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We arrived in Clarksdale last night. We were taken to the venue and the
first thing that we noticed was a “may I help you” smile on all the
persons involved in putting together the Gospel Jamboree. The hospitality
is just awesome. The hospitality made EVERYONE feel welcome and glad to be
here.
The venue was the Pinnacle Auditorium on the campus of Coahoma Community
College. It was transformed into a place of worship that will seat 8,000
comfortable. The stage is large. None of the groups had any problem with
overcrowding-ness on the stage. There was in deed plenty of room.
Those that attended the Jamboree was not only be presented with the best
in gospel music; but, they experienced a program that had been fine-tuned
down to the very last detail. It is not an easy task to put on a program
of this magnitude. However, Dr. Mahmoud and her very able staff and
volunteers spent months dotting the “I’s” and crossing the “T’s.” The
beneficiary of their hard work was all that attended and experienced the
move of the Holy Spirit in the place. The staff and volunteers made sure
that everything was done “decently and in order.”
Someone had been assigned to attend to the groups, to the VIP’s, to those
arriving by bus, and to all persons that were part of the program. And,
yes that included a significant number of ushers to take care of not just
the seating, but the inquiries from attendees.
The seating was such that everyone had an excellent view of the stage. The
program was so well planned that each group knew exactly when they were to
be on stage. They knew how much time they had to minister. They knew that
they are required to be obedient and follow the directions of those that
were in charge of the activities.
There was much excitement in the air. Just in case you do miss the
program, there was a souvenir booklet that you will certainly want to make
a part of your collection. It has bios on many of the groups that were on
the program. And it came with a 14 song CD that contained a song from each
group participating in this grand event. We encourage you to contact
Dr. Mahmoud and purchase your copy. You will not be disappointed.
Before
we left the venue Friday night, the first bus (full to capacity) of
attendees arrived from South Carolina. On Saturday morning busses began to
arrive in Clarksdale from New York, North Carolina and from other towns
and cities in Mississippi.
The
Gospel Jamboree began with a pre-show celebration. The first emcee was
Bobby Hurd, who brought
Minister Teddy Cross
to the stage. Minister Cross opened with prayer and sang several songs
from The Gospel
Keynotes’
repertoire. The pre-show celebration continued with
The Singing Angels of Sumter,
South Carolina.
These ladies set the house on fire. The crowd was excited and joined the
Angels
in praising God in song and with the shout.
Earnest Pearson and the
Singing Disciples of Manning, South Carolina,
then ministered. They started with the
Canton’s
“I’m in your care.” They ended with a drive song that drove
the crowd to another level. Sarah Hall shared emcee duty with Mr. Hurd
and she brought The
Singing Angels and
Earnest Pearson and
The Singing Disciples
to the stage.
There was no intermission between the pre-show and the actual Gospel
Jamboree. The first person to minister during this portion of the program
was Victoria
Rainbolt. She led
the congregation in prayer and electrified the place while singing
traditional and new songs.
The Bell Singers
from Tennessee were the next group to minister. These ladies got their
praise on from the time they hit the stage. They were really good. Their
CD is good, but you have got to see them on stage. To witness them live
will elevate your appreciate for the music of this exciting group.
Johnny Kinard’s group the
Voices of Joy
ministered mightily. The group members are William Kinard, III, Chedrick
Kinard, Roosevelt Lee, DeMarcus Hampton, Trent Calvin, Travis Calvin,
Jamal Cusic, and Bradford Fair. They song three songs that had the crowd
on their feet the entire time they were on stage.
Redemption
began with an upbeat version of "I Won’t Complain". They
ended with “Let Go.” Next up was
Lil’ Blair and The
Violinaires. They
did about six of The
Fantastic Violinaires’
songs, including “Dr. Jesus” and “Old Time Religion.”
They were followed by
The Five Blind Boys of Mississippi.
