Cleavant Derricks

13 May 1910—14 April 1977

CLEAVANT DERRICKS was born 13 May 1910 in East Chattanooga, Tennessee, son of John T. Derricks and Ora (Kinamore) Derricks, the second of five children. Derricks developed an early aptitude for music, initially taking lessons at the Cadek Conservatory of Music, a school started by prominent Chattanooga violinist and music teacher Joseph Cadek (1868–1927). Derricks also had two years of college at the Tennessee Agricultural and Industrial State College (now Tennessee State University) in Nashville, then returned to the family home in Chattanooga.

As a young songwriter, Derricks developed a relationship with the Stamps-Baxter office in Chattanooga, run by co-owner J.R. Baxter Jr. (1887–1960). Baxter launched the Stamps-Baxter company with Virgil Stamps (1892–1940) in 1926 and ran part of the operation in Chattanooga until Stamps’ death in 1940, when the Baxters moved to Dallas to run operations from the main office there. Baxter thought highly enough of Derricks’ songwriting ability that he published a collection of Derricks’ songs in 1934 as Pearls of Paradise, including one of his most successful songs, “We’ll soon be done with troubles and trials.” By 1934, Derricks had also achieved a reputation in the community as a music leader. At a fundraiser for helping the poor in the Chattanooga community, attended by 3,500+ people, and apparently multi-racial in makeup but segregated, Derricks was invited to conduct:

Cleavant Derricks led a group of negroes in spirituals. “Everybody talks ’bout heabum, ain’t agoin’ there,” they sang. The dusky throbbing tone rolled over the auditorium, vast opera house for a night. Not a peep could be heard from the main floor as the negroes pleaded for those golden streets. A thunder of applause cracked forth at the conclusion.[1]

Some sources report Derricks had traveled to lead a choir of 100 voices at Vermont Avenue Baptist Church, Washington D.C., in 1931. He met Cecile Gay, daughter of Ben F. and Eugenie Gay, in Chattanooga. At some point in or around 1935, he and Cecile made a permanent move to Washington D.C., where Cleavant served as a musician under the Rev. C.T. Murray at Vermont Ave. They married on 31 May 1935 in Washington D.C. In the announcement in the D.C. Evening Star, Cleavant was living at 1301 T Street, Cecile at 1214 T Street, and Rev. Murray officiated.[2] They lived in D.C. only a few years. In 1939, Derricks was invited to be part of the Good Will Singers, a small group of musicians from across the country involved in a larger National Baptist endeavor, a goodwill tour across six southern Atlantic states.[3] The group included Theodore Frye of Chicago and James Earle Hines of Cincinnati, both of whom would go on to have notable careers in gospel music; Derricks was advertised as hailing from Chattanooga. In the 1940 U.S. Census, Cleavant and Cecile were living with her brother and father in Chattanooga.

The Stamps-Baxter company published Derricks’ most famous gospel song, “Just a little talk with Jesus,” in Harbor Bells No. 6 (Dallas: Stamps-Baxter, 1937). It was loosely based on an earlier spiritual, “A little talk with Jesus,” which was part of the repertoire of the Fisk Jubilee Singers of Nashville. Like most of his other songs, Cleavant sold the song to Stamps-Baxter in exchange for fifty songbooks, which he then sold to make money, ten cents each. The song proved to be very popular. It was first recorded by the Stamps Quartet in Dallas, Texas, on 13 May 1938 as OKeh 04329.

Derricks assembled a touring group called the Derrick Jubilee Singers. In May of 1942, one paper reported, “This group has been presented throughout the south and has made several successful tours through the northern and middle western states. The singers have been presented in a number of engagements in and around Chattanooga.”[4] That same year, Derricks registered with the U.S. Army, 26 July 1942, at Camp Forrest (Tullahoma, TN), as a warrant officer. On Resurrection Sunday, 1 April 1945, he directed the Second Regimental Chorus and Army bands for a public sunrise service in New Orleans.[5] He was released from service on 9 October 1945.

