Mr. William Amos Hudson served as director of the Warblers Club from 1948 through 1950. Mr. Hudson is a graduate of Birmingham-Southern College and the Birmingham Conservatory of Music. Equally skilled as a singer and pianist, he also possesses a musical sense of humor as evidenced by his creation of the highly successful quartet, the "Cat Mountain Four". Armed with such credentials, the Warblers continued to flourish under his leadership until his departure for Columbia University in 1950 in pursuit of a Masters Degree.
Mr. Hudson, affectionately known as "Slug" by today's Warblers, served for many years as Minister of Music at South Highland United Methodist Church, in Birmingham, Alabama, until his retirement.
Mr. Hudson became involved again with the Warblers in 1988, in preparation for the 1988 Reunion Show, in which he and Mr. Joe Turner provided musical direction, and has remained involved in Warbler affairs until his death in February 2003. Below is the obituary from The Birmingham News.
The Warblers Club recently lost its last original director, William Amos Hudson.
Amos loved The Warblers Club and was loved by The Warblers Club. The Warblers Club performed Soon Ah Will Be Done, as he had requested, at his memorial service on February 20, 2003.
The following article appeared in The Birmingham News.
Musical `fixture' Amos Hudson dies
02/19/2003
MICHAEL HUEBNERNews staff writer
Amos Hudson, who directed music for 47 years at Highlands United Methodist Church in Birmingham, died last week at his home in the Glen Iris neighborhood. He was 78.
A conductor, singer and pianist, Mr. Hudson was born in Cordova and graduated from Birmingham-Southern College in 1947.
While at BSC, he formed the Cat Mountain Four, a group that parodied country and bluegrass music and achieved notoriety around the state. After receiving a master's in music education from Columbia University in 1950, he taught at Woodlawn High, where he was active in the choral group Warblers Club, and from 1955 to 1970 he taught music at Crestline Heights Elementary School.
At Highlands, he led performances of Handel's "Messiah" for 39 years and directed the Boar's Head Festival for 29 Christmases.
After retiring in 1999, he continued to perform for worship services and the day care center, and worked in the homeless program.
"He was a fixture here at the church and in the Southside community," said Reggie Holder, Highlands' Director of Ministries. "Everybody knew Amos, and he knew every child's name in day care. He greeted the homeless men and women who came to the church, and knew many of them by name."
A music scholarship for Birmingham-Southern students was established in Mr. Hudson's name in the mid-1970s. Its second recipient, Richard Phillips, sang in Mr. Hudson's choirs and succeeded him as director of music at Highlands after his retirement in 1999.
"Amos was a loving human being and a master teacher," Phillips said. "He was truly a cheerleader, and so enthusiastic about the music. He would stand in the back of the nave and root for the choir. After they sang, he would leave. There's no way I can be Amos Hudson, but I'm honored to follow him and uphold the tradition."
Mr. Hudson never married. Survivors include six nephews and two nieces. Visitation will be today from 4-6 p.m. at Johns-Ridout's Valley Chapel in Homewood. A memorial service will be at 11 a.m. Thursday at Highlands United Methodist, followed by burial at the New Prospect Baptist Church cemetery in Jasper at 2 p.m.
The family requests memorials to the Homeless Fund at Highlands United Methodist Church or the Building Fund at New Prospect Baptist Church.