(MALACO RECORDS PRESENTS) GOSPEL LEGENDS

[Music] oh [Music] um [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] me [Music] [Applause] what a fellowship come on [Music] [Applause] [Music] oh here [Music] [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Applause] yes i am leaning my name is alvatina walker and i used to sing with robert anderson and robert was retiring and this was his last recording when he was at the studio and the record company asked me to record and i didn't want to record by myself i always wanted to sing with a group and mr allen and mr simpkins they were the proprietors of the record company and the record company was united states states was the gospel label and united was the secular uh labeled and uh i recorded i asked him mr simpson as mr allen could i record with the girls and they said if this is what you want to do but we want you i said so don't make no difference i just want to sing with a group i don't want to sing by myself he said well what what i'm going to call it what are we going to call it i said well elise yancey lived in gary nelly grace daniel lived in east chicago indiana orly hopkins samson lived in chicago and i lived on the other side of chicago so i said to him i said listen i said we all from different places let's just call us the caravans and that's how the name of the caravans was born right there in the studio that night everybody let's give a big round of applause to the caravans [Music] keep me [Music] oh lord i want to live because i'm just a stranger everyday i'm traveling through [Music] [Applause] [Music] this [Music] i got another [Applause] keep my body [Music] [Music] thank you [Music] i got another bill [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] i got another thank you jesus [Applause] well i started off with my cousins in troy alabama i left troy and went to detroit with the same fellows they were distant cousins of mine and then when i got to uh detroit uh was kind of cold and i really didn't like it so i left detroit and moved to los angeles and that's where i met the mighty clouds of joy i met one of the fellows in junior high school and he said the same thing he said we we we got a group we rehearsed every tuesday and thursday and um your cousin my cousin was going to that junior high school he said why don't you uh come to our rehearsal and uh mind you at that time i was not a lead singer that's what a lot of people don't know i was the tennis singer and one night we were rehearsing and the lead singer had a problem with a certain part of a song and i had something to do that night he kept going over it and over it and over it and uh i volunteered i said well let me let me show you i was a lead singer well you know myself but i didn't want to be a lead singer i sang tenor so i showed him how to do the part and the old man who's really responsible for our career today he's going to live with jesus he was sitting there and he was listening and he told me that night he said from now on you're going to be the lead singer that's how i started saying leave for the mighty clause of joy [Music] uh i've been happy for the past two days here in the midst of the greatest singers in the world wow i love to see people lift up the name jesus get me sad one more thing i want to say i'm gonna sing a little bit of my song sometimes we walk around with a load on our shoulder you don't have to walk around carrying a heavy load we forget some time give it to jesus give it to jesus ah you can't handle it turn it over [Music] let me just say a little bit of this [Music] again somebody don't know what i mean when i talk about a heavy load i'm talking about a heavy load [Music] down in the country alabama 14 years old [Music] something got a hold of me sometime got a hold of me [Music] oh [Music] [Music] [Music] come on y'all oh [Music] somebody [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] jesus [Music] [Music] [Music] i believe that whatever i do if i put god first there's no faith in god and he blessed the angelic singers our first recording was our biggest recording touch me lord jesus and this year i'll be celebrating 60th year of gospel singing and i said i'm not tired yet and i believe as long as i keep my trust in god put him first that i can keep on doing what i've been doing i want to ask you a question i want to know have you ever been so sick you couldn't pray you never experienced it you just keep on living i can talk about it tonight because i've experienced it i recall september 71 i went into the hospital because i was becoming paralyzed the doctor said i had two herniated discs in my spine that needed to be removed but i was afraid to go through with that operation because i was told if the doctors made one mistake i'd never walk again [Music] but after lying that flat on my back from september until march 72 [Music] i thought about how i'd been traveling up and down the dangerous highways singing and telling men and women that god is able and here i'm lying in the hospital afraid to go into that operating room had a talk with myself then i had a talk with dr jesus i told him i would go in there he would go with me speak to the doctors and tell the doctors what to do the 29th day of march i went into that operating room no fear i had to learn to walk again i have to learn to use my hands again i can sit down to the piano and sing and play again but so many nights while my man at hospital my body was wrecked with pain i was so sick i couldn't pray the only thing i could do was just look up toward heaven and out of these words touch trust me lord jesus [Music] he's driving heartbeat [Music] [Applause] [Music] will is [Music] [Applause] [Music] dear savior [Music] jehovah [Music] forever [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] oh [Music] leave me dear master [Music] [Applause] now [Music] come on right now [Music] is [Applause] hold on [Music] [Applause] i am [Music] feel like one more course [Music] right now [Applause] oh yeah [Music] [Applause] [Music] what did it do for you today [Music] is [Music] one more time [Applause] [Music] [Applause] listen he's worth it [Music] he's moving me [Music] listen he's [Music] [Music] bless you in one day let me tell you over and over and over [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] when y'all [Music] look at somebody just telling i'm blessed and i know i'm blessed come on just don't let let's just just tell them i'm blessed and i know [Applause] [Music] i walk blessed [Music] hear [Music] he's moving me he's holding me [Music] he's [Music] anybody here know you can lay your hands on [Music] over yourself over and over and over pressed down and shaken together [Music] running over [Music] [Music] glory in this way when i graduated from high school i went to southern a year in baton rouge and then came to texas and it was there that i understood the call into the ministry of music so i didn't choose it it actually chose me and i like saying that god had it ready for me but had to get me ready for it since that time i've been privileged to just touch uh touch the lives of a whole lot of people with through the music and to be able to cross paths and share uh some of the songs i guess that would would have led me here were the songs that i did with florida mass through malaco and also with mississippi mass i saw father hayes here cosmopolitan did all in his hand again some years ago abertina walker was here she's done songs like i'm still here and sanctify me i want michael to come and just be let god use him [Music] they'll say this and you don't have to know it you don't have to know the song but you know it so we're gonna just say it i'm gonna say it one time and you repeat we go sound uh in one voice watch this [Music] if you had not saved me i don't know where i would sit with me [Music] i don't know i don't know where [Music] as though god is right in front of the television not safes say i don't know i don't wear [Music] say no no say these words exaggerated say through storm clouds through dark clouds sun will always shine through [Music] now just slip your hands up one time and see talk to god tell him if you had not saved me tell him not save it say i don't know where i [Music] [Applause] [Music] when tell us you're gonna say this you're gonna say this tenors [Music] through stormcloud [Music] through dark clouds the sun will always shine through sit with retailers through storm clouds sit through storm clouds [Music] through dark clouds [Music] altos you say yours through stone clowns get up through storm clouds [Music] through dark clouds [Music] the sun will always shine though [Music] surprise you're taking up a third do a third up surprise [Music] the sun will always shine through give it all you got [Music] everybody everybody get ready everybody get ready everybody get ready everybody through storm clouds the sun will always say always [Music] now say these words say i am grateful say i'm grateful [Applause] so grateful tell the lord i'm grateful master to you man [Music] one more time i'm grateful [Music] [Applause] so grateful i'm grateful