People, Locations, Episodes

The Blind Boys From Alabama, Gospel Singers, Formed

On this date, we celebrate the beginning of Clarence Fountain and The Blind Boys of Alabama in 1931. They are a gospel singing group who've been singing God's music for over 90 years.

Since the group's beginnings in the 1930s, as fellow students at the Talladega Institute for the Deaf and Blind in Alabama, to the present, they've had one goal--to sing gospel. From one century to the next, they've traveled a distance. They adopted the gospel singing style, jubilee, and took their show to the road, playing in such small venues as tent shows and the Grammy Awards ceremony. Along the way, they've changed and added members but remained true to their goals.

The title of their 2002 album, "Holdin' On," reflects their sense of survival. The original group, the Five Blind Boys of Alabama, consisted of Fountain, Johnny Fields, JT Hutton, Ollice Thomas, George Scott, and the late Velma B. Traylor.

All but one member of The Blind Boys of Alabama was visually impaired, and the group turned that into a huge marketing point. The group began recording in 1948 and has released albums regularly since then. In the 1950s, The Blind Boys had gospel hits with "Oh, Lord Stand by Me" and "I Can See Everybody's Mother But I Can't See Mine." They didn't taste mainstream success until 1988, when they starred in the Obie Award-winning Broadway musical, "Gospel at Colonus."

That exposure opened new avenues for The Blind Boys of Alabama and brought them a wider audience. In 1994, the group was awarded the NEA National Heritage Fellowship, presented by Hillary Rodham Clinton. From this success, they could sing on the bills of such high-profile festivals as the Philadelphia Folk Festival, the King Biscuit Blues Festival, the Beale Street Music Festival, and more. They were featured on television in the BET series "On Jazz." They have even been seen on Beverly Hills 90210. Their most recent release is "Holdin' On." From cut to cut, it takes the listener on a new inspirational experience.

The Blind Boys of Alabama was awarded its first Grammy at the February 27, 2002 ceremony, when "Spirit of the Century" won in the Best Traditional Soul Gospel Album category.