Reverend Claude Jeter

Who was Reverend Claude Jeter?

Claude A. Jeter was an African American gospel music singer. Originally a coal miner from Kentucky, Jeter formed the group that would eventually become one of the most popular gospel quartets of the post-war era – the Swan Silvertones. He was also, at one time, a member of the Dixie Hummingbirds.

Jeter was born in Montgomery, Alabama on October 26, 1914. Jeter's father died when he was eight-years old and he moved to Kentucky with his family, where he later found work in the coal mines in West Virginia as a teenager.

He formed the Four Harmony Kings in 1938 with his brother and two fellow coal miners, which was later renamed as the Silvertone Singers. After the group was hired by a radio program based in Knoxville, Tennessee that was sponsored by the local Swan Bakery, they were renamed as the Swan Silvertones.

Jeter was best known for his falsetto with the Swan Silvertones in which his graceful high melodies served in contrast to the rougher voices of the group's other members. The group recorded for the several different labels, but never achieved financial success, despite its widespread influence.