yes i am [Music] look at me look at me look at me say you you [Music] say jesus jesus [Music] [Music] [Music] get ready get ready call him jesus come on master savior healer deliverer calling master savior [Music] [Music] let's talk to him just a second [Music] you saved me [Music] you raised [Music] don't look at me talk to him you're raised let me tell him [Music] [Music] jesus i thank you [Music] jesus just say you [Music] one of these mornings it won't be very long you're gonna look for me [Music] go to heaven [Music] i'm gonna sing [Music] if you don't believe that i've been redeemed now follow me follow me follow me through that journal stream when i [Music] i'm grateful [Music] [Music] i just don't know where i don't know i really don't know i never know where i'd be [Music] [Applause] you see the hummingbird was organized by james b davis in 19 1928 and this was getting into closing to 38 when i uh when they came in and picked up my base singer so he said well talk i'll be back i'm gonna speak to the boys i said yeah right you know but he did come back in about two months and they sang there again so mr davis said uh have you ever signed tenor i said no lead no he said what did you sing i said well i was singing baritone i said but uh i think i can sing tenner he said well you know i live we live in greenville and you in spanish i said okay if i can't do it i'll just walk back home it's not for 29 miles so he said okay they took me home from from the house of prayer what we what they saying and uh i told my mother you know and so she said oh yeah i said yes uh they want me to leave tonight mother she said well all right silver you can go and i went in the back room to get something and she was in there crying so i came out i said fellas i'm not going anywhere that's it my mother it's not feeling too good she came out she said oh yes he is he is going tonight she said because i fixed it up with jesus a long time ago and god is going to take care of me and she said now don't say nothing but just get what you have and get out because i know you're coming back whenever it is to get me so i didn't want to go as much as i had wanted to before then but it looked like something to say well go ahead because you can you can do more here than you can working for four dollars a week you know so i went on i've been out here 66 years with the dixie hummingbirds well way down south where we came from in the land of the good sunshine there's a little bird that flies around coming all the time one day in the spring while the birds go out james v davies overheard then he decided to name his group the dixie hummingbirds so we've been singing by the mask [Music] please [Music] [Music] slim you know slim could be the difference in a meal or maybe none but when you look for 300 people you don't see for 21. but we've been singing the mountains [Music] for 76 years [Music] is [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] me [Music] lord [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] please [Music] do it for me right now right now [Music] [Applause] [Music] lord love please [Music] i need you to do it for me [Music] listen [Music] if you've read your bible [Music] then you know the story [Music] about the man who could not see hallelujah [Music] but he heard that jesus [Music] was passing by he said lord please lay your hands lay your hands on me and i went back and said lord do it for [Music] [Applause] [Music] me [Applause] [Music] do [Music] do it for me [Music] right now right now [Music] come on [Music] do it for me [Music] [Applause] [Music] come on jesus do it for me [Music] right now right now right now right now do it for me i want you to do it for me i know you can i know you will do it for me [Music] we are presently working very diligently to preserve traditional gospel music everything with a solid foundation needs to be preserved and people needs to know its history and so i'm in jackson mississippi where we are producing material from a traditional base representing artists that go way back into the early 50s when they developed their groups and they are all singing together what a wonderful opportunity to share this and to have it available for other people for young people to really know what gospel music is keep it to myself [Music] you know i said i wasn't gonna shop for [Music] joy [Music] don't you know [Music] myself i said i wasn't gonna testify [Music] oh [Music] oh [Music] [Applause] when i come to uh this place and i look at the wonderful artistry that eyes gathered here the legends who have gathered here uh some who are active today on the music scene some who the phone has stopped ringing for uh and i look at what's being done through the power of the combination of these visual medium or the visual medium of television uh dvd and through all these different formats uh and and putting audio together to bring to life some of these great great artists uh and i think of a re-energizing i think of uh not only championing you know the traditional music roots uh from which most of the rest of gospel springs today but at the same time giving an opportunity for the world to see and hear and feel and know uh some of the people who contributed so much many of whom you know have become the foundation for the young people of today to stand upon [Music] hmm [Music] don't [Music] let the death run [Music] you want [Music] please don't let them drive your car [Music] he'll take you too far come on come on [Music] black [Music] don't let them sleep [Music] [Music] don't need no cocaine [Music] please [Music] don't do it [Music] y'all sing sick [Music] one more time don't do it don't [Music] [Applause] we really say struck gold matter of fact we got with a major labor it was with that same indigo mccook which carried us to atlanta georgia and uh there we met dave clark which was the pr man for abc peacock and uh he came to our dressing room after we finished singing and said i want to get you boys on on uh abc not abc but uh peacock records and now you know yeah you can say i'm gonna see if i can get you boys i'm gonna put you on my label we laughed after he left the room said that guy think we must be crazy he's not with no peacock record so when we made it back to the motel that's the first guy that we saw and the dixon hummingbirds the same already took us out there they were there and uh when he walked in our tucker was with peacock you know they said hey dave when we going to do that session and uh he said i'm i'm interested in them pilgrim jubilee or not and then we turn around and say is he really with peacock that's where we got started but that was first major record stretch out and life in the sun we had a two side hit there and uh went number one a little story i want to tell you [Music] we're not gonna prolong the time but somebody here got something to thank the lord for [Music] could i get a witness here [Music] one day it happens a rich man was standing in the window on the eighth floor [Music] he was contemplating death [Music] his heart was troubled while he was looking downstairs he saw an old raggedly man singing and eating out of a garbage can [Music] and as he looked at me so well said [Music] i believe i go down here and just talk to him [Music] you know he made his way downstairs when he got downstairs he looked at the old ragna man said [Music] how can you sing with a smile on your face and having to eat out of a garbage can you see you see me [Music] see i'm rich [Music] and i got everything i got money and find clothes away [Music] so what is it that you got i don't have [Music] the poor man looked up and said these words there is nothing that is precious as jesus to me psycho little [Music] [Music] he looked at him and said i [Music] the rich man stood and listened to himself i wonder if your man [Music] [Music] to me let the earth and richness [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] when it's good or bad but i know what the lord have done for you yes we don't have no secrets from each other but i wonder with your mind just expressing yourself just a little bit you know i used to sing because i love singing but you know now i change because i know what i'm saying about y'all hear me let me tell you something i have to say the same thing you say [Music] listen [Music] [Music] and the richness has all be gone [Music] uh [Music] somebody else can feel the way i do y'all will join me i don't need nobody [Music] he fixed my shoes [Music] [Applause] the rough side of the mountain was actually a prayer that was a prayer that i prayed and after praying the prayer this the the prayer continued to work on my mind and then i came back i was doing a revival in south carolina and when i came back i asked uh janice brown reverend brown to let us put it together and i put it together as a song and then we called the musician and they helped put the music with it and everything and so on but we still didn't think that much of it you know but finally it might wind up being this song it was a surprise to us really surprised because we if you remember this song when it rained it pours