The Imperials

The Imperials
(v til h) Evans, Smith, Will og Morales
Alias	Jake Hess and the Imperials, The Classic Imperials
Opphav	Atlanta i USA
Aktiv	1964 til i dag
Sjanger	Kristen, moderne kristen musikk, gospel, southern gospel
Tilknytte artistar	Andrus, Blackwood and Company, Elvis Presley
Plateselskap	Heart Warming, Impact, Myrrh, Lamon
Prisar	GMA Dove Award for Group of the Year

The Imperials er ei USA-amerikansk kristen musikkgruppe som har vore aktive i over 50 år. Dei oppstod som ein southern gospel-kvartett, men den nyskapande gruppa vart pionerar innan moderne kristen musikk i 1960-åra. Det har vore mange byte av bandmedlemmar og musikkstil gjennom åra. Dei vann i alt fire Grammyprisar og vart innlemma i Gospel Music Hall of Fame.

Bandet vart starta av Jake Hess i 1963. The Imperials spelte på fleire innspelingar med Elvis Presley i siste halvdelen av 1960-åra, mellom anna på How Great Thou Art.

I 1972 kom Sherman Andrus inn i gruppa, og dei vart den første kristne gruppa i USA med både kvite og svarte medlemmar.

Medlemmar

Besetningar

1964–1965 (Jake Hess & the Imperials)	Sherrill Neilsen – Tenor Jake Hess – Solo Gary McSpadden – Baryton Armond Morales – Bass Henry Slaughter – Piano	Jake Hess & the Imperials (1964) Introducing the Illustrious Imperials (1964) Fireside Hymns (1964) Blends & Rhythms (1964) Talent Times Five (1964) Slaughter Writes – Imperials Sing (1965) The Happy Sounds of Jake Hess & the Imperials (1965) He Was a Preachin' Man (1965) Slightly Regal (1965)
1966	Hess McSpadden Morales Slaughter Jim Murray – Tenor	The Imperials Sing Their Favorite Hymns (1966) The Imperials Sing Inspirational Classics (1966)
1966–1967	Hess McSpadden Morales Murray Joe Moscheo – Piano/ vokal	To Sing is the Thing (1966)
1967–1970 (no berre «The Imperials»)	Morales Moscheo Murray Terry Blackwood – Solo Roger Wiles – Baryton	New Dimensions (1967) Now (1968) Love is the Thing (1969) Gospel's Alive & Well (1970)
1970	Blackwood Morales Moscheo Murray Phil Enloe – Baryton
1970–1971	Blackwood Morales Moscheo Murray Greg Gordon – Baryton	Time to Get it Together (1971) Believe It (samlealbum)
1971–1972	Blackwood – Baryton/solo Morales Moscheo Murray Larry Gatlin – Baryton/solo
1972–1975	Blackwood Morales Moscheo Murray Sherman Andrus – Baryton/solo	Imperials (1972) Live (1973) Follow the Man with the Music (1974)
1975–1976	Andrus Blackwood Morales Murray	No Shortage (1975) Just Because (1976)
1976	Andrus Morales Murray David Will – Baryton/solo
1976–1981	Morales Murray Russ Taff – Solo David Will – Baryton	The Lost Album (1976) (utgjeve 2006) Sail On (1977) Imperials Live (1978) Heed the Call (1979) One More Song For You (1979) Priority (1980) Christmas with The Imperials (1980)
1981–1985	Morales Murray Will Paul Smith – Solo	Stand By the Power (1982) Side By Side (1983) 20th Anniversary (video) (1984) The Imperials Sing the Classics (1984) Let the Wind Blow (1985)
1985–86	Morales Murray Will Danny Ward – Solo
1986	Morales Ward Will Ron Hemby – Tenor/solo
1986–1989	Hemby Morales Will Jimmie Lee Sloas – Tenor	This Year's Model (1987) Free the Fire (1988)
1989–1990	Hemby Morales Will David Robertson – Sollo/tenor	Love's Still Changing Hearts (1990)
1990	Morales Will Jason Beddoe – Tenor/solo Jonathan (Pierce) Hildreth – Solo/tenor
1990–93	Hildreth Armond Morales Will Pam Morales – Tenor/solo	Big God (1991) Stir it Up (1992)
1993	Morales Will Mark Addock – Tenor Brian Comeaux – Solo
1993	Comeaux Morales Will Peter Pankratz – Tenor
1993	Comeaux Morales Will Bill Morris – Tenor
1994–1996	Morales Will Steven Ferguson – Tenor Jeff Walker – Solo	Til He Comes (1995)
1996–1998	Ferguson Morales Will Steve Shapiro – Solo	It's Still the Cross (1996)
1998–1999	Ferguson Morales Will Barry Weeks – Solo	Songs of Christmas (1998)
1999	Morales Weeks Will Jeremie Hudson – Tenor
1999–2000	Hudson Armond Morales Jason Hallcox – Solo Jason Morales – Baryton
2000–2002	Hudson Jason Morales Armond Morales Richie Crook – Solo	I Was Made for This (2002)
2002–2003	Hudson Jason Morales Armond Morales Shannon Smith – Solo
2003–2008	Hudson Smith Jason Morales Ian Owens – Bass	The Imperials (2006) Back to the Roots (2007)
2008–2010	Morales Owens Scott Allen – Solo Perry Jones – Tenor
2004–2006 (a.k.a. The Classic Imperials)	Rick Evans – Solo Armond Morales – Bass Jim Murray – Tenor/solo Dave Will – Baryton
2006–2009 (a.k.a. The Classic Imperials)	Rick Evans – Solo Armond Morales – Bass Robbie Hiner – Tenor/solo Dave Will – Baryton	Place Called Heaven [Song & Music Video] (2009)
2006–2010 (a.k.a. The Classic Imperials)	Rick Evans – Solo Armond Morales – Bass Paul Smith – Tenor/solo Dave Will – Baryton	Still Standing (2009)
2010 til i dag	Rick Evans – Solo Armond Morales – Bass Paul Smith – Tenor/solo Dave Will – Baryton	Standing Strong (2010) The Ones (2012)

Kjelder

• Denne artikkelen bygger på «The Imperials» frå Wikipedia på engelsk, den 4. desember 2016.
  • Wikipedia på engelsk oppgav desse kjeldene:

Bakgrunnsstoff

• Offisiell nettstad
• The Imperials på Allmusic
• Rick Evans