In 1936, the Soul Stirrers were performing in Houston and recorded by Alan Lomax. Soon, the breakthrough lineup was formed with Crain, Jesse Farley[?], T.L. Bruster[?], James Medlock[?] and R.H. Harris[?]. Performing throughout the Chicago area, the Soul Stirrers gained a devoted following and soon signed to Specialty Records[?]. A couple dozen tracks followed, including "By and By" and "In that Awful Hour". Harris, the most popular member of the group, soon quit and wasreplaced by the then-unknown Sam Cooke. The first single with Cooke was "Jesus Gave Me Water", a major hit that brought the Soul Stirrers massive acclaim. Bruster was replaced by Bob King[?] and, briefly, Julius Cheeks[?]. When Cooke left in 1956, the Soul Stirrers career was essentially over, though a brief period of success with Johnnie Taylor kept the group around for a time. Various line-ups continued touring and recording throughout the last half of the century to a small and devoted following.
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