and that was the song that song was number three on the chart actually and rough side come number one and when it rained at pools was really really our song then that will release rough side but on that rough side recording what we thought would been the most excited song was you ought to been there when the lord saved me and that's that that's the song that we really looked up to me but the people went for real side left side of the mountain [Music] but as i go from day to day i can hear my sailors say trust me child come around [Music] all right [Music] [Music] i'm coming up [Music] but if i can only [Music] i'm [Music] it's all right [Music] oh [Music] yes [Music] [Music] home [Music] oh [Music] coming up [Music] they said one more time [Music] oh [Music] oh yeah [Music] [Music] [Music] but i'm coming [Music] i'm coming up to make it this is where my heart is gospel music there's no music like gospel music number one because it speaks of him and albatino gave me a chance to be heard she stayed in the background all of the time and you know she would come out she'd sing lord keep me day by day and then uh after that i think maybe cassetta would come out cassetta george would come out and she would sing um i'm ready to serve the lord and and then uh josephine howard would sing what will tomorrow bring and um and then dolores uh would sing a song because there were times when darth had her own group but i was there and then there were times when both of us were there singing and uh but then after she would finish with everybody she'd say all right anez going out there but she would always take the back seat and she would always push us and this is why and i give god glory but this is why i'm able to sit here tonight this is why i'm able to stand and testify that i am the singer that i am is because she gave me a chance yes i wish i had the time to tell you a story about a man called charlie john but i don't have that time tonight [Music] but you gotta if realize was here after going through he looked back at that old mule as that sense i can't shout in your church since i can't dance in your church [Music] wow [Music] shall i feel like yeah [Music] while i have a chance [Music] [Music] [Music] i don't want to hear nobody i want everybody now we gonna go back home and sing it like we used to long time i'm gonna praise the lord while i have a chance you know we didn't have a lot of music come on [Music] i feel like [Music] [Music] oh don't try to stop me crazy [Music] hallelujah hallelujah hallelujah let me just tell you one more thing sean declan [Music] i don't live at the time house [Music] [Music] keep that that you've committed unto him against that day now let me hear you say jesus jesus jesus [Music] let me hear you call him [Music] baby [Music] she loves she's [Music] she's [Music] come on chuckle call him [Music] [Music] [Music] favorite baby [Music] one more time [Music] jesus [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] our father in heaven oh jesus intensify your love power as we reach out to souls in jesus name there are a thousand years of service [Music] rendered for god in this room there are many that are not here but are represented by us in this very room [Music] of you who proclaim the word of god and son you travel all over the world and you've witnessed firsthand the fact that the world is in trouble you also sing about a god who has an abc program [Music] that's an anybody can program anybody can be saved anybody can be forgiven anybody can't forget anybody can be you anybody can be set free from drugs from state where that is wrong god has an abc program anybody can obtain citizenship in the city of the new jerusalem the city becomes the city of no more [Music] no more hopelessness no more diabetes no more heart disease no more broken bones no more no more hospitals no more doctors no more jobs oh program trying to get us into this city we can extend citizenship the city that god has is ready for his children but we gotta get them ready for the city you can be a part of this city right now all you have to do is give your heart to jesus come here just now anybody can jump anybody wide open oh yes sir who's building makers god [Music] oh he's waiting you can come right now [Music] whatever the problem is [Music] [Applause] [Music] everybody [Music] [Applause] you've tried everything everybody find everyone [Music] yes you don't have to go a long distance you can come home you black where you are rock and roll and the kitchen [Music] [Applause] yes [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] come on thank you [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] red [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] hey [Music] [Applause] [Music] is [Music] ah oh [Music] from [Music] oh [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] is [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] hey [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] welcome [Music] a strong deliverer [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] see [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] ah [Music] oh [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] hey [Music] [Applause] [Music] is [Music] a strong delivery [Music] i will always always always praising [Music] [Applause] jesus [Music] me i've had a great so many great opportunities to present so many great artists lashon donnie mcclurkin and there are many more but i'm so very happy today to have a gentleman a young man with me who i am grateful to god i had an opportunity to discover him he was in the city of fort worth texas texas and um i had been invited to to do a uh a concert in fort worth jewel kelly said to me milton come to the concert for the high school course i didn't have a musician i suggested to her that she get somebody to play for me and she said i will and that night i met you for the first time when we got ready to do the program i was 20 years old you were 20. and i was hyper you you're right about that because you came on stage and i said i tried to show you some of my songs you learn everything immediately and what i will always remember you were so hyper because during my concert people were looking at you playing the piano more than they were looking at me and so i had to spend the evening well i was trying to impress you all right you did that and um that uh meeting started a great friendship and uh dfw came out of that yeah yeah uh you you started uh took it to the gospel music workshop yeah of america georgia mass uh and you have just summers um kirk you have you you've done it you've been everywhere and um god has really been good to you what are you what do you say about kirk franklin today well i'm just very glad to be sitting here with my friend y'all this is uh you know it's wonderful to be able to have people uh that are in the industry that you consider a friend and a brother but milton began has been like a father figure to me i mean uh and i don't think that he even realizes how much of an impact he's had on my life sometimes i get up and i don't say it enough and and and i just realized recently i guess the older i get that i'm i'm so used to to thanking everyone that's in the present that you know it's easy to forget that uh there are some people in your past that were so influential that inspired you so much and milton beggar is as much of my past as just playing the piano is part of my past and just working with church choirs it's like you used to pick me up at the airport in a big yellow el dorado a big yellow light it was bigger than me i didn't have to worry about a cab didn't have to worry about a car you'd have to worry about nothing whenever i got to dallas you were there picking me up and um and i wouldn't do it again yeah listen i'm glad you don't have to do it today but i will i will do it um when when when when i got the call from tommy couch and we were gonna do this uh video on gospel legends i was so elated because i've worked with so many of these people great ones that that are here doing this piece this project yeah and we we have a discussion about whether we should just use people from the past and my suggestion was i thought it would be a unique thing to take the present and put with the past i i thought that we should get some artists of of your caliber and there are others here who are participating to sit with the legends and so we could see uh what they gave us yeah and and and i'm so grateful man that you said yes ma'am please to come um and do this piece please and so you've been here what do you think about it you know i'm just speechless uh you know i i think the biggest challenge even in the african-american family is we don't have a sense of legacy you know we don't have a sense of history because you know most of our mamas didn't keep all the family pictures and you know we never had a family tree to know who uncle leroy was and great great great uncle manny mae and so you know a lot of times a lot of black people don't have a a great depth of history of where they came from but in the other room over there in the other room