Artist Spotlight: Blind Boys of Alabama
The Blind Boys of Alabama is an American gospel group that started putting out soulful hits in 1939. Clarence Fountain, George Scott, Velma Bozman Traylor, Johnny Fields, Olice Thomas, and J.T. Hutton came together to make music that listeners of all genres can enjoy. Being that the group got its start at a time when racism in America was in full effect, they faced some obstacles. For example, the boys were not allowed to sing black gospel music at their school.
The original name of the group was The Happy Land Jubilee Singers. The group came from humble beginnings. Their first performances were for World War II soldiers hoping to make some change. In 1945, the members of the band withdrew from school so they could take the opportunity to go on tours.
As time went on, black gospel music started to gain popularity and The Blind Boys of Alabama were being regarded as one of the more popular groups. In the late 1950s, Ray Charles’s manager offered the Boys a touring deal. The only catch was that they would have to switch genres to give more of a pop sound. The boys declined.
The 1960s and 1970s were tough decades for gospel music. Soul music was taking the attention of African American music listeners while the interest in Gospel music was on the decline. This did not stop The Blind Boys of Alabama from pushing on and making great music. During these years, the Boys performed for Martin Luther King Jr. at his political benefits for the civil rights movement.
In the 1980s, the Blind Boys took their band's popularity to new heights. The boys were cast in a production called The Gospel at Colonus which was a musical version of Sophocles' story, Oedipus and Colonus. Other big names in the cast included Morgan Freeman and The Soul Stirrers. The show made its way to broadway in 1988.
In 1992 The Blind Boys released their album Deep River. The album went on to be nominated for Best Traditional Soul Gospel Album at the Grammys. One year later, they performed their music on The Late Show with Conan O'Brien. Later on, The Five Blind Boys of Alabama were awarded the National Endowment for the Arts, presented to them by Hillary Clinton.
Throughout the 2000 - the 2010s the Blind Boys of Alabama continued to release music and see mainstream success. In 2002, they released their album Higher Ground and in 2003 they released their album Go Tell It To The Mountain. Go Tell It To The Mountain went on to win the Grammy for Best Traditional Soul and Gospel Album. Sadly in 2005, band member George Scott passed away. Ben Moore was inducted into the group who had been performing under the name Bobby Purify.
Even though multiple members of The Blind Boys of Alabama have passed away, the band is still going strong. In March of 2020 they toured throughout Australia and New Zealand. In 2021, Bela Fleck released a newer version of “I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel To Be Free”. The song went on to be nominated for a Grammy.
You can stream The Blind Boys of Alabama’s album “Higher Ground” here: