Rev. D. C. Rice
Reverend D. C. Rice (c. 1888 in Barbour County, Alabama – March 1973 in Montgomery, Alabama) was a preacher and singer. He was raised as a Baptist by his father, and moved to Chicago during World War I. There he joined The Church of the Living God, Pentecostal, and in 1920 became a preacher in this denomination. Following the examples of Rev. J. M. Gates and Rev. F. W. McGee, in March 1928 Rice made his first recordings for the Vocalion label in Chicago, and over the period until July 1930 he recorded a total of 28 sides although two are lost. These are described in terms such as "Rev D. C. Rice, sermons with singing, assisted by His Congregation". Many of the performances begin with Rice intoning a verse from the Bible and then giving a short sermon, his voice rising and falling with blues inflections, while members of the congregation respond with "amen". Then Rice leads the ensemble into a hymn, generally of an evangelical type. Rice's singing dominates the recordings, the other singers providing harmonized support. The instrumental accompaniment is by piano plus one or more of mandolin, string or brass bass, triangle or other small percussion, trumpet, and trombone. Rice continued to be active in black churches, as a preacher and ultimately a bishop. Music continued to feature in his religious career but no further recordings are known after 1930. His 1928-30 recordings have been issued on LP (Herwin Records) and on CD (Document Records), finding favour with enthusiasts for early gospel music, blues, and jazz. |
Birth and Death Data: Born 1888, Died March 1, 1973
Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1928 - 1930
Roles Represented in DAHR: speaker, vocalist, author
= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.
Recordings (Results 26-38 of 38 records)
Company | Matrix No. | Size | First Recording Date | Title | Primary Performer | Description | Role | Audio |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Brunswick | C5184 | 10-in. | Jan. 1930 | Were you there when they crucified my Lord? | Rev. D. C. Rice and Congregation | Male vocal solo and vocal ensemble, with tuba, piano, and traps | vocalist | |
Brunswick | C5185 | 10-in. | Jan. 1930 | He arose then from the dead | Rev. D. C. Rice and Congregation | Male vocal solo and vocal ensemble, with tuba, piano, and traps | vocalist | |
Brunswick | C5186 | 10-in. | Jan. 1930 | Testify—for my Lord is coming back again | Rev. D. C. Rice and Congregation | Male vocal solo and vocal ensemble, with tuba, piano, and traps | vocalist | |
Brunswick | C5187 | 10-in. | Jan. 1930 | When I take my vacation in heaven | Rev. D. C. Rice and Congregation | Male vocal solo and vocal ensemble, with tuba, piano, and traps | vocalist | |
Brunswick | C5196 | 10-in. | Jan. 1930 | Who dressed you up for Easter | Rev. D. C. Rice | Sermon, with responses | speaker | |
Brunswick | C5197 | 10-in. | Jan. 1930 | Pay your honest debts | Rev. D. C. Rice | Sermon, with responses | speaker | |
Brunswick | C5198 | 10-in. | Jan. 1930 | Some folks don’t know what they want | Rev. D. C. Rice | Sermon, with responses | speaker | |
Brunswick | C6020 | 10-in. | July 1930 | A woman went one thousand miles to see a man | Rev. D. C. Rice | Sermon, with vocal ensemble | speaker | |
Brunswick | C6021 | 10-in. | July 1930 | I’m gonna wait right here till He comes | Rev. D. C. Rice | Sermon, with vocal ensemble | speaker | |
Brunswick | C6022 | 10-in. | July 1930 | We got the same kinda power over here | Rev. D. C. Rice | Sermon, with vocal ensemble | speaker | |
Brunswick | C6023 | 10-in. | July 1930 | New born again | Rev. D. C. Rice | Sermon, with vocal ensemble | speaker | |
Brunswick | C1784-C1785 | 10-in. | 3/24/1928 | The angels rolled the stone away | Rev. D. C. Rice | Sermon, with mixed vocal chorus and instrumental trio | speaker, author | |
Brunswick | C1786-C1787 | 10-in. | 3/24/1928 | A sure foundation | Rev. D. C. Rice | Sermon, with mixed vocal chorus and instrumental trio | speaker, author |
Citation
Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Rice, D. C., Rev.," accessed March 28, 2024, https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/106766.
Rice, D. C., Rev.. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved March 28, 2024, from https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/106766.
"Rice, D. C., Rev.." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 28 March 2024.
DAHR Persistent Identifier
Linked Open Data Sources
LCNAR: Rice, D. C., Rev. - http://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n93008206
Wikidata: Rev. D.C. Rice - http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q5203381
VIAF: http://viaf.org/viaf/48433266
MusicBrainz: Rev. D.C. Rice - https://musicbrainz.org/artist/cef9f009-0311-4662-843b-3f533090c2a3
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