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. The founding members were Clarence Fountain, Johnny Fields, George Scott, Ollice Thomas, and Vel Trayler. The current group consists of Eric McKinney, Billy Bowers, Jimmy Carter, Joey Williams, and Donald Dillion.
From their inception in the 1930s, when all were boys, all members of the group except one were blind. They began singing when all were students, in the glee club, 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 Quintet on the radio; the early Five Blind Boys of Alabama took their musical cues from that group. The group began singing professionally as the Happyland Jubilee Singers, and for years only toured the Bible Belt in the Southern U.S.
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.
The group recorded first for the Newark-based Coleman Records label. Between 1953 and 1957, the group recorded for Art Rupe's California-based Specialty label. In the 1960s, the group's hard-driving gospel sounds were imitated by people like Bobby "Blue" Bland and Marvin Gaye. The group recorded extensively for the Vee Jay label from 1963 to 1965. In 1969, Fountain left the group for a decade to try to make it on his own, and the group re-formed with all the original members in the late 1970s.
They gained widespread success in 1988, when they starred in an Obie Award-winning Broadway show. According to Fountain, the group's high point was being on Broadway for 15 weeks with the musical Gospel at Colonus. The musical opened up new avenues to bookings for the group, and they began touring theaters and larger churches in the early 1990s, embarking on their first European tours as well. The group was awarded a National Heritage Fellowship in 1994. In 1994 and 1995, the group played festivals including the Philadelphia Folk Festival, the Beale Street Music Festival and the King Biscuit Blues Festival. The group also toured in Melbourne, Australia and the World's Fair, in Brisbane.
Mid-1990s television appearances included Black Entertainment Television's On Jazz, and even a cameo on Beverly Hills, 90210.
Since the turn of the century, founding members, George Scott (2005) and Johnny Fields (2009) passed away. Clarence Fountain remains the only living founding member. The group is still performing, under the vocal leadership of longtime member, Jimmy Carter. Releases by the group in recent years have been favorites at the Grammy Awards — they have won the Grammy Award for Best Traditional Soul Gospel Album every year since 2002. The Blind Boys of Alabama were inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame in 2002. Their cover of the Tom Waits song "Way Down in The Hole" was featured as the opening theme for season one of HBO's The Wire. In 2008 they released Down in New Orleans, on which they were accompanied by such Crescent City legends as the Preservation Hall Jazz Band and Allen Toussaint.
Founding members
Jimmy Carter – vocals
Clarence Fountain – vocals (November 28, 1929 - June, 3, 2018)
Johnny Fields (deceased) – vocals
George Scott (d. 2005) – vocals
Olice Thomas (deceased) – vocals
Vel Bozman Traylor (deceased) – vocals
Past members
Bishop Billy Bowers (deceased, July 2, 2013) – vocals
Caleb Butler – rhythm guitar
Samuel Butler Jr – rhythm guitar, songwriter and arranger, manager, second lead singer
Roscoe Robinson – lead vocals
Charles Porter - vocals
Lamont Blount (deceased) – band manager
Down By The Riverside
The Blind Boys Of Alabama Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Down by the river
The Lord is on the giving hand
Down by the riverside
Oh, we'll wait till Jesus comes
Down by the river
Oh, we'll wait till Jesus comes
Oh, we are pilgrims here below
Down by the river
Oh, soon to glory we will go
Down by the riverside
Oh, we'll wait till Jesus comes
Down by the river
Oh, we'll wait till Jesus comes
Down by the riverside
The Blind Boys Of Alabama's song "Down By The Riverside" is a gospel spiritual hymn, with lyrics that express the group's faith in and devotion to God. The opening line "Oh, hallelujah to the lamb" sets the tone for the entire song, with the singer giving praise to the lamb of God. The first stanza also mentions being down by the river, which is often used as a symbol of baptism, renewal, and rebirth in Christian traditions. The Lord being on the giving hand further emphasizes the idea of grace and redemption.
The second stanza mentions waiting till Jesus comes, which is a common theme in Christian hymns. This waiting is not idle, as the singer mentions waiting down by the river. The third stanza acknowledges the singer and the group as pilgrims on a journey, with the ultimate destination being glory in Heaven. The use of "down by the riverside" again highlights the importance of baptism and the symbolism of water in Christianity.
Overall, the lyrics of "Down By The Riverside" express the Blind Boys Of Alabama's deep belief in God and the Christian faith, with the use of water and the river as a powerful symbol of redemption and renewal.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh, hallelujah to the lamb
Praise be to the lamb (Jesus) for his sacrifice and salvation
Down by the river
At the river, a symbol of spiritual cleansing and rebirth
The Lord is on the giving hand
God is generous and bestows blessings upon us
Down by the riverside
At the river, where we can receive God's gifts
Oh, we'll wait till Jesus comes
We will patiently and faithfully wait for Jesus to return and bring salvation
Oh, we are pilgrims here below
We are travelers passing through this earthly life
Oh, soon to glory we will go
We will soon leave this life and join God in heaven
Down by the river
At the river, a place of spiritual renewal and anticipation for heaven
Oh, we'll wait till Jesus comes
We will continue to faithfully wait for Jesus' return and our ultimate salvation
Down by the riverside
At the river, where we can be still and wait for Jesus' coming
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: TRADITIONAL, TERRY RENDALL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind