Featured photo: The Blind Boys of Alabama walking on stage during their Euro Tour.
Written by Tanya Terry
The Blind Boys of Alabama currently consists of up to four blind group members at one time and a sighted member, who is also the music director. The Blind Boys of Alabama has been performing for more than seven decades – and they will be performing in Flint March 8, at the Capitol Theatre!
“We can provide the same thing we’ve been doing all the time: gospel music – music that makes you feel good,” said Ricky McKinnie, group leader and business manager for the Blind Boys for the Blind Boys of Alabama.
McKinnie, who is blind and has been with the group since 1989, told the Courier it’s a great honor to be with the Blind Boys.
“I’ve been knowing them since I was about 4 years old because my mother, Sarah McKinnie Shivers, was a gospel singer with the Dean Martin Singers,” Ricky McKinnie explained.
He added he has played with other groups, but he has actually been helping the Blind Boys since the early ‘70s. He became an official member in 1989.
The Blind Boys of Alabama got started at Alabama Institute for the Deaf and Blind in Talladega, Alabama.
“In the beginning, they were known as The Happy Land Jubilee Singers because ‘jubilee’ was the kind of music that was being played,” said Ricky McKinnie.
In 1944, the Blind Boys went to New Jersey and a promoter there decided to have a concert.
“There would be the Blind Boys of Alabama versus the Blind Boys from Mississippi. So, that’s how it all got started. In the beginning, they were called the Five Blind Boys of Alabama and the Five Blind Boys from Mississippi. But they dropped the ‘five’ because sometimes there weren’t five blind members. So, it was better to just say the Blind Boys of Alabama.”
The Blind Boys of Alabama came along at a time when the South was segregated.
“When you’re going through something, you’ve got to have something to hold on to. The Blind Boys let people know there was hope in Jesus.”
The Blind Boys of Alabama have seven received several Grammy awards, including a Lifetime Achievement Award and a Grammy award this year! Five of the Grammy awards were for the Best Traditional Gospel Album and this year’s Grammy was for the Best American Roots Album.
“It’s because we haven’t changed. The new record ‘Echoes of the South’ echoes what the Blind Boys are all about. The first radio show that they did – back in 1944 – was a big show in Birmingham called ‘Echoes of the South,’ and this record echoes some of the songs that we sang at that time.”
According to McKinnie, there are several songs on the record that echo what the Blind Boys are all about: friendship.
The Blind Boys of Alabama sang for benefits for Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and were part of the soundtrack for the Civil Rights Movement.
“We were part of the soundtrack because our music fit in with what was going on, but we never really flossed and paraded because we were blind. Our music made people feel good. So, they made it part of the soundtrack.”
The Blind Boys sang at the White House for three different presidents: President Bill Clinton, President George W. Bush and President Barack Obama. They were also inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame in 2003.
“Every time somebody does something good and sees that the Blind Boys are worthy of being a part of it, it makes us feel great…. We are grateful that God shows favor on the Blind Boys of Alabama.”
The book “Spirit of the Century: Our Own Story.” is the untold story of the longest-running group in American music: The Blind Boys of Alabama. Its expected release date is March 19, 2024
When in Flint, McKinnie said the Blind Boys will do “what they always do.”
“We’re not coming looking for Jesus. We’re bringing Him along with us. We’re going to sing some songs that make people feel good. We’re going to sing them some happy songs and do some sing-a-longs. Then, we’re going to take you to church! So, if you want to have a good time, the place to be is with the Blind Boys at the Capitol!”
McKinnie said all the songs are being sung “from the heart.” They will sing Curtis Mayfield’s “People Get Ready,” “Spirit in the Sky,” and “Amazing Grace.”
