▁as ▁R . H . ▁Harris ▁of ▁the ▁Soul ▁St ir r ers , ▁and ▁Keith ▁Bar ber , ▁also ▁nick named ▁" Doc " ▁or ▁" C rip ", ▁who ▁changed ▁from ▁being ▁a ▁sweet - vo iced ▁ten or ▁to ▁a ▁hard ▁g ospel ▁sh outer ▁under ▁Alexander ' s ▁direction . ▁They ▁added ▁J esse ▁Whit aker ▁— ▁whom ▁Ray ▁Charles ▁cred ited ▁as ▁one ▁of ▁his ▁models ▁when ▁he ▁adapted ▁hard ▁g ospel ▁style ▁to ▁sec ular ▁them es ▁to ▁create ▁soul ▁music ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 5 0 s ▁— ▁as ▁a ▁bar it one ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 7 . ▁ ▁Alexander ▁also ▁changed ▁the ▁Tra vel ers ' ▁performance ▁style ▁from ▁the ▁" flat - fo oted " ▁style ▁of ▁early ▁quart ets ▁to ▁the ▁church - w reck ing ▁style ▁of ▁other ▁groups ▁of ▁their ▁era . ▁The ▁sing ers ▁would ▁pun ctu ate ▁their ▁singing ▁by ▁jump ing ▁off ▁stage ▁and ▁running ▁up ▁the ▁a is les ▁in ▁order , ▁in ▁Alexander ' s ▁words , ▁" to ▁pull ▁the ▁sister s ▁out ▁of ▁their ▁seats ". ▁They ▁c ement ed ▁their ▁popular ity ▁with ▁a ▁series ▁of ▁" m other ▁songs ", ▁which ▁re play ed ▁the ▁same ▁them es ▁of ▁grat itude ▁and ▁gu ilt ▁for ▁all ▁that ▁mother ▁had ▁done ▁to ▁ste er ▁them ▁toward ▁salv ation . ▁▁ ▁After ▁a ▁hand ful ▁of ▁a ▁c app ella ▁songs , ▁the ▁Tra vel ers ▁began ▁recording ▁their ▁material ▁with