Play The Blind Boys of… Radio
The Blind Boys of Alabama
On Tour
369,812 plays (46,981 listeners)
Alabama, United States (1939 – present)
The Blind Boys of Alabama are a gospel music group from Alabama that first formed at the Alabama Institute for the Negro Blind in 1939.
Although the Blind Boys of Alabama have been singing gospel music for more than five decades, it’s only recently that the group has had the benefit of a major record company behind them. Led by founding member Clarence Fountain, the rest of the group currently consists of Eric McKinney, George Scott, Caleb Butler, Johnny Field, Jimmy Carter, Joey Williams, Donald Dillion and Aubrey Blount.
From their inception in the 1930s, when all were boys, the group’s members turned their blindness into their chief selling point, and in fact, all members of the group except one are blind. They began singing when all were students at the Talladega Institute for the Deaf and Blind in Alabama, but didn’t begin recording until 1948. As a youth, Fountain heard the legendary Golden Gate Quartet on the radio; the early Five Blind Boys of Alabama took their musical cues from that group. The group began singing professionally as the Happy Land Jubilee Singers, and for years lived a day-to-day, dollar-to-dollar existence touring the South.
Since 1948, they’ve recorded for a variety of small record companies, and had gospel music hits in the 1950s with “Oh, Lord Stand By Me” and “I Can See Everybody’s Mother But I Can’t See Mine.” In 1950, after the death of one of their members, the group renamed themselves simply the Blind Boys of Alabama.
Although the Blind Boys of Alabama have been singing gospel music for more than five decades, it’s only recently that the group has had the benefit of a major record company behind them. Led by founding member Clarence Fountain, the rest of the group currently consists of Eric McKinney, George Scott, Caleb Butler, Johnny Field, Jimmy Carter, Joey Williams, Donald Dillion and Aubrey Blount.
From their inception in the 1930s, when all were boys, the group’s members turned their blindness into their chief selling point, and in fact, all members of the group except one are blind. They began singing when all were students at the Talladega Institute for the Deaf and Blind in Alabama, but didn’t begin recording until 1948. As a youth, Fountain heard the legendary Golden Gate Quartet on the radio; the early Five Blind Boys of Alabama took their musical cues from that group. The group began singing professionally as the Happy Land Jubilee Singers, and for years lived a day-to-day, dollar-to-dollar existence touring the South.
Since 1948, they’ve recorded for a variety of small record companies, and had gospel music hits in the 1950s with “Oh, Lord Stand By Me” and “I Can See Everybody’s Mother But I Can’t See Mine.” In 1950, after the death of one of their members, the group renamed themselves simply the Blind Boys of Alabama.
Top Albums
-
Spirit of the Century
The Blind Boys of Alabama
Buy- Download Album
- Amazon MP3 $7.99
- 7digital Search
- iTunes Search
- Buy Album
- Amazon $10.32
- eBay Search
-
Higher Ground
The Blind Boys of Alabama Buy- Download Album
- Amazon MP3 $7.99
- 7digital Search
- iTunes $9.99
- Buy Album
- Amazon Search
- eBay Search
-
Atom Bomb
The Blind Boys of AlabamaBuy- Download Album
- Amazon MP3 $7.99
- 7digital $7.77
- iTunes $9.90
- Buy Album
- Amazon Search
- eBay Search
-
Down In New Orleans
The Blind Boys of AlabamaBuy- Download Album
- Amazon MP3 $11.88
- 7digital Search
- iTunes $9.99
- Buy Album
- Amazon $8.99
- eBay Search
Top Tracks
| 1 |
|
Way Down in the Hole
full track
|
|||
| 2 |
|
I Shall Not Walk Alone
full track
|
|||
| 3 |
|
Amazing Grace
full track
|
|||
| 4 |
|
Run On For A Long Time
full track
|
|||
| 5 |
|
Jesus Gonna Be Here
full track
|
|||
| 6 |
|
Soldier
full track
|
|||
| 7 |
|
The Last Time
full track
|
|||
| 7 |
|
People Get Ready
full track
|
|||
| 9 |
|
Good Religion
full track
|
|||
| 10 |
|
No More
full track
|
|||
| 11 |
|
Nobody's Fault but Mine
full track
|
|||
| 11 |
|
Motherless Child
full track
|
|||
| 13 |
|
Give a Man a Home
full track
|
|||
| 14 |
|
Wade in the Water
full track
|
|||
| 15 |
|
Higher Ground
full track
|
Shoutbox
-
CypheroN wrote:
these guys have been playin for 70 years??Lol
-
Dewiii wrote:
Love the song from The Wire! <3
-
ChrisWesticle wrote:
Run on... has THE best grooove
-
wouazO3 wrote:
M
-
absinthecity wrote:
SO cool...
