The Blind Boys of Alabama
Encyclopedia
The Blind Boys of Alabama are a gospel
group from Alabama
that first formed at the 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.
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.
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.
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
Their rendition of Tom Waits
' "Way Down in the Hole" was used as the theme song of the HBO 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 ABC
's Lost
, in the episode "Confidence Man"
.
They have appeared on-screen in the feature films "The Fighting Temptations" (2003) and "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
in 2008. In a surprise to both the band and the audience, the Blind Boys were joined by 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
.
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.
Lamont Blount-- (deceased) band manager
Gospel music
Gospel music is music that is written to express either personal, spiritual or a communal belief regarding Christian life, as well as to give a Christian alternative to mainstream secular music....
group from Alabama
Alabama
Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
that first formed at the Alabama Institute for the Negro Blind
Alabama Institute for the Deaf and Blind
The Alabama Institute for the Deaf and Blind is a school for people with blindness and/or deafness operated by the U. S. State of Alabama in the city of Talladega...
at Talladega, Alabama
Talladega, Alabama
Talladega is a city in Talladega County, Alabama, United States. At the 2000 census the population was 15,143. The city is the county seat of Talladega County. Talladega is approximately 50 miles east of Birmingham, Alabama....
in 1939. The three main vocalists of the group and their drummer/percussionist are all blind.
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—they won the Grammy Award for Best Traditional Soul Gospel AlbumGrammy Award for Best Traditional Soul Gospel Album
The Grammy Award for Best Traditional Gospel Album was awarded from 1991 to 2011. A similar award, the Grammy Award for Best Soul Gospel Performance, Traditional was awarded from 1978 to 1983. It was previously known as the award Best Traditional Soul Gospel AlbumThe award will be discontinued...
four straight years between 2002 and 2005. The Blind Boys of Alabama were inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame
Gospel Music Hall of Fame
The Gospel Music Hall of Fame, created in 1971 by the Gospel Music Association, is a Hall of Fame dedicated exclusively to recognizing meaningful contributions by individuals and groups in all forms of gospel music.-Inductees:...
in 2007. In 2009, they were awarded the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.
In the early 1980s, the Blind Boys of Alabama performed in the Obie Award
Obie Award
The Obie Awards or Off-Broadway Theater Awards are annual awards given by The Village Voice newspaper to theatre artists and groups in New York City...
-winning musical The Gospel at Colonus
The Gospel at Colonus
The Gospel at Colonus is a gospel version of Sophocles's tragedy, Oedipus at Colonus. The show was created in New York City in 1985 by the experimental-theatre director Lee Breuer, one of the founders of the seminal American avant-garde theatre company Mabou Mines, and composer Bob Telson. The...
; their involvement in the production has continued into the twenty-first century, including a 2008 performance in Athens
Athens
Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
, Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
, near the original performance location of Sophocles
Sophocles
Sophocles is one of three ancient Greek tragedians whose plays have survived. His first plays were written later than those of Aeschylus, and earlier than or contemporary with those of Euripides...
's play Oedipus at Colonus
Oedipus at Colonus
Oedipus at Colonus is one of the three Theban plays of the Athenian tragedian Sophocles...
, where Jimmy Carter took over the role of Oedipus
Oedipus
Oedipus was a mythical Greek king of Thebes. He fulfilled a prophecy that said he would kill his father and marry his mother, and thus brought disaster on his city and family...
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
Their rendition of Tom Waits
Tom Waits
Thomas Alan "Tom" Waits is an American singer-songwriter, composer, and actor. Waits has a distinctive voice, described by critic Daniel Durchholz as sounding "like it was soaked in a vat of bourbon, left hanging in the smokehouse for a few months, and then taken outside and run over with a car."...
' "Way Down in the Hole" was used as the theme song of the HBO series The Wire
The Wire (TV series)
The Wire is an American television drama series set and produced in and around Baltimore, Maryland. Created and primarily written by author and former police reporter David Simon, the series was broadcast by the premium cable network HBO in the United States...
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 ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
's Lost
Lost (TV series)
Lost is an American television series that originally aired on ABC from September 22, 2004 to May 23, 2010, consisting of six seasons. Lost is a drama series that follows the survivors of the crash of a commercial passenger jet flying between Sydney and Los Angeles, on a mysterious tropical island...
, in the episode "Confidence Man"
Confidence Man (Lost)
"Confidence Man" is the eighth episode of the first season of Lost. The episode was directed by Tucker Gates and written by Damon Lindelof. It first aired on November 10, 2004 on ABC. The character of James "Sawyer" Ford is featured in the episode's flashback.-Flashbacks:Sawyer is in bed with a...
.
