Calvin Otha Stegall, Jr. was born in Morton , Mississippi , the son of a Baptist minister, Calvin Otha Stegall and Pauline Stegall. Soon named “C. O.,” the Stegall family moved to Amite County , Mississippi where his father pastored the East Fork Baptist Church , which gained national notoriety as the home of Mississippi native son, Jerry Clower.

Soon after his marriage to Barbara Jean “Deany” Stegall in 1953, Stegall started Stegall Dairy Farm with his family, which he ran until 1993. Stegall was also soon called to serve as a minister of music at Thompson Baptist Church in Amite County , Mississippi . Stegall's choir soon began to notice and comment on Stegall's pounding bass voice. Through the next several years Stegall served Tangipahoa Baptist Church , East Fork Baptist Church , and Liberty Baptist Churches as minister of music.

However, while serving in ministerial capacities Stegall was developing his bass voice for further service using his first love, the fast growing southern gospel music field. Carlton Brown noticed the young bass singer and asked him to join his Magnolia State Quartet in 1963 in the bass vocalist position. C. O. joined and sang for nine years with Carlton Brown, lead; Carol Smith, baritone; Mickey Sandifer and later I. W. Brown piano, and Buck Boyd, tenor. Singing in governors' campaigns in Mississippi and Alabama , the Magnolia State Quartet was named “the state quartet” in Mississippi . The quartet sang and was known in the early 1960's for the campaign theme song “Stand Up for Johnson, Sing out for Paul” used by Mississippi Governor Paul B. Johnson, Jr. Similarly, the world famous Blackwood Brothers were known for their campaign work with Mississippi Governor J.P. Coleman.

C. O. helped organize the Continentials in 1972 with Carol Smith, baritone; Micky Sandifer, tenor; Jim Roberts, lead; and Swain Lambert, piano. C. O. sang with some form of the Continentals for twenty-five years. C. O. and the Continentals competed in one of the early National Quartet Convention talent shows, winning the regional in Jackson , Mississippi and competing at the convention in Memphis , Tennessee . Many nights C. O.'s group was on the same bill with the Oak Ridge Boys, Statesmen, Blackwoods, Goodmans, Hinsons, and the Florida Boys all across the south. C. O. developed a close personal friendship with noted Florida Boys bass singer Buddy Lyles, since both owned and operated farms and claimed as their signature song the noted “How Great Thou Art.”

C. O. took a brief respite from the Continentals to spend 1983 and 1984 touring with a quartet from Seminary, Mississippi called the Southland Boys which released several songs to the national charts, sang at the famed all night singing in Bonifay, Florida, and were a featured group at the 1984 Worlds Fair.. The Southland Boys shared the stage with Wendy Bagwell and Sunlighters, the Dixie Echoes, and the Cathedrals. C. O. met and heard his favorite singer, Cathedrals co-founder George Younce.

Stegall rejoined the Magnolia State Quartet in 1994 with Carlton Brown, lead; Bonnie Brown, alto; and John Granger, tenor until the death of group owner Carlton Brown in February 2002. Longtime friend and fellow singer Bonnie Brown says “He is a number one genuine bass singer, his singing style and phrasing is patterned after [Statesmen Legend] the ‘Big Chief.' He is simply one of the best old school southern gospel bass singers that I have ever been around.”

“Singing is my personal way of praising the Lord. It is also my pastime, I don't hunt, fish, sky or play golf- if I have free time I sing” says Stegall. Stegall has served as a deacon in the Baptist Church since 1965, having been ordained by the Tangipahoa Baptist Church while music director there. Stegall currently serves as a deacon at Thompson Baptist Church , where C. O. and wife Deany are members. C. O. and wife, Deany celebrated their 50th Wedding Anniversary on March 7, 2003 .

Other Interests: Truck Driving, Home Church Attendance
Favorite Songwriter: Squire Parsons
Favorite Singer: George Younce
Favorite Quartet Cathedral Quartet
Favorite Scripture: Romans 8:28
Favorite Food: Catfish
Favorite Restaurant: Deany's Kitchen