is a list that goes back decades when people were doing it and they weren't getting paid wonder first class tickets people had to go through the colored section and stand in front of white folk and sing and had to leave back out of the color section and you know for somebody like me who's you know who comes in the generation where you know uh segregation is gone and and you're able to stand in front of white people and and be received by by all races and to be able to stand i think that i had to come to let these people know that i appreciate it and i appreciate people like you and i appreciate people like dorothy norwood and shirley caesar and luther barnes because they did it for the pure passion of christ yeah they weren't doing it trying to be stars and so that's what i'm trying to get back to [Music] foreign down in my souls [Music] [Applause] [Music] in my song [Music] down in my souls [Music] [Applause] in my song early in the morning before the break of days he holds me and he keeps me when i get a week and i can't go home i feel like all my hope is gone [Music] he talks to me [Music] and it won't be very long you're gonna look for me and i'll [Music] oh [Music] down in my sword [Music] [Music] oh [Music] hallelujah [Music] look at all these legends together oh joy come on drummer my favorite the masters show [Music] oh [Music] my god [Applause] we did the recording with a community choir that was called the northern california state youth choir uh we did that on a two-track machine at the ephesian church of god in christ we were going to like hand sell those as we do concerts around the area and give the contributions back to the church which we did some of then the record was taken to a rock underground station in san francisco they started playing that cuddle happy day which was not our favorite song by the way but they started playing that cut and it like hit in the bay area and somehow got to new york and kind of merged cross country and the rest is sort of history as they say [Music] when jesus was [Music] [Music] when jesus [Music] [Music] away [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] hey what a happy day [Music] behind me [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] the sun is shining [Applause] every day [Music] he wants [Music] [Applause] well i i guess i'm like every other young church-going uh child of god when i was little it's a ten of us and uh my mother needed a break every summer so she would send us to birmingham alabama with our grandmother and my grandmother big mama lived a slept church so she kept us in the church all the time and uh she said when i was a little girl i would get on the end of the bench and i said big mama when i get grown i'll be just like mahalia jackson and she said she always knew i would be a singer my mentor of course i say it everywhere i go is she pastor shirley caesar i met her when i was a teenager singing with uh dorothy norwood and the norwood singers and even before i met her i just loved all of her songs and they just used to call me little shirley because every time the choir director said what you want to say i do something uh peter walk on the water you name it if it was if it was pastor caesar's uh song i want to sing it and so that's my mentor but i love all of all of my gospel artist friends all of them i love them all come on put your hands together [Music] how many of you know he's an on-time guy listen he's an old time [Music] yes it is [Music] [Applause] let's get a witness up in here you can ask [Music] they had a [Music] just like that now let me tell you [Music] yes [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] come on paul listen [Music] [Music] [Music] for me [Music] he's [Applause] yes yes [Applause] yes yes yes yes [Applause] [Music] [Applause] i was sitting here thinking never thought that some 45 years ago that i would be sitting here talking about still singing you know with the group called soul stairs and it's a privilege just to share some of the history with with so many people and to have this opportunity i as you know i came behind such a legend as uh reba harris the old man reba harris the fresh leaguers lead singing the soul series had up to the late sam cooke and i followed uh uh the late johnny taylor everybody ladies and gentlemen and it's been a privilege to to to be in this environment with the particular guy i uh i remember when i first got with the society it was such a challenge to to come behind these guys man there's some great guys singing it wise you know but as i as the years began to go on and we began to recall some of the songs i began to put my own records out but the souls there was a group had his way before i got there because they started something like 1936 or something like that so the sam cook had so many wonderful hits out and what i did i did some of this song that sam did some of gianna taylor and and i did some of mine also [Music] wonderful [Music] [Music] wonderful [Music] so pray oh my god [Music] is [Music] [Music] who was six [Music] from [Music] the woman cries [Music] i wonder is there anybody here late at midnight shed right until because you didn't have anyone to [Music] [Music] let me tell you it's just what i've done [Music] [Music] [Music] oh go sailing tonight as we pay tribute to one of gospel dom's greatest songwriters one of the most phenomenal pianists to ever live [Music] one of our greatest song stylists and interpretive songs the late reverend james cleveland our paths crossed in 1960 and little did either of us know how god was going to bless our togetherness because it was through james cleveland the angelic choir and myself that the world of gospel music made its greatest change that it had ever made so many things can be said but as i look back over the years and thank god for how he's kept me how he's blessed me how he's led me how he was always there from the rising of every son to the going down of the same how i've never wanted for nothing and think of some of the songs that james and i did together and i equate that with us some people live a long time and some people don't have much life so it is with our music some songs live on and on and on and others die real quick james was a writer that wrote songs that are living right now and when i think about it i say to myself well lord as we are he used to be as he is we got to be so we need to get ready but some of the music that he wrote is so devastating so heart searching such a mind-boggling thing today our musicians put so much music on emphasis on their music oh it's good to be good at your art but don't forget it's the words and the lyrics of the songs that reaches the hearts of men and women and when you start writing and don't think of your lyrics then you've messed up from the beginning so tonight as we pay tribute to my brother be loved it's with honesty sincerity and truthfulness from the heart that we say james cleveland will never [Music] die [Music] 75 [Music] we started out singing um in early high school um 13 14 15 year old kids and we um we sang at um a festival in indianapolis indiana and james cleveland happened to be on that particular festival and he heard the charleston singer sing and he said charles i want to record you guys well of course james cleveland recording charles ford singers was the furthest thing from my mind so i didn't pay any attention i've uh you know people tell you that yeah yeah uh-huh well three weeks before the recording date he calls and said charles you guys ready ready for what he said i'm gonna record you guys in three weeks so we rehearsed every day and every evening we rehearsed all day all evening and the finally we came with our first record was jesus is the best thing that ever happened to me and that went gold in about six months i've been through enough to know that when it's all over i'll still be standing i don't care what you're going through today that's all you need to ask god to do for you i don't care what the doctor says all you need is just one you just need god to touch it [Music] i know i'm not much [Music] oh thank you jesus sometimes i feel so unworthy [Music] i'll never be very much oh thank you jesus thank you jesus until the hands of jesus come [Music] and reach out and touch me [Music] you see i looked at my hands [Music] i want you to know my hands look new yes i did [Music] i want the lord to touch the lord [Music] and just a few days ago just a few [Music] i needed a touch [Music] thank you jesus touch me but no hope for me no hope [Music] [Music] [Music] yes [Music] i want the lord i want you to know i can't pray [Music] [Music] i'm [Music] [Applause] [Music] uh [Music] [Music] touch me [Music] [Music] [Music] me in april the 28th 1959 i started my own church cosmopolitan church of prayer and october of 1959 is when cosmopolitan church of paraquad came forth and it was made up of a family seven family members the williams family the mcelroy family and and that was it and the avant family i think was a part of it too uh the we were they were young because i was still like about 19 or 20 years old myself and they were even teenagers and that made up our choir because it was a small group of us and from that we we sang and we did pretty good because tradition gospel music was kind of like at his peak at that time when i came for and uh we got engagements and other people of influence heard us and they invited us to do openings acts on their major programs that came into chicago at the uh regal theater at that time that used to be over on king drive and we did a lot of good things and and from there the choir got a name well i met reverend james cleveland and he came to one of our rehearsals and and he heard us and he said you need to be on record and he introduced me to mr fred menacing of some boy records i was blessed in reverend's latter days the last time he toured the east coast i was blessed to really be with him most the time when he did jersey when he did connecticut when he did new york any of those areas he spent around about nine days there and um never knew that that would be the last time he would tour um but i thank god because in that time we sat and talked and reverend cleveland was like a dad figure he's a dad figure to all of us he taught us the ropes he taught us it's more than performing you need some kind of spirit you need the anointing you need to know what you're doing and experience is the best teacher so our life teaches you all kinds of experiences as you go on learn from it take the good out of it and put it into a song or a sermon [Applause] [Music] i want you to help me [Music] come on and help me [Applause] [Music] i yeah you to help me [Music] everywhere i go and tell him [Music] oh [Applause] [Music] i know you cannot help me [Music] is [Music] [Applause] [Music] may [Music] you told me to put my trust in me [Music] come on just help me [Music] [Music] yes [Music] down [Music] uh [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Music] myself [Music] [Music] oh [Music] [Applause] [Music] hey [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] i joined the blind boys in mississippi from there we went to the apollo theaters around different places so we got to after we left florida we went to new orleans louisiana then archie brownlee pass and just before he passed one in the hospital he told me say hey man say i want you to take the group for a while and hey i'll be back with you i said man i can't do that he said yes you guys said no he said yes you can say why you think i've been sitting up with you at night and showing you different partners i said well okay so while i was on tour with the group through louisiana he passed and when he passed then i went on and just singing and cut a couple of things with peacock records and after that uh we kept moving on and on and on [Music] [Applause] [Music] leave you in the hands of the lord [Music] just like a mother [Music] this is what you're saying said i got to [Music] leave [Music] [Music] listen got to wondering listen [Music] [Music] she used to rock me yeah yeah so late at night [Music] this [Music] say is is what you say said i'm gonna leave [Music] [Music] but i'm gonna leave i got to leave [Music] [Music] god [Music] ah leave that thing alone [Music] [Music] [Applause] my name is anes andrews and i came to the caravans from birmingham alabama i was working with a group called the gospel hominids i went to tennessee to sing and robert anderson and james was on the program and james went back to chicago and told tina he had heard me and dorothy norwood and avatina sent for me and i went up for what they called an audition and i haven't been back yet so i i sang with the caravans for about 16 years then i got my own group then i came back to the caravans and the rest is history here i am again i'll be back next time i didn't know i was supposed to be paid to sing until i came to chicago because i was saying in alabama for nothing and i was writing songs and didn't know i was supposed to be paid for them until set them on and and raymond raspberry came through i went to atlanta to sing with them and i had written my first song no tears in heaven and i couldn't sing what raymond was singing so i sang it and the next time i heard it sally had recorded it and claimed it so that was new to me i didn't know i was supposed to get in the money though but i found out later don't think i didn't tell about it because i did okay but i'm i'm grateful for what the group has done for me and with me and i'm grateful to god that i'm able to be here tonight to even talk about it we've been out here a long time and we've seen a lot of changes and god has been good to me i've raised seven kids being out here and that is a blessing so uh a little bit of money took me a long ways and today the money that they're making somebody had to pave the way and i praise god that we were a part of that and i know that when i was out here every day i was out here because i love to sing not because i was getting paid because singing gospel at that time you had to love it you had to be sincere about it and i praise god for what he has brought me from up to where i am now [Music] [Music] jesus [Music] oh [Music] [Applause] [Music] not [Music] oh [Music] sure [Music] [Music] [Applause] oh [Music] me [Music] [Applause] i don't know [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] dog [Applause] [Music] i don't know [Music] a little bit louder [Music] oh [Music] every day [Music] oh [Music] oh [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] oh [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] sometimes [Music] [Music] i get mistreated [Music] jesus [Music] that god will fix it [Music] is [Music] just [Music] somebody needs it [Music] i'm [Music] everybody [Music] [Music] [Music] me [Music] fixity [Music] for me [Music] oh [Applause] and in the meantime the supreme angels was already singing at uh six preachers in the group and at that time then they needed a guitar player and i was trying to play guitar and they'd come by and ask me to play and i found that this was home for me and then they started getting their various churches and we started recording in 1958 with nashville record company first song i recorded was i want to thank you lord and after that then we just start cutting more records and finally we decided to travel but all of the original people the preachers and all had churches so they they weren't about to leave the churches and we come out on the road without a record of course and we traveled for a long time uh we had records but what i mean without a hit that's what i'm saying and i would like for all of the young groups to hear me and see me don't come on the road without a hit don't leave home without it back in those days you know we lived on our parents prayers and and people taking us in where we couldn't stay in motels and we were able to survive you know [Music] [Music] [Music] me [Music] [Music] oh [Music] [Laughter] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] um [Music] [Applause] [Music] oh [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] can i get somebody to help me pray can i get somebody to help me praise him come on come on [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] wow [Music] [Applause] [Music] god [Music] hallelujah [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] hey [Applause] [Music] me [Applause] yay [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] oh [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] why don't you shake somebody's hands [Music] [Music] she [Music] two [Music] [Music] now [Music] that name i don't know what you're coming to do but i'm coming to pray jesus [Music] [Music] oh [Music] [Music] [Music] victory [Music] [Music] biblically speaking you know the bible says you know you know you you must have faith and you know some people say you have faith the size of a mustache he'll bless you well we went in the recording studio and didn't have any money and tyrone was at the bank trying to get the loan while we were singing and that's how we started recording we recorded our first record uh we would try to go to the best studio we could because we was we were raised up around all of these people in detroit they you know they had a kind of competitive spirit they wanted to do their best and you know at that time we didn't know you know i guess you know the lord wants us to do our best and uh back then we just had uh the faith and we walked out on faith went to one of the best studios didn't have the money but tyrone called us later on and said i got the loan and we kept saying so that was when we started our recording contract well i mean we started how many years ago i mean that was right 1979 we recorded our first record took it to atlanta international records and then the late great frank williams we saw him down in augusta georgia and uh after we recorded our first record and it did fair he said man you guys need to come on home to mississippi and do your next record hey man that was the biggest blessing that we ever had because uh legendary williams family and i'm not just saying that because they were here tonight but i'm just saying that frank williams was a