The Blind Boys of Alabama Perform in Studio

KPBS | By KPBS Public Broadcasting

Published December 19, 2006 at 10:53 AM PST

This story was published more than 17 years ago.

Musical guests, the Blind Boys of Alabama, join us in studio for a performance chat about their Grammy award winning career. From the group's origins in the 1930s to their latest Christmas album, we s

Tom Fudge: The original members of the Blind Boys of Alabama have been together since 1939. That’s when they met at the Alabama Institute for the Negro Blind. The rest, as they say, is gospel music history. They’ve performed with some of the greatest rock and soul artists in the country. I saw them perform almost 20 years ago in the hit musical The Gospel At Colonus . Since then they’ve won four Grammy awards, one of them for their Christmas album, called Go Tell in on the Mountain .

They’re in town to perform at the Belly Up Tavern tonight (Monday) in Solana Beach at 8 p.m.

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Guests

Jimmy Carter, vocals
Ricky McKinnie, drums
Billie Bowers, vocals
Ben Moore, vocals
Joey Williams, guitar
Bobby Butler, rhythm guitar
Tracy Pierce, bass

Photos by Ross Ching

The Blind Boys of Alabama perform in the KPBS Performance Studio.

Jimmy Carter sings.

Bobby Butler performs on rhythm guitar.

Billy Bowers sings with Ricky McKinnie on drums.

Angela Carone, producer, and Kurt Kohnen, technical director, in the control room while the Blind Boys of Alabama perform live.