TEXARKANA, Texas -- Orvis McRae's voice still graces the Twin Cities decades after he first took the stage.
McRae recently celebrated his 90th birthday with a party at Echo Hills Missionary Baptist Church. Family and friends gathered to celebrate his long, active life, including his history as a popular local singer.
His career as a performer began in the early 1950s in local music shows and continues today with singing gospel songs during church services, he said during a recent interview. He also worked for almost 40 years as a transportation dispatcher at Lone Star Army Ammunition Plant, retiring in 2000.
McRae never had formal music training and auditioned for a traveling production called the Hill-William Picnic on a whim in 1954. Later, he taught himself how to play guitar.
"I didn't know I could sing," he said. His first performance with the "Hillwillies" was in Linden, Texas.
"With my knees knocking and everything, I was able to sing 'High Cost of Living' and 'Take These Chains from My Heart'."
In the 1960s and into the 1970s, he was a regular performer for the 4 States Jubilee, a weekly show at the Texarkana, Arkansas, Municipal Auditorium.
He recalls singing many Hank Williams songs and others of the era, such as "Happy Birthday to Me," a 1961 hit for country singer Hank Locklin that McRae performed as the opening act for Johnny and June Carter Cash.
A 1956 Buck Owens song titled "Sweethearts in Heaven" was also a favorite that McRae and his wife, Kathlene, recorded for a 45 rpm record.
Jubilee musicians also opened for Porter Wagoner, prompting a little resentment in the better-known singer.
"We were doing so good with the audience that Porter Wagoner was heard by one of our singers, Jack Stone. And he said, 'I'll be glad when those SOBs get off the stage.' He thought we could hurt him," McRae said.
Eventually, Orvis and Kathlene transitioned to gospel singing, accepting invitations to perform at revivals and in local church services. The couple became popular enough that they released CDs of their music before Kathlene's death in 2021.
McRae still performs at church and stays active on the golf course. His secret to longevity?
"I'm just trying to live a clean life, trust in the good lord and have fun doing it."
Orvis and Kathlene McRae are seen in this undated snapshot. The couple sang together, even producing albums, until Kathlene's death in 2021. (Submitted photo)