legend within himself and he really gave us so much vital information and keep us on the right path and you know that's why we're here today you know for people like frank yeah i like to also say you know uh a lot of artists didn't get to experience that relationship with frank williams because he was a brother with a lot of wisdom and uh you know what he told you you could take it to the bank yeah then we began to meet uh some of his other brothers who were just you know wonderful guys that really began to danielle to help us uh you know uh and educate us in the right direction and they were you know they were very instrumental in helping the christianers you know in our community well the williams brothers uh i mean we were talking earlier we we're not old man we've just been around a long time we started as young boys singing back in the country in spiffdale mississippi um we're organized by my father my late father leon pop williams and my late brother frank williams started the group we were just kids my dad saw something in us and he heard something we were out in the front yard singing melvin marilyn my sister yeah leonard and myself we were just kids out there playing around the front yard and singing and uh my dad walked out on the front porch and he said he still didn't listen for a minute he said you know what yeah i think we got something i think yeah i got some potential you know i'm gonna get them kids out there they sound pretty good so from that point he starts to kind of nurture us and uh and that's kind of why our career started even though our older brothers the jackson southerners it was franken here it was with the jackson southern as we kind of looked up looked up to them and uh wanted to do it anyway because it was it was in our hearts and our spirits to sing gospel music and my dad heard us out there and and injected that energy in us to do it and that that was the beginning of it all [Music] in um [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] oh [Music] you kept having mercy on me [Music] and i want to take this time and say thank you thank you for keeping me alive [Music] [Music] thank you [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] wow i could have been [Music] and when i got [Music] wow [Music] this morning [Music] [Music] [Music] tonight [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] just to be alive [Music] [Music] you've been good to me [Music] thank you still [Music] when i first went to chicago i went to 44th street baptist church i didn't send the note up but somebody's told uh mahalia that there's a little girl from atlanta can sing and let her come up and sing i went up and saying the lord will make a way somewhere i went up and sing i used to sing it in atlanta and i went up and sung it and my head you said you want to go on the road and sing with me i said yes ma'am i do and i went on road sign with her for six months she started her health started failing her i went back and i joined robert clavin's choir and church alberta came to the broadcast one night and heard me sing another song that i used to sing all the time lois the way and she asked me you want to go on the road to sing with me i said yes ma'am and i i was i was only making 30 dollars a week and a little hamburger store and i was so glad the first program i went on the road and i made 30 dollars and gloria griffin was in the group glory said this is not enough money i'm going home i said you go on all you want it took me a week to make this much money i'm staying with [Music] caravans [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] victory [Music] hallelujah is [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] i knew that the lord would bring me out yes it is [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Music] victory [Music] [Applause] [Applause] victory is mine yes it is [Music] [Applause] [Music] our traditional gospel music is about to be a thing of the past but you know what i tell them i said if you get in trouble [Music] you're gonna have to go back to the same old music if you walk in the doctor's office and he tell you you got six months to live the hip hop ain't gonna help you you're gonna have to fall down on your knees every night then and say andy [Music] tonight [Music] [Applause] [Music] lift those hands [Music] [Applause] [Music] god bless you god bless you god bless you you know it gets dark sometimes but when it gets dark in your life the sun can be shining but it can be dark in your life oh y'all and come back up and get this message [Music] tonight [Applause] [Music] this is what i was raised on from sure i feel like having touching here [Music] let it keep [Music] [Applause] [Music] uh [Music] me [Music] [Applause] [Music] is [Music] is [Applause] [Music] [Applause] oh [Music] [Applause] me what a fellowship [Music] [Applause] yes [Music] [Applause] should i believe him [Music] oh come on [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] is [Music] oh [Music] my [Music] oh [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] yes [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] oh [Music] times i was saved at nine i was truly saved at nine and and the lord was had an anointing on my life then and i was wonder what happens to me when i sing i mean something happens and it's like i take wings and i just want to go away from here and we recorded in 1983 our first album and on that album there was a song that said everything that happened to me that was good god did it things happened in the industry for me that kind of disgruntled me i got kind of discouraged and disenchanted with the industry and decided i'm just going to stay home i'm not going to sing anymore 1999 the lord moved me and i said you know what i'm having a hard time and but i want to sing so i'm going ahead and do this little demo and maybe somebody some of my friends will play it somewhere across the country and i'll get a chance to travel once or twice a year that ended up being the god dated project of 1999 [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] that was good [Music] [Music] and i prayed [Music] [Music] yes said everything that happened to me that was good [Music] [Music] to me [Music] [Music] turn [Music] grab me [Music] [Applause] me [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] know [Music] [Music] oh [Music] [Music] i tell you your mama [Music] [Music] i tried to do it [Music] you know what i did [Music] what did you do [Music] is [Music] jesus [Music] [Music] hey [Music] [Music] [Music] oh [Music] just tell your neighbor [Music] they [Music] do you know jesus do you know him do you know [Music] [Music] [Applause] foreign no matter what the situation no matter what the circumstances [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] come on come on [Applause] [Music] [Applause] a little late in the evening [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] and i had a choir i was pastoring a church in nutley new jersey called the angelic choir and later on in 1960 james cleveland and i sat down and discussed the possibilities of recording together which we did and i told him that we could do it but i would like to do it my way doing it live in church in service and just let the machine run he couldn't see how that was going to work because every that in those years we were used to studios and take one take two go back clean it up and i always felt that when you have to clean up a song too much you lose some of the fervor that the original uh interpretation of the song may have had and james and i went into my church one sunday morning 1960 in october and we recorded volume one and it became history and since then we uh since that date we made 14 albums together uh and among them were peace be still i stood on the banks of jordan christ is the answer and the list goes on and on and on come and let's go back on a journey the year was 1963 the place was nutley new jersey in the first baptist church where i pastored and gathered there that evening was james cleveland the angelic choir and i recall going to the pulpit and giving the folks a little spiritual advice before we sang i said when you get home get your bible read mark the fourth chapter starting at the 37th verse going down to the 41st verse and in the context of these verses you will find a story of jesus and his disciples as they commanded a boat and went out on the sea of galilee jesus got tired and went down in the hindu part of the ship and went to sleep but while jesus slept the cosmic phenomenals of the world broke loose the sky got as black as a thousand midnights down in a cypress swamp the thunders rolled across the heavens the lightning wrote her zigzag and the waters tossed and turned that little ship and these men who thought they knew so much about the sea decided we better go get jesus [Applause] and they went down and they shook jesus and jesus got up came up stood on the ship looked and chastise them first by saying oh ye of little faith what are you so concerned about and he raised his hand and said three words peace be still the sun yeah came out the