Crosseyed Records

John Alexander McClung

John Alexander McClung was born to Frank and Lusenda McClung on January 1, 1891in Talihina, Oklahoma, which was still Indian Territory.

   At the age of 18 John married Rosie Earls. They made their home in Summerfield, Ok., and had four children. Robert, Ray, and Lucille have gone to be with the Lord. Clifton lives in Kansas City, Missouri.

   When the marriage dissolved after eight years, John joined the Army and was stationed in France. He earned his sergeant stripes, and served as Chaplain for the troops. John started writing poetry and music while he was in the trenches. After he received a shrapnel wound, he was awarded the purple heart and was honorably discharged.

   Moving to Hartford, Arkansas shortly after he was discharged from the Army, John attended the Harford Music Institute, owned by E. M. Bartlett. He graduated and became an instructor. John taught Rudiments and Harmony, and sang in various Hartford Quartets (there were several). The most famous quartet included J. A. McClung, Austin Arnold, Clyde Garner, Al Halp, with Doy Ott at the piano. They toured all over the United States, and performed for radio audiences from various radio stations. Sometimes the traveling took all day, just to sing for one hour.

   John invested in the Hartford Music Co. and Institute, making him a co-owner with E. M. Bartlett. He traveled all over the United States teaching Singing Schools.

   John met Minnie Cunningham, who worked at the company setting type, for the many song books they published. Minnie also sang with a ladies quartet. They were married in May of 1928, and had six children. John Jr., of Huffman, Texas, who passed away March 24th of this year. Wanda Millican, and Wilma Yocum, of Fort Smith, Arkansas, Naomi Parker, of Ozark, Arkansas. The twins, Thelma Jean (T. J.) Gibson, and Rev. Paul Dean McClung, of Sherwood, Arkansas.

   John and Minnie opened their home to the teenagers who enrolled in the Singing Schools. The schools were called Normals back then, and were held in January, and June, with a duration of three weeks.

   The boys and girls were not permitted to stay in the same home, so the girls stayed with other families, and the McClung's boarded the teenage boys. Minnie loved and cared for these young men as if they were her own children, cooking, cleaning, and washing their cloths, along with her large family.

   There were 200 to 400 students attending the schools. They had the opportunity to learn sight reading, ear training, stringed instruments, piano tuning, harmony, rudiments, piano, voice, and composition. 

   I was told by many of the students that attended, that they also were allowed to help print some of the books, leaving some of the pages not as straight as they should be. They also competed with their song writing abilities. The best song, or even poems would be put to music and would be honored by being  published in the next book to come off of the presses.

   The two story home housed the McClung family, and boarded as many as 10 students. They came from all over the United States. One of the students that stayed with John and Minnie was Doy Ott, who later became famous by singing with the Statesman Quartet. Doy sang with Minnie's "Little Boys Quartet", she so lovingly called them. They won several first place awards for their gospel music style, and close harmony. Minnie also was one of Doy's piano teachers.

   Some of the Instructors for the Hartford Music Institute were, E. M. Bartlett, J. A. McClung, Minnie McClung, Z. D. Lee, Fern Waits, J. B. Herbert, G. L. Lindsay, C. L. Murphree, Mrs. J. S. Adams, L. H. Bone, W. O. Cooper, R. V. Vaughn, L. D. Huffstutler, R. V. Condrey, and Thomas Benton.

   In 1931, J. A. bought the Hartford Music Co, outright from E. M. Bartlett, when Mr. Bartlett retired.

   Mr. McClung remained the owner and President until his untimely death on July 23, 1942. In his short career John A. McClung composed over 300 songs, such as "Standing Outside", which was written after he had picked up a young man hitch hiking. The young man started cussing, using the Lord's name in vain. J. A. tried to witness to the boy.

   When the boy refused to listen, and continued to cuss, Mr. McClung stopped the car and told him to get out, that he couldn't continue hearing him use the Lord's name in vain. He told the young man he would have to change his ways, if he intended to get into Heaven.

   J. A. was so concerned about the boy's spiritual condition, he kept saying to himself that if the young man didn't ask Jesus into his heart that he would be standing outside the portals. He parked the car on the side of the road and wrote, "Standing Outside".

   Another of his most popular songs was, "Death Will Never Knock On Heaven's Door", and the last song J. A. wrote before his death, was "Just A Rose Will Do".

   The song had not been published when he passed away. The Hartford Quartet sang the song at his funeral, and a lady took a single rose and placed it in the casket with him.

   After his death, Floyd Hunter, Waldo Pool, Otis Echols, and Oliver Cooper bought the company and moved it to Hot Springs, Arkansas.

   In 1948 they sold the Hartford Music Co. to Albert E. Brumley. He moved the company to his home town of Powell, Missouri, where it is today. The company is also called The Brumley Music Co., owned by Albert E.'s son Bob Brumley.

   In April 1992 J. A. was inducted into Gospel Music Hall of Fame in Nashville, Tenn.

   In 1999 the piano owned by J. A. and Minnie McClung was donated by Minnie and her children, to the Southern Gospel Music Museum, in Dollywood.  The piano will be displayed permanently there.

   Minnie McClung went to be with the Lord June 17, 2001 at the age of ninety- seven.

   Daughter, T. J. has a traveling mini-museum of the history of The Hartford Music Co. A collection of song books, dating back to 1900, when the company was called Central Music Co. There are Song Books dating to 1945. The last book that J. A. produced was "Living Faith", copyright 1942, with the first publication of "Just A Rose Will Do" in it.