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Biography
morefootnotes|date=September 2009Infobox musical artist | name = The Blind Boys of Alabama| image = Blind_Boys_of_Alabama_in_Quebec.jpg| caption = The Blind Boys of Alabama performing at the Quebec City Summer Festival in 2008.| image_size = 200px| background = group_or_band| alias =| origin = Alabama , United States | genre = Gospel music|Gospel , Blues | years_active = 1939–present| label =| associated_acts =| website = http://www.blindboys.com/ www.blindboys.com| current_members =| past_members = The Blind Boys of Alabama are a gospel music|gospel group from Alabama that first formed at the Alabama Institute for the Deaf and Blind|Alabama Institute for the Negro Blind at Talladega, Alabama in 1939. The three main vocalists of the group and their drummer/percussionist are all blind.
Band member Jimmy Carter explained the story behind the band's name:
"In the beginning we weren’t The Blind Boys; we were called the Hackerland Jubilee Singers. What happened was there was another blind group from Mississippi called the Jackson Harmineers. We were both invited to a battle of music, and the DJ, to promote his program, used the gimmick, “The blind boys of Mississippi gonna battle the blind boys of Alabama.” It stuck and that’s how we got the name The Blind Boys of Alabama."cite web|url= http://abilitymagazine.com/Blind_Boys_Alabama.html|title= Ability Magazine: Blind Boys of Alabama - Interview with Jimmy Carter by Chet Cooper |accessdate=2012-04-06
As of 2010, The Blind Boys of Alabama continue to tour nationally and internationally, with Jimmy Carter singing lead vocals. In 2006, Clarence Fountain, the group's former long-time lead vocalist and founding member limited his touring for health reasons. Founding member George Scott died on March 9, 2005 at the age of 75. Another founding member, Johnny Fields, died on November 12, 2009.
Awards
Releases by the group in recent years have been favorites at the Grammy Awards & mdash;they won the Grammy Award for Best Traditional Soul Gospel Album four straight years between 2002 and 2005. The Blind Boys of Alabama were inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame in 2007. In 2009, they were awarded the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. http://www2.grammy.com/Recording_Academy/Awards/Lifetime_Awards/
In the early 1980s, the Blind Boys of Alabama performed in the Obie Award -winning musical The Gospel at Colonus ; their involvement in the production has continued into the twenty-first century, including a 2008 performance in Athens , Greece , near the original performance location of Sophocles 's play Oedipus at Colonus , where Jimmy Carter took over the role of Oedipus originally created for Clarence Fountain. This was followed by performances in 2009 in Edinburgh Scotland at the Edinburgh International Festival and in 2010 at the Spoleto Festival in Charleston, South Carolina http://www.leebreuer.com/future.html Lee Breuer's official website
Their rendition of Tom Waits ' "Way Down in the Hole" was used as the theme song of the HBO series The Wire (TV series)|The Wire in its first season and as incidental music in the end-of-season montage for the fifth season.
Their performance of the spiritual "I Shall Not Walk Alone" was featured in the first season of American Broadcasting Company|ABC 's Lost (TV series)|Lost , in the episode Confidence Man (Lost)|"Confidence Man" .
They have appeared on-screen in the feature films " The Fighting Temptations " (2003) and " Hop (film)|Hop " (2011) and sang a song in the Disney animated feature " Brother Bear " (2003).
The Blind Boys were featured on the Imus in the Morning radio and TV show on November 30, 2006 and October 26, 2009; on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno on December 20, 2006, and March 11, 2008; on '' Late Night With Conan O'Brien on February 1, 2008; and on The Late Show with David Letterman on January 21, 2010. They have collaborated with numerous artists, including Ben Harper , Aaron Neville and Mavis Staples . They have joined Tom Petty and Peter Gabriel on tour, and they toured with Taj Mahal (musician)|Taj Mahal in 2008. In a surprise to both the band and the audience, the Blind Boys were joined by Prince (musician)|Prince on stage in a March 7, 2008 show at the Knitting Factory in Hollywood, California .
In 2009, the Blind Boys released their new recording, Duets, a special anthology featuring 14 unique collaborations. Unlike some of their old-time gospel music brethren, the Blind Boys eagerly embrace the popular music world, bringing gospel music to mainstream audiences. This album documented these rich, eclectic and cohesive interactions with popular artists. Duets ranges from rock to reggae, country to contemporary Christian, and blues to ballads, all unified by the Blind Boys’ deep, soulful harmonizing. Guest artists include Lou Reed, John Hammond and Toots Hibbert – as well as a new song with Timothy B. Schmit of the Eagles. The album also includes performances with Ben Harper, Randy Travis, Bonnie Raitt, Solomon Burke, Susan Tedeschi, Jars of Clay, Charlie Musselwhite, Asleep At The Wheel, and Dan Zanes.
