J D was from Lakeland, FL and my mother knew all of his family years before she was married to dad. Later in life J D's brother was my mother and father's pastor. He had a son, J D's nephew, named Donnie Sumner who I knew in childhood. Donnie was an excellent musician and excelled at the piano. He also played trumpet and I played trumpet too and we both played in church.
Donnie's talent was professional quality and he joined J D with the Stamps Quartet. They toured with Elvis Presley and Donnie played piano for Elvis. Unfortunately Donnie got heavy into drugs and lost his wife over it. She was a church girl and could not take the Las Vegas lifestyle of party, drinking and drugs. She kept her faith through all of this but she lost Donnie. That did not mix with the Elvis lifestyle.
Donnie is a year older than me but I am in better shape.
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