They have appeared on-screen in the feature films "The Fighting Temptations" (2003) and "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
Imus in the Morning
Imus in the Morning is an American radio show hosted by Don Imus on Cumulus Media Networks , and simulcast for television on Fox Business Network....
radio and TV show on November 30, 2006 and October 26, 2009; on The Tonight Show
The Tonight Show
The Tonight Show is an American late-night talk show that has aired on NBC since 1954. It is the longest currently running regularly scheduled entertainment program in the United States, and the third longest-running show on NBC, after Meet the Press and Today.The Tonight Show has been hosted by...
with Jay Leno
Jay Leno
James Douglas Muir "Jay" Leno is an American stand-up comedian and television host.From 1992 to 2009, Leno was the host of NBC's The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. Beginning in September 2009, Leno started a primetime talk show, titled The Jay Leno Show, which aired weeknights at 10:00 p.m. ,...
on December 20, 2006, and March 11, 2008; on Late Night With Conan O'Brien
Late Night with Conan O'Brien
Late Night with Conan O'Brien is an American late-night talk show hosted by Conan O'Brien that aired 2,725 episodes on NBC between 1993 and 2009. The show featured varied comedic material, celebrity interviews, and musical and comedy performances. Late Night aired weeknights at 12:37 am...
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
Ben Harper
Benjamin Chase "Ben" Harper is an American singer-songwriter and musician. Harper plays an eclectic mix of blues, folk, soul, reggae and rock music and is known for his guitar-playing skills, vocals, live performances and activism. Harper's fan base spans several continents...
, Aaron Neville
Aaron Neville
Aaron Neville is an American soul and R&B singer and musician. He has had four top-20 hits in the United States along with four platinum-certified albums...
and Mavis Staples
Mavis Staples
Mavis Staples is an American rhythm and blues and gospel singer, actress and civil rights activist who recorded with The Staple Singers, her family's band.-Biography:...
. They have joined Tom Petty
Tom Petty
Thomas Earl "Tom" Petty is an American singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. He is the frontman of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers and was a founding member of the late 1980s supergroup Traveling Wilburys and Mudcrutch. He has also performed under the pseudonyms of Charlie T...
and Peter Gabriel
Peter Gabriel
Peter Brian Gabriel is an English singer, musician, and songwriter who rose to fame as the lead vocalist and flautist of the progressive rock group Genesis. After leaving Genesis, Gabriel went on to a successful solo career...
on tour, and they toured with Taj Mahal
Taj Mahal (musician)
Henry Saint Clair Fredericks , who uses the stage name Taj Mahal, is an American Grammy Award winning blues musician. He incorporates elements of world music into his music...
in 2008. In a surprise to both the band and the audience, the Blind Boys were joined by Prince
Prince (musician)
Prince Rogers Nelson , often known simply as Prince, is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and actor. Prince has produced ten platinum albums and thirty Top 40 singles during his career. Prince founded his own recording studio and label; writing, self-producing and playing most, or all, of...
on stage in a March 7, 2008 show at the Knitting Factory
Knitting Factory
The Knitting Factory is a music venue and concert house with locations in Brooklyn, Boise, Reno, and Spokane. The club originally specialized in jazz and experimental music and has expanded to showcasing all genres of music, performing arts and comedy....
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
White House
The White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., the house was designed by Irish-born James Hoban, and built between 1792 and 1800 of white-painted Aquia sandstone in the Neoclassical...
for President Obama and the First Lady along with Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, musician, poet, film director and painter. He has been a major and profoundly influential figure in popular music and culture for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly...
, Natalie Cole
Natalie Cole
Natalie Maria Cole , is an American singer, songwriter and performer. The daughter of jazz legend Nat King Cole, Cole rode to musical success in the mid-1970s as an R&B artist with the hits "This Will Be ", "Inseparable" and "Our Love"...
, John Mellencamp
John Mellencamp
John Mellencamp, previously known by the stage names Johnny Cougar, John Cougar, and John Cougar Mellencamp, is an American rock singer-songwriter, musician, painter and occasional actor known for his catchy, populist brand of heartland rock that eschews synthesizers and other artificial sounds...
, and Smokey Robinson
Smokey Robinson
William "Smokey" Robinson, Jr. is an American R&B singer-songwriter, record producer, and former record executive. Robinson is one of the primary figures associated with Motown, second only to the company's founder, Berry Gordy...
.
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
Willie Nelson
Willie Hugh Nelson is an American country music singer-songwriter, as well as an author, poet, actor, and activist. The critical success of the album Shotgun Willie , combined with the critical and commercial success of Red Headed Stranger and Stardust , made Nelson one of the most recognized...
, Vince Gill
Vince Gill
Vincent Grant "Vince" Gill is an American neotraditional country singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. He has achieved commercial success and fame both as frontman to the country rock band Pure Prairie League in the 1970s, and as a solo artist beginning in 1983, where his talents as a...
