Wallace Lewis

James Wallace Lewis was born on 6 July 1928 in Lincolnton, Georgia. In 1947 he, Talmadge and Esley began playing country music and fiddle tunes at square dances as the Lewis Brothers, sometimes with their youngest brother, Little Roy. When their sisters and parents joined in 1951, the group became the Lewis Family and sang only gospel. In its classic lineup Pop played bass, Wallace guitar, Talmadge mandolin and fiddle and Little Roy banjo, while the sisters Miggie, Polly and Janis sang.

Wallace played guitar on the family’s first recordings, made at radio station WJAT in Swainsboro, Georgia, in 1953, and on its Starday records from 1958. On Singin’ Time Down South (Starday, 1960) he sings lead on some songs and harmony behind the sisters on others. He also wrote for the group: Anniversary Celebration (Starday, 1962) includes his song “Are You Ashamed?,” and BMI credits him and Polly with 84 published compositions, co-compositions and arrangements between them. He was still on rhythm guitar for I’m Just an Old Chunk of Coal (But I’m Going to Be a Diamond Someday) (Canaan, 1981), recorded in Nashville with Buddy Spicher, Josh Graves and Hargus “Pig” Robbins, with his son Travis on bass.

Travis, who also drove the band’s bus, carried the family into a third generation. The Lewis Family was inducted into the IBMA’s Hall of Fame in 2006. Wallace died on 16 May 2007 in Washington, Georgia, and the group disbanded two years later.