Sandy Foster and the guys poured their heart out to the crowd. They sang
four songs in the time allotted. Included was the crowd pleaser “Not
Gonna Shut Up.”
Leomia Boyd
was accompanied by three background singers.
Ms. Boyd
ministered by singing songs from her most recent CD. She was really at her
best while singing ballads.
Thereafter, the Mayor of Clarksdale, The Honorable Henry Espy, presented
Mr. Kinard with a proclamation from the City of Clarksdale making December
30, 2006, Johnny Kinard’s Day.
Next the Gospel Four
wrecked the house.
They sang, and sang and sang. Of course there was that “New Walk.”
After
the Gospel Four
the legendary
Pilgrim Jubilees
electrified the crowd. Clay and the guys were awesome. They sung many of
the fans' favorite, including “Old Ship of Zion.” Their
“set” would not have been complete without the chairs coming out. They
made the most of the audience response to this crowd pleaser.
Another legendary group,
The Jackson Southernaires,
followed The
Jubes. Huey,
Maurice and the guys had the crowd on their feet almost the entire time
they were on stage. We have seen the
Southernaires
many, many times, but we have yet to see them minister as they did at the
Jamboree. In deed there was a Sweet Spirit in the place.
Slim and The Supreme
Angels incorporated
humor and sincerity in their songs. You know that
Slim
was going to talk about the Deacons, and the Choir Members and the
Preachers. He does it in a manner that leaves no one angry, but
instead smiling at the serious message he delivered in an amusing way that
only can be done by
Slim.
Just when you thought the services could not go any higher,
Darrell McFadden and The
Disciples took it
to another level. From the time they hit the stage they displayed
nothing but energy, that Holy Ghost directed energy. These guys were
better than awesome. From “Have You Heard of a City”
to Shackles, these guys displayed nothing but excitement.
Spanky added his personal touch to many of the songs. The crowd did not
want them to leave the stage. Had time permitted, the audience would
have been satisfied to have the guys return to the stage for an encore.
The audience was on their feet applauding as loud as ever as the guys left
the stage and headed to their dressing room. The audience really did not
want them to stop singing. But, of course they had to stop. If
for no other reason than the fact that there still were
Keith,
Lee
and the
Doctor
left to minister to the masses.
Keith “Wonderboy”
Johnson opened with
“Hide Behind The Mountain." Although, they did not
display the energy and excitement that
Darrell and The Disciples
did, they certainly ministered to the people.
As if the crowd need any encouragement,
Lee
invited everyone to have a “Good Time.”
Patrick
began the song “Cooling Water,” before turning the
microphone over to Lee.
Each song, even the ones led by
Shumpert
and Patrick
took their ministering to another level. And the crowd was literally
screaming when Lee
bellowed “I Can’t Give Up.” This was another group that the
audience did not want to leave the stage. But, they had to because
it was time for the
Doctor.
Doc and The Hi-Lites
were nothing less
than outstanding. If you have ever been to a program where
Doc
is schedule to minister, you will notice him sitting in the audience while
other groups perform. He is one of the few national artist that
actually “take part” in the entire service. By doing so, he is also
able to read the crowd and determine which of his many songs better suites
the moment. Well, last night was no exception. He read the crowd
correctly and instead of a lot of drive or upbeat songs, he gave the crowd
many ballads (and songs) that truly ministered to the soul. The crowd was
not only on their feet, but they had congregated around the stage.
Doc and The Hi-Lites
created an atmosphere that made it easy to move into the Candlelight
Communion. The Candlelight Communion was conducted by
Minister Teddy Cross,
Minister George Stewart
and two (2) additional ministers. Joining them on stage were
The Selvys
and The Hi-Lites.
This portion of the service was a fitting ending to what was an
extraordinary night. The ministers prayed for the Family, The Church and
The Nation. They also prayed for and with everyone in the building.