, Lee Ann Womack
Lee Ann Womack
Lee Ann Womack is an American country music singer and songwriter, who is best known for her old fashioned-styled country music songs that often discuss subjects such as cheating and lost love....
, Hank Williams, Jr.
Hank Williams, Jr.
Randall Hank Williams , better known as Hank Williams, Jr. and Bocephus, is an American country singer-songwriter and musician. His musical style is often considered a blend of Southern rock, blues, and traditional country...
, The Oak Ridge Boys
The Oak Ridge Boys
The Oak Ridge Boys are an American country and gospel vocal quartet.The group was founded in the 1940s as the Oak Ridge Quartet. They became popular in southern gospel during the 1950s...
, and Nashville heavyweight Jamey Johnson
Jamey Johnson
Jamey Johnson is an American Grammy Award nominated country music artist. Signed to BNA Records in 2005, Johnson made his debut with his single "The Dollar," the title track to his 2006 album The Dollar...
, 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
- Jimmy Carter - vocals
- Johnny Fields (deceased) - vocals
- George Scott (deceased) - vocals
- Ollice Thomas (deceased) - vocals
- JT Hutton - 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
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
- 1953 Sermon
- 1953 When I Lost My Mother - Specialty RecordsSpecialty RecordsSpecialty Records was an American record label based in Los Angeles. It was originally launched as Juke Box Records in 1946, but later renamed by its owner Art Rupe when he parted company with a couple of his original partners...
- 1954 Marching to Zion - Specialty RecordsSpecialty RecordsSpecialty Records was an American record label based in Los Angeles. It was originally launched as Juke Box Records in 1946, but later renamed by its owner Art Rupe when he parted company with a couple of his original partners...
- 1954 Oh Lord Stand By Me - Specialty RecordsSpecialty RecordsSpecialty Records was an American record label based in Los Angeles. It was originally launched as Juke Box Records in 1946, but later renamed by its owner Art Rupe when he parted company with a couple of his original partners...
- 1958 My Mother's Train - Vee Jay Records
- 1959 God is On the Throne - Savoy RecordsSavoy RecordsSavoy Records is an American record label specializing in jazz, R&B and gospel. Starting in the mid 1940s, Savoy played an important part in popularizing bebop.Savoy Records is an American record label specializing in jazz, R&B and gospel. Starting in the mid 1940s, Savoy played an important part...
- 1959 The Original Blind Boys - Savoy RecordsSavoy RecordsSavoy Records is an American record label specializing in jazz, R&B and gospel. Starting in the mid 1940s, Savoy played an important part in popularizing bebop.Savoy Records is an American record label specializing in jazz, R&B and gospel. Starting in the mid 1940s, Savoy played an important part...
- 1963 (1957) You'll Never Walk Alone - HOB Records
- 1963 Old Time Religion - HOB Records
- 1963 True Conviction - HOB Records
- 1965 Can I Get a Witness? - HOB Records
- 1967 Church Concert in New Orleans (Live) - HOB Records
- 1969 Fix it Jesus Like You Said You Would - Keen RecordsKeen RecordsKeen Records was founded by John and Alex Siamas in 1957 in Los Angeles as a side business. John Siamas was a very successful businessman in the aerospace industry, and, as a music aficionado, started Keen as a side business. Bob Keane was with the label in its early days, but departed in late...
- 1969 Jesus Will Be Waiting
- 1970 In the Gospel Light
- 1970 The Five Blind Boys From Alabama
- 1970 The Soul of Clarence Fountain
- 1973 Best of Five Blind Boys of Alabama
- 1974 Precious Memories
- 1978 The Soldier Album - PIR Records
- 1981 Faith Moves Mountains - Messiah Records
- 1987 In the Hands of the Lord
- 1989 I'm a Changed Man - Wajji Records
- 1989 The Five Blind Boys of Alabama
- 1990 Brand New - Wajji Records
- 1990 I'm Not That Way Anymore - Atlanta International Records
- 1991 I am a Soldier
- 1991 Oh Lord, Stand By Me / Marching Up to Zion
- 1991 The Best of the Five Blind Boys
- 1992 Deep River - Elektra/Nonesuch Records
- 1993 Bridge Over Troubled Waters
- 1994 Alive in Person
- 1994 Blessed Assurance
- 1994 Don't Forget To Pray
- 1994 In the Gospel Light
- 1994 Soul Gospel
- 1994 Swing Low, Sweet Chariot
- 1995 1948-51
- 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 Gospel For the Lord (reissue)
- 2001 Original Blind Boys (reissue)
- 2001 Spirit of the Century - Real World RecordsReal World RecordsReal World Records is a record label started in 1989 by Peter Gabriel to record and produce world music.-Overview:The label grew up alongside the success of the WOMAD festivals and Peter Gabriel's exploration of music from other cultures, and helped push world music into the general public's...
