Biography
John Dill Jarvis (b. April 21, 1924)
For more than four decades, John Dill “J. D.” Jarvis has been a major figure in bluegrass gospel and country music, recording numerous albums and composing songs that have become standards in the field, such as “Take Your Shoes Off Moses" and “Six Hours on the Cross.”
A native of Clay County. Kentucky, Jarv is grew up in a mountainous area steeped in traditional music, and after spending time in the Civilian Conservation Corps and the U.S. Army—suffering serious combat wounds—he joined the flood of Appalachian migrants to the city. J. D. eventually settled in Hamilton, Ohio, and operated a paint contracting business.
After a self-confessed rowdy lifestyle in early adulthood, Jarvis converted and began devoting his surplus energy to sacred music. He sang in churches for years and began a recording career in around 1960. While he made many albums in the 1960s and 1970s, many of them on Rusty York’s Jewel label, those with the most widespread distribution appeared on Rural Rhythm, and he did a country-oriented sacred album for Heart Warming. In addition to the aforementioned standards, some of his other well-known songs include “My Lord Will Send a Moses,” “Life of Ransom.” and the patriotic “Thank God for Old Glory.”
Despite his numerous long-play albums, Jarvis remained a part-time performer, maintaining his business until turning it over to his son. In recent years, he has continued singing in the local area around his home in Hamilton. Two compact disc compilations of his best sides appeared in the 1990s.
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