Following the war, Derricks turned his energy toward becoming a minister, studying at the American Baptist Theological Seminary in Nashville (now American Baptist College). He served briefly at Mt. Zion Baptist Church in Dayton, Tennessee. In 1948, he moved to Knoxville, Tennessee, and became pastor of Ebenezer Baptist Church, installed on the 4th of July. He immediately initiated a building campaign for a new structure and was able to raise enough money to dedicate a new $85,000 facility at 816 East Church Avenue, adjacent to the old frame structure, by July of 1949. At the time, Derricks told the Knoxville News-Sentinel, when he arrived “there were 40 members in the congregation and 79 cents in the building fund.”[6] The building was badly damaged by a fire in October of 1950, restored by May of 1951.

Shortly after moving to Knoxville, Derricks met and married Carrie Louise Glanton (1919–2005), daughter of Horace and Lovie Glanton of Knoxville, with whom he had twin boys, Cleavant and Clinton, born 15 May 1949, and a daughter, Lovie Gwendolyn, born 9 October 1950. Around 1950, he formed the Derricks Singers and recorded six tracks for Tennessee Records (106, 107, 110): “Stand by me,” “Do you know him,” “He delivered me,” “Go ahead,” “Jesus leads me,” and “It is no secret.” Also ca. April 1950, he recorded a sermonette based on “Must Jesus bear the cross alone,” with him leading the song on the reverse side, backed by singers and piano (VMA 101).

Derricks served briefly as pastor of Macedonia Baptist Church, Jackson, Tennessee, 1957–1958, before being called to help Emmanuel Baptist Church in Beloit, Wisconsin, which had recently been destroyed by a fire. The building was replaced in 1960 and Derricks stayed until 1962. From there, he left to become pastor of Pleasant Grove Baptist Church in Washington, D.C., he and his wife settling in an apartment in nearby Takoma Park, Maryland. Carrie was a capable pianist and played for their church services. In 1963, they recruited a young prodigy, Richard Smallwood, to play the electric organ at Pleasant Grove. Smallwood later recalled the experience:

Rev. Derricks approached my parents and asked, could I play for his church, Pleasant Grove. Since his wife Carrie played the piano, he wanted to know if I could play the Hammond B3 organ. I had never played one in my life. The only organ that I was familiar with was the little ‘off-brand’ one that we once had at White Stone. However, I figured if it had keys I could do it. It was just a matter of trying to master the pedals and figure out the registrations. The most exciting thing was that they were going to put me on salary. It would be my first real job.

I started playing at Rev. Derricks’ church when I was fourteen. What an honor it was. Here was a world-famous composer with whom I would have the pleasure of working. His sons Cleavant and Clinton, whose nicknames were June and Jitterbug, and I became great friends. They shared my love for gospel music and sang as well. Many times we would form a trio and perform for the services at church. At one point, we even wrote a song together called “Jesus Will Make a Way.” . . .

The choirs were great there and the music was diverse. Although Rev. Derricks was a gospel music composer, he was classically trained, loved anthems and knew them well. Sunday morning worship had to include hymns and anthems as well as gospel. . . . Mrs. Derricks was an inspiration to me, and I marveled at how she could switch from the classic anthems to the latest gospel song without missing a beat on the piano. I would listen to her playing style closely and would emulate some of the things that I would hear her do. She influenced me greatly. . . .

