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482:. By the end of the 1960s, the group had released 27 singles and 2 albums for Peacock. In the 1970s and early 1980s, they recorded some material for Jewel, and they continued to tour into the 1990s. Of the three remaining members of the original group, Lloyd Woodard died in June 1973, Lawrence Abrams passed on in August, 1982, and Henry Johnson passed on December 10, 1999.
435:(1917-2003) (who replaced Henderson), the Blind Boys moved into their period of greatest fame. Perkins, who was not blind, became the group's manager, and they began to record, first for Excelsior in 1946, then for Coleman in 1948. Ford was replaced by another blind bass singer who later regained his sight and had to leave the group. He was replaced by
493:. There is some dispute as to which of the two groups was named first. Some sources say that the Five Blind Boys took their name when Percell Perkins joined them in the mid-1940s. According to Fountain, however, the two groups were actually christened simultaneously during a Newark, New Jersey quartet contest in 1948.
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style. Even though Harris' influence was persuasive—the Blind Boys at first covered Soul
Stirrers songs almost exclusively—Brownlee's high voice, which could move from a sweet croon to a devastating scream, was one of the most recognizable in gospel. Though blind from birth, he would also sometimes
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And over the course of 10 years the Blind Boys recorded such hits as "Old Ship Of Zion", "Coming Home", "Will Jesus Be
Waiting?", "Song Of Praise", "I Wonder, Do You?", "In The Wilderness", "I Never Heard A Man", "Let's Have Church", "Leave You In The Hands Of The Lord", and "Someone Watches".
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466:. Broadnax, in particular, had a high voice which was comparable, in some respects, to Brownlee's. Other singers who worked with the group for a time included Rev.
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Brownlee died of pneumonia while touring in New
Orleans on February 8, 1960, at the age of 34, and not long after Perkins left as well to go into the ministry.
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380:. On March 9, 1937, Brownlee and the others recorded sacred tunes (as the Blind Boys) and three secular numbers (as Abraham, Woodard, and Patterson) for
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In the mid-1940s, Brownlee and the others relocated to
Chicago, and changed their name to the Five Blind Boys of Mississippi. Under the influence of
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and, after
Robinson left the group to go out on his own, by the very able lead
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328:'s goal for the line, "Rollin', rollin', rollin' on the river," in the song "
332:" was to evoke male gospel harmonies, as exemplified by groups such as the
376:, helped organize the blind singers at the behest of the school founder
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and secular material, to raise money for the school. Their teacher,
534:"Artist Profile for Archie Brownlee - WindowsMedia.com Media Guide"
633:'The Five Blind Boys of Mississippi' Vocal Group Hall of Fame Page
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where they recorded the hit "Our Father" at their first session.
458:, who, like Brownlee, made devastating screams. Quartet veteran
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The Five Blind Boys of
Mississippi should not be confused with
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The group originated in 1936 as a quartet of students from the
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band which originated from the same country school known as "
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took the position of second lead. He was later replaced by
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Miracle in
Mississippi: Laurence C. Jones of Piney Woods
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605:Lee Hildebrand and Opal Nations, Liner Notes to
439:, in that year, and in 1950 the group moved to
431:With the addition of hard gospel shouter Rev.
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428:leap from a stage into the audience below .
53:Learn how and when to remove these messages
340:, and the Five Blind Boys of Mississippi.
241:
574:. University Press of Mississippi, p.83.
230:Learn how and when to remove this message
212:Learn how and when to remove this message
150:Learn how and when to remove this message
175:This article includes a list of general
607:The Original Five Blind Boys of Alabama
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402:The International Sweethearts of Rhythm
318:quartet. They started with lead singer
302:Archie Brownlee & Big Henry Johnson
392:and religious material under the name
683:Musical groups disestablished in 1994
612:Dorothy Moore, original source, 2008
450:Brownlee was, at first, replaced by
396:. They were often backed by a female
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693:American musicians with disabilities
88:adding citations to reliable sources
572:Piney Woods School: An Oral History
16:American gospel quartet (1936–1994)
678:Musical groups established in 1936
624:The Five Blind Boys of Mississippi
356:. The students — Brownlee,
312:The Five Blind Boys of Mississippi
181:it lacks sufficient corresponding
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512:Fortunate Son: My Life, My Music
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668:Piney Woods Country Life School
570:Harrison, Alferdteen B. (1983)
75:needs additional citations for
42:or discuss these issues on the
658:American gospel musical groups
557:Purcell, Leslie Harper (1956)
246:Five Blind Boys of Mississippi
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561:, p.120. Comet Press Books. .
663:Musical groups from Chicago
600:Kings of the Gospel Highway
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487:The Blind Boys of Alabama
374:Martha Louise Morrow Foxx
314:was an American post-war
338:Sensational Nightingales
673:Checker Records artists
404:." In the early 1940s,
196:more precise citations.
602:CD, Shanachie, c. 2000
509:Fogerty, John (2015).
394:The Jackson Harmoneers
390:Cotton Blossom Singers
688:American blind people
354:Jackson, Mississippi
256:Jackson, Mississippi
84:improve this article
609:CD, Specialty, 1993
515:, . Little, Brown.
382:Library of Congress
350:Piney Woods School
598:, Liner Notes to
491:Clarence Fountain
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476:James Watts
468:Sammy Lewis
425:hard gospel
417:R.H. Harris
384:researcher
358:Joseph Ford
194:introducing
647:Categories
544:2008-02-15
497:References
386:Alan Lomax
330:Proud Mary
202:April 2009
177:references
140:April 2009
110:newspapers
39:improve it
45:talk page
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635:at the
470:, Rev.
419:of the
344:History
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316:gospel
266:Gospel
262:Genres
252:Origin
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