Oral History Interview with Guy Rafferty

Interview Summary

Born in Mt. Pleasant on March 28th, 1919

Attended school Mt. Pleasant, went through the 8th grade

Did not attend high school, started working at a sawmill and helped on the farm

Later became a farmer

Mother’s name is Mary Lee Stevens, father’s name is Samuel A. Rafferty

Has three siblings, Reba, Floren (??), and Elbert

Father farmed, mother helped in field occasionally

Grew up in the Mount Zion Baptist Church where his father dad was the deacon

Attended many different churches in order to participate in revivals, toll road went through the old homeplace

Dad played the organ, Guy and brother played the guitar

Recalls playing popular music in different homes

Had a battery radio, went to different homes so he could listen to the Grand Old Opry

Discusses buying his first instruments

Father joined the Baptist Church (Rafferty is unsure why)

Mt Zion did not have too much music, only had singing for the Sunday morning service

Mt. Pleasant had lot of singing, people go home and eat lunch and then come back and sing all afternoon, about 100 people attended

Ezra Crowder lead with tuning fork

Discussion of the difficulties of learning how to play and read music

Discussion of shape note singing

No have singing school teaching anymore in churches, unable to find good teachers

Discusses the way the singing schools run, charts, timing, discussion

Discussion about their singing group, the Liberty Aires

Importance of being able to read music

Sonja Jones, Secretary for singing convention, she died and relatives destroyed her personal papers, no history of the singing conventions left as a result

Sonja was secretary from the time she was ten until she died at 75

Her father, George P. Jones was chairman of the convention until he died

George Jones was chairman from 1915 to 1956

Woosley then took over, but was killed

Followed by Joe Poole, then Carmen Baize for five years, then A.J Alvey for five years

Rafferty has served as chairman since 1968

Discussion of responsibilities of the chairman, current secretary Carol Lindsey

Example of how the singing conventions work

Church asks a year in advance, register by group name and leader, no practices during the winter

Not enough people to keep signing schools operating

Rafferty believes if he stopped there would not be a convention

1960: first started singing with a quartet

Wife did solos and took piano lessons as an adult

Also went back to school and obtained a bachelors degree and a masters degree

He retired early to take care of the farm and house while she worked

Met wife at Hickory Church

Describes conversion experience and leading revival series

Served in army WWII, daughter born while in the service

Had five children total, other surviving two were born 1947 and 1948

Two of his children died due to complications from Rh incompatibility (blood disorder resulting from a Rh-negative mother and an Rh-positive fetus)

Quartet at Liberty discussion

1968: Liberty Aires formed, was four singers and a piano player in a four-part harmony until 1975

Discussion of singing Conventions dying out, people being unfamiliar with high-quality music

Prefers that women sing alto rather than men

Rafferty can sing all four parts

Explains why he believes that quality of singers has decreased over time

Loves to sing and considers how singing has affected him through the years

Discusses working with youth through music

Attends music gatherings every Saturday night

Quit taking group to revival, says it takes away from the church singing discussion, does not use drums or banjos in church

Participated in a revival camp for disadvantaged youth aged fifteen to seventeen

Describes Liberty Aires band members

James Cardwell was Baptist preacher for 7 years

Rafferty is an avid A V recorder, taped and interviewed people gathered at friend’s home for the U.S. Moon landing in July of 1969

Discussion of how radio show ran, sponsors, still on at Morgantown in the evenings

Assistance in raising grandsons

Dads and Daughters singing group formed from Liberty Aires, Houston Austin and his daughter JT Martin and his daughter and Guy and his daughter

Mt. Pleasant church burned, Rafferty involved with rebuilding project, thinks most of the remaining churches will end up closing