clouds dissipated the thunder hushed his voice the winds went back in his chambers and slammed the doors the waters laid down like a baby and said we're gonna hold you up so you don't rock no more aren't we like that as long as we think we can handle our ship we don't call on jesus but when they're going get rough when things get tough we call on jesus and when they woke him up somebody said reverend roberts what did they say this is what they said these are the words when they woke my savior they said this [Music] is raging [Music] high [Music] the sky [Music] is all shallow [Music] with blackness [Music] listen listen [Music] how [Music] when it seemed like each moment [Music] somebody know what they said are great [Music] [Music] get up jesus [Music] peace [Music] peace no see [Music] [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] yes [Music] oh [Applause] [Applause] [Music] oh [Music] i'm talking about [Music] he'll give you peace [Music] if you don't have peace of mind [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] is he'll be right there [Music] [Applause] now i'm sure a lot of people want to know because you have a signature way the way you deliver you stand in one place and you have to like how did that all come about your style well actually i can't tell you that i sit down and figured this out and did this and did that because i didn't and as a matter of fact i had never noticed until everybody start to telling you know why you just stand there like that you i you know i don't know that's just it and i still don't know that just the way i do it yes [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] trouble [Music] it makes me cry sometimes i lay awake [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] it makes me cry sometimes i lay awake at [Music] [Applause] [Music] she [Music] [Music] is there anybody here [Music] anybody here [Music] oh [Music] i could [Music] [Music] i know he will i know he will i know [Music] [Music] standing there just wondering [Music] and i couldn't go forward [Music] one thing i know i won't go back [Music] you gotta fix it you've gotta fix it you just gotta fix it for me did it for me [Applause] [Music] foreign [Music] everything everything will be everything [Applause] will be all right [Applause] [Music] everything [Applause] will be all right [Music] come on let's do it everything [Applause] will be [Music] [Applause] [Music] one more [Music] [Applause] [Music] come on [Music] up [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] every everything [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Applause] you know as a writer and trying to write i was writing about conditions and situations in my life as well as the life of others that i had you know met and about family and and i guess that's what i knew more about uh singing about family and friends childrens and [Music] parents and that's what i guess made in mind you know the store i had a story to tell and i told it you know in music i went to the house where i used to live grass had grown up covered the dome and if you inquired about people that used to live in that area they said man they left here years ago nobody even lived there anymore in other words it was a story that was being told [Music] may the work i've done speak for me when i've done the best i can and my friends don't understand me the work i've done [Music] speak for me the life i live [Music] [Music] speak [Music] my mistakes he will forgive may the life i live [Music] speak for me [Music] sometimes seems like it [Music] seems like nothing at all but listen when i stand [Music] the work i've done [Music] [Music] sometime [Music] sometimes sleep life seem like nothing at all but when i stand before my god i want to hear him say well done me the work i've done [Applause] [Music] [Applause] come on and just tell god thank you god bless you he and he he he says to me did i do good did he do good [Applause] highway qc started out uh in 1945. everybody was young teenagers slack and they came out so many times this question have been asked how did they come about with the name highway qcs the highway came from a church that some of the young people attended there because highway baptist church and the qc came from uh a school that was initial qcs qc's ever some of the young men attended too so we put it together trying to be different and god bless here we are today with the name highway qcs most of the groups that was trying to sing they idolized the soldiers q seeds was one of those group two was uh idolized or sold stairs and as you do know that uh [Music] before sam cook in the soul said there was a older guy by the name of rita harris who sang similar they was on the same order and sam was an original ibra qc i think that a lot of people have read that and they know that sam was rich in highway qc johnny taylor was a qce just one more time let's say sango oh hi i'm dead [Music] jesus i will take it you're free that's the way to you are until the end it's about to be a witness every crowd ohio [Music] lord i thank you so much [Music] listen to me now he's a lily on the belly gods are bright and i'm moaning sod know what he will hear you when you call him no matter how far you are listen if jesus will go with me oh yeah i will have no fear i feel [Music] living with you [Music] just living here with [Applause] [Music] with you oh how wonderful [Applause] just live [Music] [Applause] oh [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] wow [Music] just living hey [Music] yes [Music] i've had opportunities to uh be invited you know to sing in various areas just myself and um and had the privilege of doing a solo album it's really beyond my vocabulary to explain what i feel about having the privilege to do a solo album gee and matter of fact you recorded it at the age of at a time that people normally wouldn't be recording an album but if you don't mind telling people how were you when you recorded a job i was 70 i did the great big 7-0 for that album and uh i feel fantastic you know i had three scriptures that i dwelled on because people were trying to say you couldn't do that so every day i would uh and i still do one of the scriptures is joshua 14 where caleb said give me this mountain amen the same strength that he had when moses called him he said he had it then so that was i i got that and the next one was uh uh first chronicles 4 10 i believe is what jabez said uh ask the lord to bless him indeed and uh and enlarges coast and the lord's hands is upon even grief evil and grief kept from you i ate that every day and the yeldon was in first second kings two about a double portion of his holy spirit goodness and every day praise god i ate that so when that came time for me to do that album no problem [Music] this morning [Music] [Laughter] [Music] [Applause] [Music] yes i woke up this morning i saw a brand new day [Music] i got it this morning i saw a brand new day i didn't have no idea [Music] [Applause] [Music] oh [Music] this morning [Music] holy [Music] my [Music] is [Music] [Music] [Music] one more thing [Music] [Music] i'm running for cheese [Music] did he [Music] if you say yourself [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] he knows everything yes he does [Music] [Applause] [Music] here we are [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] yes [Applause] [Music] my dad uh helped me a lot uh he recorded rough side of the mountain and i was playing keyboard for him with that song and i kept begging the record company to let me give me a chance and i kept burning them to death and air records out of atlanta georgia it's the only company i've been with out of 20 some odd years and they gave me a chance to record and that was back in early 80s 1981 actually and um uh we've recorded i guess about 22 albums since then i'm just honored to be here to be a part of this program that's going on and i just feel so honored just to see my dad here and all the the groups like ira tucker and spencer taylor and who were some of the uh that you looked up to all these guys that are here now i mean really i mean i'm seriously the nightingales the soul stairs will rogers i mean he's the second sam cook i mean he i mean people just don't know how great a singer he is and uh just just to be here with these guys is just wonderful i've looked up to andre crouch um i've looked up to the williams brothers the jackson southerners um you know brother slim howard hunt you know he's always been a great performer and know how to get the crowd going and and i just i just love these guys and so i'm just happy to be here how many people say that you're satisfied with the lord huh i'm not satisfied with jesus he means more to me than anything this world has to offer me y'all help me sing it come on everybody come i on [Music] he means more to [Music] this me could ever i'm satisfied [Music] with the way that he cares for me and how he makes a way when it seems to be no harm for me but yes i'm satisfied with the joy that he plays within my soul and how he helps me to bear thank you lord my [Music] is [Music] [Applause] [Music] he