The Heavenly Five

The Heavenly Five
Lead B.Brown – J. Jackson
[no label name]
1960
CP 4325 - God's Sweet Grace
CP-4326 - Hold To God's Unchanging Hand

Su-Ma publishing co. on both sides.

An early instance of the name of this publishing company owned by Stan Lewis who started Jewel Records in 1963 and later Paula and Ronn Records.

Is Stan Lewis really the writer of these two gospel songs? The BMI database says he is. At the time it was not an uncommon practice in the recording world for the producer to take the credit of the song writing.

Thus, regarding the Stan Lewis practice and according to one of the Dale Hawkins biography available online :

"Although Dale Hawkins wrote "Susie Q" alone, Stan Lewis and "E. Broadwater" are credited as co-writers. Hawkins explained that "Broadwater" was the maiden name of the wife of Gene Nobles, one of the 1950s' great R&B disc jockeys. By taking a songwriting credit, Nobles was in effect taking payola in the same manner that Alan Freed did when his name was put on Chuck Berry's "Maybellene": the DJs gave the song airplay in return for receiving royalties. Shortly before his death, Nobles assigned his share back to Hawkins. Lewis was another matter. "He said that I sold him 'Suzie Q' for $125 and he was taking half of everything I made. It's bull. All you gotta say is: The man has never written a line of a song that I have ever had. But his signature, he wrote good."