- 2001 You'll Never Walk Alone / True Convictions (reissue)
- 2002 Collectors Edition (reissue)
- 2002 Higher Ground (Real World Records)
- 2002 I Saw the Light (reissue)
- 2003 Go Tell it On the MountainGo Tell It on the Mountain (album)Go Tell It on the Mountain is a Grammy Award winning Christmas album by The Blind Boys of Alabama, released in 2003.-Track listing:#"Last Month of the Year" – 3:03#"I Pray on Christmas" – 3:41...
- Real World RecordsReal World RecordsReal World Records is a record label started in 1989 by Peter Gabriel to record and produce world music.-Overview:The label grew up alongside the success of the WOMAD festivals and Peter Gabriel's exploration of music from other cultures, and helped push world music into the general public's... - 2003 Bridge Over Troubled Water - Liquid 8 (reissue)
- 2003 Lord Search My Heart - Liquid 8 (reissue)
- 2003 Amazing Grace - LightLightLight or visible light is electromagnetic radiation that is visible to the human eye, and is responsible for the sense of sight. Visible light has wavelength in a range from about 380 nanometres to about 740 nm, with a frequency range of about 405 THz to 790 THz...
(reissue) - 2003 Jesus Rose With All the Power in His Hands - Liquid 8 (reissue)
- 2004 There Will Be a LightThere Will Be a LightThere Will Be a Light is a gospel album by Ben Harper and The Blind Boys of Alabama, released in 2004.This album would go on to pick up a Grammy award for Best Gospel album while Harper would also win a Grammy for the track, "11th Commandment."...
(with Ben HarperBen HarperBenjamin Chase "Ben" Harper is an American singer-songwriter and musician. Harper plays an eclectic mix of blues, folk, soul, reggae and rock music and is known for his guitar-playing skills, vocals, live performances and activism. Harper's fan base spans several continents...
) - Virgin Records - 2004 I'm a Soldier in the Army of the Lord - Right StuffRight Stuff, abbreviated as RS, was a video game production company that was founded on February 27, 1990, in Nishi-Ōi, Shinagawa, Tokyo, Japan.-Games:* Alshark** PC-98 version...
(reissue) - 2005 Atom BombAtom Bomb (album)Atom Bomb is an album by The Blind Boys of Alabama, released in 2005.- Track listing :# " Atom Bomb" – 2:27# "Demons" – 4:30 # "Talk About Suffering" – 4:13# "I Know I've Been Converted" – 2:41...
- Real WorldReal WorldThe real world is another term for reality. It may also refer to:-Television:* The Real World, a television show* "The Real World" , a television episode-Music:* "Real World" , an album by Kokia... - 2006 Just a Closer Walk with Thee, a compilation of work ranging from the years 1963–1965
- 2008 Down in New OrleansDown in New OrleansDown in New Orleans is a gospel album by The Blind Boys of Alabama, released in 2008. It won Best Traditional Gospel Album at the 51st Grammy Awards...
- 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 PerformancesWYEP Live and Direct: Volume 4 - On Air PerformancesWYEP Live and Direct: Volume 4 - On Air Performances is a compilation album made of songs that were performed by various artists live on WYEP. WYEP is a non-commercial, community-supported radio station that specializes in eclectic music and programming...
- "Amazing GraceAmazing Grace"Amazing Grace" is a Christian hymn with words written by the English poet and clergyman John Newton , published in 1779. With a message that forgiveness and redemption are possible regardless of the sins people commit and that the soul can be delivered from despair through the mercy of God,...
" - 2002 - Solomon BurkeSolomon BurkeSolomon Burke was an American singer-songwriter, entrepreneur, mortician, and an archbishop of the United House of Prayer For All People. Burke was known as "King Solomon", the "King of Rock 'n' Soul", and as the "Bishop of Soul", and described as "the Muhammad Ali of soul", and as "the most...
: Don't Give Up On MeDon't Give Up On MeDon't Give Up on Me is a studio album by R&B/Soul singer Solomon Burke, recorded and released in 2002 on Fat Possum Records. The album won the MOJO Award for Album of the Year, as well as the Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Blues Album...
- "None of Us Are Free" - 2003 - Brother Bear (soundtrack)Brother Bear (soundtrack)Brother Bear: An Original Walt Disney Records Soundtrack is the soundtrack to Disney's 2003 animated feature Brother Bear. It contains the film's music composed by Mark Mancina and Phil Collins, as well as songs written and performed by Tina Turner, The Blind Boys of Alabama, Oren Waters, The...
- "Welcome" with Phil Collins and Oren Waters - 2007 - Song of AmericaSong of America (album)Song of America is a 3-disc, compilation album comprising 50 songs related to the history of America. Released on September 18, 2007 under Split Rock Records/Thirty One Tigers, the music collection was conceived by former U.S...
- "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