OK, folks, this question will separate the "men from the boys" so to speak, for I don't think you can Google and find this answer.

In the Dustin Hoffman/Jon Voight movie, "Midnight Cowboy", a famous gospel quartet is heard in the movie singing a song on the radio.

Who is the quartet and what song are they singing?

That's a tough one John. I think the only way to find out the answer if one doesn't know it is to watch a DVD or VHS of the movie. The script of the movie is online but doesn't name the song or singers. Here's part of the script:

"BUS - NIGHT

Joe (Buck) is alone again. . . Joe squirms, restless, trying to lull himself to
sleep with the music of a revivalist gospel group on the
radio. . . .

EVANGELIST'S VOICE
Oh, my friends, I say unto you,
invest with Jesus, put your dollars
to work where they'll pay off at
compound interest. The Good Book
says money answereth all things...
... everyone who sends a dollar to
the Evangelical Congregation of the
Air will get free gratis a genuine
leatherette hymn book so you can
sing along with Sister Rosella and
the Evangelical Choir...

JOE
You throw in Sister Rosella and you
got a deal.

Well, Norm, you're on the right track!

Was it The Sunny South or The GoldenGate Quartet.

No, James. . . later than those groups.

Well, just to guess, since they mentioned sister Rosella, I'll say it was the Statesmen Quartet.

I'm going to tell you what song they sang. . . and maybe that will help.

It's "Oh Glory. . . Glory Hallelujah"

(and that's not the Battle Hymn of the Republic)

Soul Stirrers (pre-Sam Cooke)?

MUCH later than the pre-Cooke Soul Stirrers. It was a gospel quartet.

My last guess on this topic: Prophets Quartet doing "Glory, Glory, Amen"

You`ve got a tough one here, John-but I haven`t given up. Was this a vocal quartet or a string quartet?

Vocal, white gospel quartet.

. . . and again, the song was "Oh Glory, Glory Hallelujah".

Was it the Blue Ridge Quartet?

I lied in an earlier post. I'm making another guess -- the Chuckwagon Gang?

Mike got it right. Now I can finally go to bed! :ph43r:

It's the Blue Ridge Quartet singing "Oh Glory". The song was written by Bill Crowe's mother. Bill was the baritone singer in the quartet.

Well.... before I go to bed I`ll guess The Couriers Quartet.

No, James, it's still the Blue Ridge. . . ;)

I'm honored to have answered the question correctly; however, it was just a lucky guess.

Speaking of quartet singing being a part of movies, I know I was so excited when I was watching "I Walk the Line" and heard the Blackwood Brothers singing "I Was There When It Happened."

Speaking of gospel groups in major motion pictures, weren't the LeFevres in a Burt Reynolds movie in the 1970s?

I think I am the only southern gospel fan in captivity who knows about When You Comin' back, Red Ryder? released in 1979, with the Statesmen.

I haven't seen this in 25 years. It's a wretched movie, but yes, Hovie and the Statesmen are in it. I've made mention of this to countless people and nobody ever believed me. I don't know what personel were in the Statesmen at that time, but I even asked Ed Hill about this at NQC 2 years ago, and he had no knowledge of the Statesmen being in that movie.

Check it out ... http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0080129/fullcredits