From Jim Crow South to presidents and Grammys, Blind Boys of Alabama founder talks about faith and perseverance
Jimmy Carter used to wonder why God took his sight at birth but allowed his five siblings to see.
Carter, 87, was just a child when he began singing gospel with friends at the Alabama Institute for the Negro Blind in Talladega, Alabama, in the 1930s. It was the start of a 75-year journey of music and faith with gospel group Blind Boys of Alabama, who will be performing at the Douglass Theatre on Sunday.
"I think I was born to sing," Carter said. "I think this is my calling, that God meant for me to do this. God, he saw further down the road, so he took my sight. He wants me to do this work."
Carter's work with the Blind Boys of Alabama now includes five Grammy Awards, performances for three presidents, and collaborations with many American music icons.
The group originally included seven members, and all but one were blind. They started performing outside the institute in 1944, touring the Jim Crow South and performing in churches and black schools.
"The South was very, very, very segregated at that time," Carter said. "But we were determined to go on. We were determined -- no matter what the circumstances and the conditions were -- we were not going to turn around. We were going to go out and sing gospel, and that's what we've been doing all these years."
During the 1960s and '70s, the group's popularity waned as it stayed true to its traditional gospel roots and soul music began taking off. Still, the Blind Boys continued to stay active, releasing 13 more albums during those two decades and performing at benefits for the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.
The group finally found mainstream exposure in the 1980s. They performed for the World's Fair in Knoxville, Tennessee, then five members appeared collectively as Oedipus in the musical theater production "The Gospel at Colonus," which was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize and a Tony Award.
The band began exploring beyond its traditional gospel sound. Their album, "Spirit of the Century," blends distinctive gospel, folk and blues sounds and won the 2002 Grammy Award for Best Traditional Soul Gospel Album.
That was the first of five Grammy Awards they would earn that decade.
But Carter says their new sound wasn't about earning accolades; it was about attracting young people to their message.
"A lot of our young people now are involved in drugs," Carter said. "We're trying to let them know they don't have to do that; there is another way and that way is Jesus Christ."
The Blind Boys began showing up in popular culture as well. "Way Down in the Hole" became the theme song for HBO's series "The Wire." "I Shall Not Walk Alone" was featured in the television series "Lost."
Carter says much has changed since he first began touring the segregated South. The group has performed for three sitting presidents, including President Barack Obama.
His voice cracks just a little as he recalls the experience. He says he never imagined a black president.
"Never thought that before; never even had that in my mind," Carter said. "I never thought I'd see a black president in my lifetime. It was special singing to all of them, but to sing for a black president, it just seemed a little more special I would say."
Though he just celebrated his 87 birthday, Carter says he isn't ready to retire and promises he's still going strong after all these years.
"I just want the folks of Macon to know that the Blind Boys of Alabama are on their way," Carter said. "They are going to give you 100 percent; they aren't going to short change you. And when we leave, Macon won't ever be the same."
Blind Boys of Alabama
When: 5 p.m. Feb. 21
Where: Douglass Theatre, 355 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
Cost: $25 adults, $18 students and seniors
Information: 478-742-2000; www.douglasstheatre.org
This story was originally published February 18, 2016 at 9:37 PM with the headline "From Jim Crow South to presidents and Grammys, Blind Boys of Alabama founder talks about faith and perseverance ."