Gospel According to the OG Source

The Blind Boys of Alabama qualifies as one of those many regularly returning acts who have graced Santa Barbara stages, with an ever-open welcome mat. Formed in 1939, at the Alabama Institute for the Negro Deaf and Blind in Talladega, Alabama, the accomplished veteran vocal group, with rhythm section in tow, has ascended to an uncommon heights of fame, well beyond the world of gospel. The Boys boast armfuls of Grammy Awards and have collaborated with an array of artists, including Prince, Peter Gabriel, Bonnie Raitt, Ben Harper, Bon Iver, Lou Reed, Taj Mahal, Charlie Musselwhite, and Mavis Staples.

Thankfully, the Boys’ tours and travels have brought them into the 805 many times, and they’re back on Saturday, October 25, at Campbell Hall, as part of the UCSB Arts & Lectures season. Adding to the appeal is the presence of young gospel/blues sensation and B3 organist specialist Cory Henry. 

The latest of the band’s numerous albums is 2023’s Echoes of the South (listen here), earning another Grammy, for Best Roots Gospel Album, with a song list including their take on Stevie Wonder’s “Heaven Help Us All” and “Friendship,” a signature song for the late, great gospel titan Pops Staples. On the opening track, “Send It On Down,” original member Jimmy Carter kicks it off with a spoken (or testifying) word introduction: “Well here we are, the Blind Boys of Alabama. You know, we’ve been around a long time, but the good news is we’re still here, singing and praising God. I wonder, can I get a witness this evening?” 

Veteran bandmember Carter, now 91 and recently retired after 40 years with the group, told me, “when the Blind Boys started out, we had nothing but an acoustic guitar. That’s all we had. But we were singing traditional gospel music. As time went on, we advanced to an electric guitar. Now we have an electric guitar, a bass guitar, a keyboard and a drummer.”

Road warriors by nature, their itinerary includes concert venues and houses of worship, rooms sacred, or otherwise. “We go anywhere they want us to go,” says Carter. “We’ll go to churches, to an auditorium, to nightclubs, anywhere they want us to go. We’re trying to put out the gospel message, and so, wherever we can plant a seed, that’s where we go.

“When gospel first came out, it was predominantly in the Black area. But now, it has advanced. Everywhere you look, you can find gospel, somewhere. Gospel has advanced in certain ways. You’ve got traditional gospel music, and now you have contemporary gospel music. Me, myself, I prefer traditional gospel. But to please everybody, you have to sing it all, so that’s what we do. But we are a traditional gospel group, and we prefer singing that kind of music. However, we can sing it all, and that’s what we do.” 

More than any other gospel group on the scene, the Blind Boys have broken out from the sizable pack and gained a broad popularity. Did that success take Carter and his comrades by surprise?

“When we started out, we had no idea that this group would be as recognized or as successful. … I don’t like to say `famous.’ I don’t like that word. I’m not famous. I’m just an old Southern country boy enjoying what he’s doing.”

See the Blind Boys of Alabama on Saturday, October 25, 7:30 p.m., at UCSB’s Campbell Hall. See artsandlectures.ucsb.edu/events-tickets/events/25-26/blind-boys-of-alabama-with-cory-henry/.

Editor’s Note: This story has been updated to reflect the recent retirement of founding bandmember Jimmy Carter.