means more to me [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] and i'll tell y'all how i feel about it today and here's how i feel about the lord today he's so wonderful and he's so merciful you see he looks out for me every day even though i'm not all that i should be he still loves me and what makes him so very special is the fact that he gave me some very life for me y'all tell me tonight one more can you tell me what more i wanna know one more what more can i say all i can say that i am i'm satisfied i don't know about the human heart but i'm satisfied today [Music] [Applause] anything [Music] [Applause] [Music] how many doors all right i want y'all to hear me said it one more time today i am yes i am satisfied yes [Applause] yes [Music] [Applause] [Music] yes i am satisfied oh yes i am yes i am with my savior my savior [Music] this one [Music] me [Applause] yeah i was in philadelphia in philadelphia pennsylvania with a local group called the silver harris when brandon parks came up after howard carroll at thompson was saying and ben jonah and uh paul owens william henry uh was with the group called the nightingales but they wasn't famous they were just traveling around a little bit and when they broke up that's when bonnie parks came down in philadelphia and picked me up from my group called the silver heiress we had a style at the golden gates we were singing that jubilee style and but i was playing and singing at the time so bonnie said i need a guitar player on the tunnel songster and i left philadelphia we went down when i got to uh to spartanburg then i saw jung shakes you know and uh from june 6th we picked that bill woodruff at the flower shop woodruff will work in the flower shop and on a wednesday never forget it he uh left the flower shop didn't think about no to collect this money nothing just left that wednesday on 12 o'clock break he ain't been back since and uh we rehearsed in rehearsal i guess phil stated we were scufflings around no map ties and no algorithms what does that mean blue ocean look at them they may pop at any time musically just the style of the uh the nightingales i mean what made you guys unique what is it about the nightingales that set them apart well we credited number seven but for this to the power of the holy spirit i'll tell you why because we got involved in the word and that's what moved god we knew if we stick with the word it would be a blessing to people because the power was in the word not in us so we delivered the word and god began to multiply slowly but surely so what anyway that's what i believe with all my heart that's what the different styles of night heals come from because every song we sang carries a message and we take time to make sure the message is heard 50 over 50 years the sensational nightingales been proclaiming our lord and savior jesus christ all that time i wasn't living the life i was singing about i was playing church saying lord lord for my lips but my heart was far from god we can fool man sometimes but we can't fool god no time is it indeed time out for playing church mother told me says son that should play with god like that is too dangerous then mother said something to me i never will forget it as long as i live mother will look at me straight in the eye she said son listen don't you know you can sing a lie just as well as you can tell one time out for playing church i laid my hands on mother's forehead in the castle i spoke to her spirit i said mother i'm gonna be at that meeting one of these days to see you and greet you there's gonna be a great meeting and i want to be at the meeting [Music] [Music] when all the saints [Music] church i want to be [Music] [Music] and the wrong [Music] the separated [Music] all of my trouble [Music] went all the saints get home church when this walk of life is [Music] just like a man i'll unbuckle my sword from right off my side i'll stick it in the golden sand taunt out to god the father and i'll [Music] [Music] somebody [Music] [Music] [Music] of the knighted girls can identify with this verse that said when i get to heaven i'll meet my dear mother there she'll say god oh my god here [Music] and [Music] talk [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] oh [Applause] yes [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] come on [Music] [Applause] [Music] hello thank god tonight [Music] look at you people tell them i really love the lord [Music] the lord come on [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Music] you don't know you don't [Music] got know on your feet i [Music] [Applause] [Music] am you don't know [Music] [Music] [Applause] tell somebody out there come don't know [Music] me ah [Music] oh [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Applause] ah [Music] [Music] [Applause] have your seats [Applause] [Music] [Applause] uh [Music] gotta say i gotta say when i was in the back and and we were doing the talking about this and i was telling milton that i'm gonna be standing in front of people and being part of people ministry that y'all had to go through the back doors you did albums and sometimes didn't see royalties and and you you had to go places and the dressing rooms were messed up and and and it's so easy for us to take it so for granted and and i'm i'm listening to people saying that i've never heard of before in my life that that that those beside me said man when i was a kid i remember him and and it's like billy graham said something very strong one day and and it applies so much to me somebody talked about him being this great preacher and he said that i'm just a link in this great chain and it's like when when i look at y'all's lies it's just an honor to be this link i mean i'm sorry looking at edwin and i'm looking at dr j and i'm looking at you know mr barnes i'm looking at i'm looking at all these people i'm looking at all these people that did it when they weren't popular to do it yeah you know it's easy to do something when when it's popular to do it but but when you're doing it just for the sake of doing it because you love him it makes me envy you because i know how easy my generation has gotten caught up in the lights and the cameras and and i'm simply listening to people and i'm watching y'all share tears and i'm sharing tips because it has nothing to do with this dvd it has nothing to do it's like you remember that it's like i'm watching you cry because i don't know what you were facing when you heard that song and and you was listening to this song and you were probably sick when you heard that song and it's like and it's like it's like there is no other style of music that can connect with a certain circumstance at a certain time in a certain predicament and it brings back to your remembrance him him him him you can't pay for this you can't pay for this this this is something that will this is incredible and and and i'm honored that this 76 year old man singing with this energy like a 36 year old man because he'll give you he'll give you the spirit of god will restore and he'll rejuvenate and and he'll use he'll use it just like he did moses 80 years old you know he just continues the holy spirit just keeps rejuvenating rejuvenating and i thank you i thank you and i'm very honored to be standing on your shoulders and i promise and i'm gonna try very hard and i'll let you down because i reflect you everything i do reflects you it looks like it's an honor [Applause] [Music] he has set me free [Applause] [Music] everybody come up [Music] he's been good to me come on [Music] [Music] it's been good to me [Music] he's been good it's been good [Music] it's been good to me but lord has been good to me [Music] he's been good my name is deloris washington and i lived in robbins illinois where eddie williams who was a musician for the caravans also lived and from my understanding at that particular time they were in need of a soprano singer and eddie told avatina about me and they came to my mother's house in robin's because that's where i lived and they heard me sing and that was in 1978. now many of the girls have come and gone you mean 50 58 right [Music] [Laughter] well uh anyway um it was it has been such a wonderful experience for me because i have same with them all so they can come and they can go and they can come and they can go but i ain't going nowhere [Music] oh [Music] come on everybody [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] yes [Music] is [Music] is [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] is [Music] great no [Music] [Music] [Music] get your brains on [Music] i'm gonna cry [Music] [Applause] [Music] yes [Music] hey [Music] oh [Music] thank you

Channel: Devyn Antwan

Views: 148,078

Rating: 4.7700133 out of 5

Keywords: MALACO RECORDS, HARVEY WATKINS JR, SHIRLEY CAESAR, LUTHER BARNES, REV. F.C. BARNES, THE WILLIAMS BROTHERS, THE PILGRIM JUBILEES, REV. HOWARD SLIM HUNT, THE MISSISSIPPI MASS CHOIR, DOROTHY NORWOOD, ALBERTINA WALKER, THE DIXIE HUMMINGBIRDS, THE SENSATIONAL NIGHTINGALES, THE CHRISTIANAIRES, JOE LIGON

Id: YRtQPOAu01k

Length: 268min 40sec (16120 seconds)

Published: Wed Feb 17 2021