Rev. Derricks also became the director for the D.C. Chapter of the National Baptist Convention Choir. Mom [Mabel Smallwood] sang alto in the choir and they gave concerts frequently in the area. I began to play for them as well. Everything musical that Rev. Derricks was involved in, he would take me with him. I grew musically by leaps and bounds. He encouraged me, he challenged me, and he pushed me.[7]

In 1975, facing “major medical bills,”[8] Rev. Derricks made his way to Canaanland Music in Nashville, Tennessee, to ask about selling more of his songs. The head of Canaanland, Aaron Brown, learned how Derricks had never properly been paid for his work. In an interview for the Nashville Banner, Brown explained the situation:

For the first time in his life, Rev. became a licensed songwriter. What I’m trying to say is he has virtually never been paid for his songs or their performances. If he had become affiliated with BMI, ASCAP, or SESAC, the three song licensing agencies, he would be a millionaire by now. No doubt about it. Instead, what Rev. did was to sell his songs to the Stamps-Baxter publishing company in Texas. He would sell them for almost nothing. In return the company would furnish him songbooks for his songs. He would sell those to make some money.

It’s disheartening to realize he made $5 for “Just a little talk with Jesus.” I would say every gospel singer and every gospel group in the country has recorded “Just a little talk with Jesus.”[9]

Derricks recorded his most famous song on the ensuing album, Reverend Cleavant Derricks and Family Singing His Own “Just a Little Talk with Jesus” (1975). The following year, he released another album, Satisfaction Guaranteed (1976). Derricks died 14 April 1977 of colon cancer.

by CHRIS FENNER
for Hymnology Archive
6 February 2020
rev. 9 July 2021

1. “Chattanoogans sing lustily and help poor,” Chattanooga News (29 Nov. 1934), p. 5.

2. “Marriage Licenses,” Evening Star (Washington, D.C: 1 June 1935), p. A9.

3. “Baptists to make greatest tour in church history,” 14 (11 March 1939), p. 14.

4. “Derrick Jubilee group to sing here on May 3,” Chattanooga Times (19 April 1942), p. M6.

5. “Lent Ends Today, Churches Prepare for Easter Rites,” Times-Picayune (New Orleans: 31 Mar. 1945), p. 4; cited in Macomber (2013)

6. “Ebenezer Baptists set dedication,” Knoxville News-Sentinel (9 July 1949), p. 2.

7. Richard Smallwood, Total Praise: The Autobiography Newark, NJ: Godzchild Publications, 2019), pp. 103–104: Amazon

8. “Aging gospel writer accepts fameless fate in music field,” Lincoln Journal (Lincoln, NE: 13 Jan. 1976), p. 2.

9. Bill Hance, “Rev. Derricks finds new heaven on earth,” Nashville Banner (2 Dec. 1975).

Additional information obtained from FamilySearch.org and Newspapers.com

Featured Songs:

Just a little talk with Jesus

see also:

The Angels Changed My Name

Published Collections:

Pearls of Paradise (1934)

Related Resources:

“Chattanoogans sing lustily and help poor,” Chattanooga News (29 Nov. 1934), p. 5.

“Baptists to make greatest tour in church history,” Pittsburgh Courier (11 March 1939), p. 14.

“Derrick Jubilee group to sing here on May 3,” Chattanooga Times (19 April 1942), p. M6.

Bill Hance, “Rev. Derricks finds new heaven on earth,” Nashville Banner (2 Dec. 1975).

“Aging gospel writer accepts fameless fate in music field,” Lincoln Journal (Lincoln, NE: 13 Jan. 1976), p. 2.

Cedric J. Hayes & Robert Laughton, “Derrick Singers,” “Rev. Cleavant Derricks,” Gospel Discography 1943–2000, vol. 1 (Canada: Eyeball Productions, 2014), pp. 231–232.

Charles K. Wolfe, “Cleavant Derricks,” Encyclopedia of American Gospel Music (NY: Routledge, 2005): p. 100.

Greg Freeman, “The Legacy of Reverend Cleavant Derricks,” Southern Edition (12 March 2011):
http://www.southernedition.com/RevCleavantDerricks.html

Clinton Macomber, “Rev. Cleavant Derricks,” Berean Bible Heritage Church (May 2013): http://bereanbibleheritage.org/extraordinary/derricks_cleavant.php 

Cleavant Derricks, Hymnary.org: https://hymnary.org/person/Derricks_Cleavant