The Blind Boys of Alabama believe in the power of gospel
SINGER MAHALIA JACKSON defined gospel music as “the sound of the soul stirring, a testament to the power of belief and the resilience of the human spirit.” The Blind Boys of Alabama, playing on April 13 at the Amplify Decatur Festival, know a thing or two about that.
Currently consisting of singers Eric (Ricky) McKinnie, Streeling Glass, John Smith and Joey Williams, the band has faced hardship throughout their 80 years, including the recent deaths of singers Paul Beasley, Benjamin Moore Jr., and singer/co-founding member Jimmy Carter.
In addition, band members have dealt with their own challenges: Three out of four are visually impaired, and McKinnie lost his sight as a young man of 23, which, at first, tested his faith. But rather than being defeated by others’ inability to see his worth, McKinnie believes God gave him inner certainty of his value – unshaken by what others might see or not see in him.
“My motto is, I’m not blind; I just can’t see, which means that I might have lost my sight, but I never lost my vision,” he said. “And with The Blind Boys, it’s not about what you can’t do. It’s about what you can do,”
The band has prevailed, thanks to this message of hope shared through their music. They continue a busy world-wide touring schedule, and their latest album, Echoes of the South, recently earned the group a sixth Grammy, this one for Best Roots Gospel Album of 2024.
“When people see The Blind Boys, and they see that we can’t see physically, it boosts morale,” McKinnie said. “It makes them believe that there is a God, and our songs talk about that.
We don’t come to preach to the people but to leave a message that God is real. God showed favor on me and The Blind Boys many, many, many times – and we believe that our music inspires a person.
McKinnie called the band’s approach “singing from the heart,” and believes it explains why audiences react the way they do to The Blind Boys. “What’s from the heart reaches the heart,” he said. “It makes [all] the difference. No matter what ethnic group – or whether you’re Black or white or Jewish or Christian – everyone has a soul, and it’s not about where you come from. We’ve played all over the world, and they don’t even understand what we are singing sometimes, but they can feel the music. Music is a gift from God that reaches everybody.”
Gospel music is particularly special, McKinnie believes, for reaching the heart and soul. “It’s the kind of music that, if you feel bad, it’ll make you feel glad. It makes you clap your hands, and it makes you want to dance – it just reaches out to people, touches them from the heart. Gospel music reaches down into the soul of a man, and it makes you feel wonderful. The words of a gospel song can change your life.”
McKinnie explained that the camaraderie between band members is at the center of who they are and what they are all about. “One of my favorite songs on our latest record (Echoes of the South) is called ‘Friendship’,” he said. “‘Friendship’ tells a story all about The Blind Boys – what it took to stay, where we are today and the friendship that is carrying us all the way.”
As they walk out on stage, each band member rests his hand upon the shoulders of the next. The way they guide each other is reminiscent of the way their music guides the listeners who are “blind” in various ways. In both cases, the musical path leads toward peace, joy and love – a life of purpose and meaning.
As they walk out on stage, each band member rests his hand upon the shoulders of the next. The way they guide each other is reminiscent of the way their music guides the listeners who are “blind” in various ways. In both cases, the musical path leads toward peace, joy and love – a life of purpose and meaning.
