night when he felt inspired – 26:25. He discusses a singing group that he greatly admired as a teenager, The True Vine Four – 32:49.Existence of Extraneous Content Extraneous content not related to this interview found on recording from 00:37:19-01:33:30