When they open their mouths to sing, what comes out is an irresistible sound as old as time, which cuts across age and cultural barriers, they are The Blind Boys of Alabama. They were all born poor, black, and blind in America’s rural south of the 1930s. Founding members of The Blind Boys of Alabama, Clarence Fountain, Jimmy Carter and George Scott overcame these obstacles by dedicating the last 60 years to singing Gospel music. Clarence says,"Everywhere we go, we still sing Gospel. We make people feel something that they never felt before and that, is the spirit of God."
George Scott died in 2005, and Clarence Fountain and Jimmy Carter are both in their mid to late 70s. They have been joined by newer members and together they are spreading the spirit and energy of pure soul Gospel music around the world. Says Clarence, "We don’t mind spreading that around because we have been all over the world telling people about Jesus. Our main purpose is to let people know that He lives. The reason why I know He lives is because I talk to Him everyday."
When the group is on stage, it is difficult to remember that four of the seven musicians are blind. Clarence Fountain says he and other members of the group do not see their blindness as a disability. "Being blind is a plus for me because I was able to get out and make my own living and make my own money and do what I wanted to do. When the Lord takes one thing from you, He gives you something better, and I think He gave me understanding and peace of mind, that was good enough."
The Blind Boys of Alabama have had to walk a hard road to reach the heights they have today; Poverty, discrimination and disability. But the challenges, they are quick to point out, have only helped bring diamonds out of the rough stones. Clarence says "The Lord looked out for me and He has tremendously blessed me. I am able to deal with a lot of things that just ordinary people cannot deal with."
When you hang around The Blind Boys of Alabama long enough, you will find out that the group sees what we don’t and cannot see. In the 1950s, many traditional Gospel singers like Sam Cook and Ray Charles crossed over to a new kind of music called Rock-n-Roll. Promoters asked The Blind Boys to make that switch too, but they resisted. One record label even asked Clarence Fountain to name his price, but he refused, "The owner of the label had a checkbook in his hand, and just told me to name my price, but I just could not do it." The reason was because the Blind of Alabama made a vow not to deviate from what they saw as their calling. No matter what, they were going to stick to Gospel, and now they are winning mainstream praise for their unique music and sound all around the world.
The 1992 album, Deep River, featuring Bob Dylan’s "I Believe in You," earned The Blind Boys their first Grammy Award nomination. Since then, they have been red hot. In 1995, The Blind Boys released the roof-raising live album "I Brought Him with Me." It was followed in 1997 by "Holding On" and "Spirit of the Century" in 2000. In 2001, "Spirit of the Century" won the Grammy Award for Best Traditional Soul Gospel Album. In 2002, the group was inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame.
Sixty years after they first appeared on stage, The Blind Boys of Alabama are still marching to the beat of a divine drummer. For many who enjoy their music, it may be difficult to appreciate the decades of hardship they have had to overcome, but they also wonder at their journey and credit only one source for their success. "When the Lord plans something for you, you want to go where He wants you to go whether you like it or not. I think it was already in God’s plan that Blind Boys would go all over the world telling people about Him."
