One of the first groups to start traveling The Gospel Highway were The Blind Boys of Alabama. The Blind Boys of Alabama are a gospel group from Alabama that first formed at the Institute for the Negro Blind in 1939. The three main vocalists and drummer/percussionist are all blind. As of 2007, they are still performing, and are likewise scheduled to continue touring through 2008. Two of the original members, vocalists Jimmy Carter and Clarence Fountain, remain with the group.
Another group to forge ahead on The Gospel Highway were The Soul Stirrers. The Soul Stirrers were pioneers in the development of the quartet style of gospel and, without intending it, in the creation of soul music, the secular music that owed much to gospel. The group — and all of its members — were inducted into the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame in 1989 as one of rock's Early Influences, and into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2000.
These are just a few groups who were influential in blazing the trail for others on The Gospel Highway. Many of these groups did not know that each other were traveling to these churches and later, high school auditoriums. Once they started meeting each other, they started traveling in caravans and multiple act bills to help defray the costs of the traveling.
The travels were difficult and times were lean. But, according to Jim Crow America by Earl Conrad there was only four ways for an African American to be his own boss:
1) Own an insurance parlor selling only to an all African American client el.
2) Own a barber shop catering to an all African American client el.
3) Own a restaurant catering to an all African American client el.
4) By being a minstrel or musician or circus performer.
Many of these traveling gospel quartets found their financial and cultural freedom by choosing this last option. This is where The Gospel Highway truly begins.
See ya next time when we discuss The Legendary Dixie Hummingbirds,
db
2 comments:
Hi Duane - very interesting blog here. I look forward to further posts about the musicians and the Gospel Highway. Is the Gospel Highway a circuit of venues for these performers?
Maggie Knowles
(just finished dinner with you and other friends this evening at Toppers). It was great meeting you and learning about your educational activities. looking forward to learning more about this subject.
Hi Maggie,
Thanks for posting comment! The Gospel Highway is a combination real and metaphor for the travels that these folks went through. There was a group of churches and high school auditoriums that these acts played, but The Highway is much more than that, metaphorically it is where the quartets met up with each other and set up caravans and multi artist shows to really bring the music of hope and faith to these depressed communities.
duane
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