BLIND BOYS OF ALABAMA

Biography

The Blind Boys of Alabama formed in 1939 at the Alabama Institute for the Negro Deaf and Blind in Talladega, Alabama, initially as the Happy Land Jubilee Singers (or Happyland Singers), a group of visually impaired students including Clarence Fountain, George Scott, and others inspired by the Golden Gate Quartet's radio broadcasts. Clarence Fountain, from a musical churchgoing family in Selma, Alabama, led the effort as they learned Braille music notation in the school choir, performed on Birmingham radio station WKAX, and adopted their name after a 1948 'Battle of the Blind Boys' event in New Jersey against the Jackson Harmoneers, becoming the Five Blind Boys of Alabama.[1][2][4][6]

For nearly 40 years, they toiled on the Black gospel circuit, recording hits like 'I Can See Everybody’s Mother But Mine' in 1948 on Vee-Jay and later with Specialty Records in 1953, performing in churches and stadiums while facing hardships like hunger at school and segregation-era travel challenges.[3][4][5][9] Their career revived in the 1980s with a starring role in the Obie Award-winning 'The Gospel at Colonus' (1983), featuring Morgan Freeman, exposing their raw, emotive traditional gospel style—marked by close harmonies, spiritual fervor, and jubilant arrangements—to broader audiences, followed by Grammy wins, White House performances, and cross-genre collaborations.[3][5][6][7]

Renowned for endurance, the group has performed continuously for over eight decades, influencing gospel, R&B, and rock 'n' roll, earning a Lifetime Achievement Grammy, Gospel Music Hall of Fame induction, and 2010 Alabama Music Hall of Fame entry, embodying resilience as descendants of freed slaves who transcended adversity through unyielding faith-driven music.[3][5][6]

Fun Facts

• Jimmy Carter (the singer, not the president), a classmate at the Alabama Institute, was invited to join in 1944 at age 12 but his mother refused; he later sang with the Blind Boys of Mississippi for 13 years before rejoining Alabama in 1982.[2]
• The group's name originated from a 1948 New Jersey promoter's gimmick billing their show against the Jackson Harmoneers as the 'Battle of the Blind Boys,' prompting both to adopt 'Blind Boys' monikers.[2][4]
• They performed benefits for Martin Luther King Jr. during the 1960s civil rights movement and for three U.S. presidents at the White House.[5][6]
• Co-founder Clarence Fountain's lifelong hunger stemmed from food scarcity at the institute, driving their determination amid hardships like diabetes in later years.[4]

Musical Connections

Mentors/Influences

• Golden Gate Quartet - Primary stylistic inspiration via weekly CBS radio broadcasts (Inspired original songwriting and arrangements) [1930s]

Key Collaborators

• Clarence Fountain - Co-founder and visionary leader (Original lineup and recordings from 1948 onward) [1939-2010s]
• George Scott - Original member and co-founder (Early performances and 1982 reunion invitation) [1939-1980s]
• Jimmy Carter (singer) - Early classmate who joined briefly, rejoined in 1982 (Happy Land Jubilee Singers performances) [1940s, 1982 onward]
• Jamey Johnson - Country star collaborator at induction ('Down by the Riverside' at Alabama Music Hall of Fame) [2010]
• Jackson Harmoneers (later Blind Boys of Mississippi) - Rival group in naming event (1948 'Battle of the Blind Boys' bill) [1948]

Artists Influenced

• Gospel, R&B, and rock 'n' roll artists - Widely recognized as influential through early recordings (Post-1948 output) [1950s onward]

External Links

• Spotify