The Blind Boys of Alabama to receive Lifetime Achievement Award from Americana Music Association

It has been announced that The Blind Boys of Alabama are set to receive the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Americana Music Association, at their 23rd annual ceremony to be held on 18 September at Nashville's Ryman Auditorium. Other honourees include Dwight Yoakam, Shelby Lynne and Rev. Gary.

The Blind Boys of Alabama was established in Alabama in 1939 and in the ensuing decades came to redefine gospel music with their songs and performances. They are multi-Grammy winners and Gospel Music Hall of Fame inductees, and found mainstream acclaim following the group’s role in the 1983 musical The Gospel at Colonus. They went on to perform and record with artists including Prince, Bonnie Raitt and Peter Gabriel.

In a message to their mailing list the Blind Boys of Alabama said; “Thank you to everyone involved in making this happen and all of you for coming to see our shows and spinning our music over the years.”

A recent biography, Spirit of the Century, charts the history of the group. Their story intersecting with pivotal moments and issues in American history and becoming an ideal prism through which to trace music, culture, history, and race in America. Peter is quoted on the cover of the book.

“This is an extraordinary story of an extraordinary group—a wonderful account of how these young men conquered their difficulties to become one of the most legendary and inspirational groups of our time.” — Peter Gabriel

Real World Records released four albums by The Blind Boys of Alabama in the early 2000s, Spirit of the Century, Higher Ground, Go Tell It On The Mountain and Atom Bomb.

Featured release

Higher Ground

The Blind Boys of Alabama

Released 26 August 2002

An album pulling together a rich assortment of classic and contemporary spiritual songs, many from the soul music tradition. Featuring compositions from Curtis Mayfield, Prince, Aretha Franklin, Jimmy Cliff, Ben Harper, Stevie Wonder, and, yes, even Funkadelic.

By Online Editor

Main image: The Blind Boys of Alabama, 2002. Photo credit: Steve Sherman.

Published on Wed, 03 July 24

The Blind Boys of Alabama to receive Lifetime Achievement Award from Americana Music Association

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