In February 2010, The Blind Boys performed at the White House for President Obama and the First Lady along with Bob Dylan , Natalie Cole , John Mellencamp , and Smokey Robinson . http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/la-et-quick28-2010jan28,0,727933.story
In April 2011, the band released Take The High Road in Australia and followed it with a headlining tour that included the East and West Coast Bluesfest and the Sydney Opera House. The CD, which was also released in the U.S. on May 3, features guest artists Willie Nelson , Vince Gill , Lee Ann Womack , Hank Williams, Jr. , The Oak Ridge Boys , and Nashville heavyweight Jamey Johnson , who also co-produced the record.
Current members
Jimmy Carter – vocals
Bishop Billy Bowers – vocals
Ben Moore - vocals
Eric "Ricky" McKinnie – drums, percussion, vocals
Joey Williams – lead guitar, vocals
Tracy Pierce – bass
Peter Levin - organ
Clarence Fountain – tours with the group as his health allows
Founding members
Clarence Fountain - vocals
Johnny Fields (deceased) - vocals
George Scott (deceased) - vocals
Ollice Thomas (deceased) - vocals
Vel Bozman Traylor (deceased) - vocals
Past members
Caleb Butler – rhythm guitar
Samuel Butler Jr - rhythm guitar, song writer and arranger, manager, second lead singer
Roscoe Robinson (lead vocals)
Lamont Blount-- (deceased) band manager
Discography
1948 ''I Can See Everybody's Mother But Mine - Coleman Records
1950 Sweet Honey in the Rocks - Palda Records
1950 ''Livin' On Mother's Prayers - Palda Records
1950 Come Over Here The Table Spread - Palda Records
1995 I Brought Him With Me - House of Blues Music Company
1996 All Things Are Possible
1996 Golden Mements in Gospel
1997 ''Holdin' On - House of Blues Music Company
1998 Have Faith: The Very Best of the Five Blind Boys of Alabama
1999 Best of Clarence Fountain and the Five Blind Boys of Alabama
1999 Hallelujah: A Collection of Their Finest
2000 My Lord What a Morning
2001 Spirit of the Century - Real World Records
2001 ''You'll Never Walk Alone / True Convictions (reissue)
2002 Higher Ground (Real World Records)
2003 Go Tell It on the Mountain (album)|Go Tell it On the Mountain - Real World Records
2004 There Will Be a Light (with Ben Harper ) - Virgin Records
2005 Live at the Apollo (Ben Harper and The Blind Boys of Alabama)|Live at the Apollo (with Ben Harper ) (2005)
2005 Atom Bomb (album)|Atom Bomb - Real World Records
2006 Just a Closer Walk with Thee , a compilation of work ranging from the years 1963–1965
2008 Down in New Orleans - TimeLife - Grammy Winner
2009 Duets (compilation of collaborations with other artists)
2010 Faith Moves Mountains (reissue)
2011 Take the High Road
Contributions
2002 - Lifted: Songs of the Spirit - "Freedom Road"
2002 - WYEP Live and Direct: Volume 4 - On Air Performances - " Amazing Grace "
2002 - Solomon Burke : '' Don't Give Up On Me - " None of Us Are Free "
2003 - Brother Bear (soundtrack)|Brother Bear: An Original Walt Disney Records Soundtrack - "Welcome" with Phil Collins and Oren Waters
2007 - Song of America (album)|Song of America - "Let Us Break Bread Together"
Grammy Awards
2002 for Spirit of the Century
2003 for Higher Ground
2004 for Go Tell it On the Mountain
2005 for There Will Be a Light
2009 for Down in New Orleans
2009 Lifetime Achievement Award
References
reflist
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080304/ap_en_mu/music_blind_boys 2008 AP News Profile
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2002/10/21/60II/main526381.shtml 2002 CBS News Profile
Stambler, Irwin & Lyndon. (2001) Folk & Blues:The Encyclopedia, 3rd Edition . New York. St. Martin's Press. 40-41. ISBN 0-312-20057-9
http://gospelmusicchannel.com/news/insider/interview-ricky-mckinnie Interview with Ricky McKinnie by Alicia Carson
External links
Commons category
http://www.blindboys.com/ The Blind Boys of Alabama official site
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080304/ap_en_mu/music_blind_boys 2008 Interview with Jimmy Carter by AP
http://www.bluesinlondon.com/interviews/int_clarence_fountain.html 2006 Interview with Clarence Fountain in London
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi? f=/c/a/2008/06/29/PKKR11A9H8.DTL& hw=blind+boys+of+alabama& sn=001& sc=1000 2008 San Francisco Chronicle Article detailing current status of some current and former members
http://www.rickymckinnie.com Ricky McKinnie site
Ben Harper DEFAULTSORT:Blind Boys of Alabama, (The) Category:American gospel musical groups Category:African American singers Category:Musical groups from Alabama Category:Blind musicians Category:Real World artists Category:Grammy Award winners Category:Gospel Music Hall of Fame inductees Category:African American musical groups Category:Musical groups established in 1939 Category:Jewel Records artists
cs:The Blind Boys of Alabama de:The Blind Boys of Alabama el:The Blind Boys of Alabama es:The Blind Boys of Alabama fr:The Blind Boys of Alabama fi:The Blind Boys of Alabama sv:The Blind Boys of Alabama tr:The Blind Boys of Alabama
