LONG BEACH SOUTHERNAIRS

The Long Beach Southernairs were
founded in 1970 by Carl Knott, Steve
Rush, Buford Shellman and Arthur
Mitchell. Shellman and Mitchell retired
and returned to Texas some years
ago, but Carl from Hattiesburg, MS and
Steve from Starkville, MS are still with
the Southernairs along with Lewis
Washington, Rudolph Brown, Vernon
Thomas and Del Anderson. They all
grew up singing in the church inspired
by traveling Black gospel quartets both
those well known and those lesser
known yet no less loved and
respected. In those days of hard
economic times and the struggle for
human rights in the south, they all
came to California looking for a living
and a better way of life. They found
their way to Long Beach and to
churches where others who made their
way here, found one another and the
comfort of worshipping in familiar ways,
especially music.

Every Thursday night, The Long
Beach Southernairs rehearse their
spiritually uplifting gospel music in the
community room of St. Luke's Holy
Baptist Church as they have for 35
years. They grew up singing rich
harmonies and call and response style
in the old southern African - American
tradition.

In 1975, when the membership had
grown to eleven, Prince Dixon, the late
Gospel Caravan radio host on KPFK,
gave The Long Beach Southernairs
the nickname, "The Multitude". Among
black gospel quartets in Los Angeles,
The Southernairs maintained a strong
reputation for their musicality and
spiritual mission, "to save souls for
Christ through the gospel music
ministry".

The Southernairs sing in prisions,
convalescent homes and have given
concerts in churches and festivals in
many states. They have been
presented in Long Beach public events
such as the Anaheim Street
International Fair and Cultural
Exposition and the West Long Beach
Cultural Festival and the support of the
PCA. They recorded many L.P's over
the years, but on December 6, 1998,
they made a new live concert
recording with the current members for
release on tape and CD.

In May 2004, The Long Beach
Southernairs toured the southern
states of Texas and Mississippi for two
weeks and the tour was a great
success. Every one is still talking about
The Long Beach Southernairs coming
to their town and can't wait until the
next tour.

They are currently working on a new
CD to be released sometime in 2005.
It's filled with some wonderful, spirit
filled inspirational music that the
Southernairs are famous for.