J. B. Coats

Summerland, Mississippi, is a little community not far from Hot Coffee and Taylorsville. This is my old stompin' ground. My cousins live at Summerland, and we go to their church there for the Gregg family reunion. My cousins, who can sing like birds, pitched in at our last family reunion and made the good old-old time J. B. Coats songs come alive. They invited me to come up to the front and join in, but I could not have added anything to their lovely music.

Summerland is the place where J. B. Coats used to live. Actually, he lived at Gitano, Mississippi, a tiny dot on the map near Summerland. His claim to fame is based on one wonderful song he wrote. (He wrote others, but this one is the most famous.)

Many musicians have recorded this heartfelt song. Here is the version Elvis Presley did:



Quoting the Biography of J. B. Coats:

J.B. Coats was born on April 6, 1901, in Summerland, Mississippi. He attended the schools of his area and was both a student and lover of music all his life...His formal education was continued with study at Mississippi Southern College and Louisiana State University. He also studied music with Julius Rishing, J.E. and Alvis O. Thomas and T.B. Mosley. When just a lad about fourteen, he began teaching music classes and conducting evangelistic singing. Mr. Coats was a teacher in public schools most of his life...He was the composer of many loved gospel songs with "Where Could I Go" haveing been printed and sung most widely. Others of his outstanding songs are "A Wonderful Place", "My Soul Shall Live On", "I'm Winging My Way Back Home", and "Tomorrow May Mean Goodbye". Many of his songs have been recorded by leading quartets and singers...Mr. Coats was associated with Stamps-Baxter Music Company and a lifetime staff writer for them...He joined the Baptist Church and served more than thirty years as a Deacon before answering the call to the ministry. He died on December 15, 1961.

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When Myrtle was a little girl, J. B. Coats used to go to the church she attended, Fellowship Baptist Church, near Taylorsville, Mississippi, and conduct singing schools in the summer. He taught her to sing alto.