Scriptures were read, souls were fed and three persons were saved. Yes,
three people made the best decision they could ever make and turned their
life over to Christ. After more scriptures and prayer Communion was
ministered to all that remained. This was a candlelight service. The
planning committee decided to use pens that were also flashlights to
represent the candles. The building lights were turned down and the proper
atmosphere was truly created for this awesome portion of the service.
After Communion, the benediction was given. WHAT A NIGHT. It must be
mentioned that Lil’
Willie and The Gospel Keynotes
were supposed to be on this program. They arrived late and missed their
appearance time slot.
This was a great program. The sound system was operated by the engineers
and technicians that travel with
Doc McKenzie and The Hi-Lites.
They did an excellent job on making sure the sound from all the singers
(and instruments) was clear. No one should have any complaints about
the sound system.
As to the number of attendees - It is always difficult to measure the size
of a crowd by just visually canvassing the building. In spite of
that imperfection, we estimate that the number of persons attending the
Gospel Jamboree was 3,000. People came from all over the country to
attend this program. Carolyn Roberts was on a bus of over 40 from New
York. Minister George Stewart and Dr. Jackie Stewart (of the American
Gospel Quartet Convention) from Birmingham, Alabama, were there.
Minister Teddy Cross
and others from Louisiana were in the house.
Flossie Johnson
arrived on the bus from South Carolina. Some of the other states
represented were Arkansas, Georgia, Florida, Wisconsin, Minnesota,
Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Texas, Illinois and Virginia.
By the way, before each group took the stage prizes were given to the
lucky number ticket holders. The prizes consisted of Lap Top Computers, CD
Players, DVD Players, and many more top of the line products. And the
children were not forgotten. There were several hundred (if not a
thousand) different types of toys at the front of the stage. They
consisted of stuff animals, board games of all kind, video games, video
players, radios and other electronics. The children were allowed to “rush”
the stage and take away as many toys as they could carry. They made sure
none were left.
Also, during the Jamboree several individuals were presented with awards.
The International Black Women Congress’ Servant Leadership Award was
presented to DR. ALLEN, SR. (Milwaukee, Wisconsin), MS. GWEN ATKINS
(Houston, Texas), MS. LEE BULLOCK (Baltimore, Maryland), REVEREND JESSE
HARRIS (Tuskegee, Alabama), MS. HENRY HARRISON (Chicago, Illinois), MS.
EUNICE HAYWOOD (Wake Forest, North Carolina), REVEREND TYRONE LINDSEY
(Chicago, Illinois), MR SAM & MRS. ANN SCOTT (Detroit, Michigan), DR. RUTH
SINGLETARY (Bronx, New York), MRS. ZINA “DJ” RENEE WASHINGTON (Hammond,
Louisiana), MR. RICKY WHITE (Birmingham, Alabama), and MS. EUNICE
WILKERSON-EVANS (Durham, North Carolina).
The Guardian Angel Awards' recipients were MRS. FREDDIE WHITE-JOHNSON, MR.
KEITH “WONDERBOY” JOHNSON, MR. MILBERT “DOC” MCKENZIE, MR. GEORGE DEAN,
and MRS. LEOMIA BOYD. The Foot Soldier Awards' recipients were MRS. PAT
ARTISON (Memphis, Tennessee), DEACON BRUCE BLAKES (Greenwood,
Mississippi), JOSEPH L. SMALLS, JR., ESQUIRE (Columbia, South Carolina),
MS. JEANNETTE FARRELL (Boston, Massachusetts), MS. FLOSSIE JOHNSON
(Bishopville, South Carolina), and MS. CYNTHIA “MISS CJ” JOHNSON
(Milwaukee, Wisconsin). And the Golden Key Awards' recipients were
REVEREND GEORGE & DR. JACQUELINE STEWART (Birmingham, Alabama) and MR.
DEXTER WITHERSPOON (Tupelo, Mississippi).
Once again we commend Dr. Mahmoud and her staff (including volunteers) for
putting together a great program.
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