-
arcanis22 wrote:
I had the pleasure of meeting a couple of the blind boys after an xmas gig they played in Gateshead and as well as being musically amazing they seemed like genuinlly lovely people who (despite their age) came straight from an extremely energetic performance to meet their fans with a passion rarely seen.
-
Bluesman24 wrote:
Oh yes, that was an unforgetable, magic evening!
-
dectus wrote:
great performance yestrday in Zürich !
-
MAX3007 wrote:
Mmmm...hmmmmm....sweet ginger brown my soul has been saved. These boys touched me deep down inside and lifted my soul!!!!! I have seen the light !!!
-
juniorfranger wrote:
Check out some live stuff from the Blind boys here: http://mixingdesk.blogspot.com/
-
chri7x wrote:
wh'I got SOOUUUUUL!!
-
GomziBomzi wrote:
deweysax: that would be 'Way down in the hole'
-
deweysax wrote:
what is the title of the tune from The Wire ?
-
MinisterZdrowia wrote:
The last LP was really great. Here's for example review of it: http://www.infomusic.pl/recenzje_wiecej.php?id_rec=369 Check this out
Videos
Events
- Nov 25 A special evening with the Blind Boys of Alabama & John Hammond City Winery, New York, United States
-
Dec
5
Mavis Staples w/The Blind Boys of Alabama
House of Blues, Chicago IL, United States
Add shout
| 1 attendee
- Jan 8 Blind Boys of Alabama Warner Theatre, Washington DC, United States
Listeners
-
dangerpoint
Top Listener
-
mcmanderley
Top Listener
-
zerojinx
Top Listener
-
dokhy
Top Listener
-
lukecarbis
Top Listener
-
pencilandpaper
Top Listener
Recent Activity
-
MeanPony and sheltop added The Blind Boys of Alabama to their libraries. Monday morning
-
gtdmouse added The Blind Boys of Alabama to the lineup of The Blind Boys of Alabama at Skipper's Smokehouse. Saturday afternoon
-
bartdominicus, nocturana, pe1ro and 4 other people added The Blind Boys of Alabama to their libraries. Friday afternoon
-
bougre tagged The Blind Boys of Alabama with ‘gospel’. last week
-
pablodasickness, faustofritt and malidewd added The Blind Boys of Alabama to their libraries. last week
-
stevebowens tagged The Blind Boys of Alabama with southern gospel, mississippi and gospel. 10 days ago
-
ericmkcc and frdawson added The Blind Boys of Alabama to their libraries. 13 days ago
-
Simu1 tagged The Blind Boys of Alabama with ‘seen live’. 14 days ago
-
EdLDickey, xxwytenoizexx, beef13 and 2 other people added The Blind Boys of Alabama to their libraries. 14 days ago
-
schreiraupe tagged The Blind Boys of Alabama with rhythm and blues, 70s, jazz and 38 other tags. 19 days ago
Related Journals
-
Enough With the Holiday Tunes, Already!
by tadmaster |
28 Dec 2008 | 2 comments
-
Two New Projects: Tag Cleanup and The Great Unrated (Updated)
by JoeIsListening |
30 Jul 2008 | 4 comments
-
Ottawa Bluesfest Day 1
by netclectic |
5 Jul 2008 | Add comment
Groups (22)
-
BLUES!
2,573 members
-
Lost
1,573 members
-
Austin City Limits
795 members
-
Hip Hop to Psychedelic to Jazz and Everything Inbetween
407 members
-
Paste
361 members
More Information
- Links
- Labels
Email Newsletter
Get exclusive tour, release & promotion updates on The Blind Boys of Alabama from Universal Music.
