Pepper Smith blows the cobwebs off the extraordinary history of veteran quartet the BLIND BOYS OF ALABAMA.

"That place was only for people like Liberace, but they loved us," Fountain said. By the 1960s, the Golden Age of Gospel had faded and times were leaner for the Five Blind Boys Of Alabama. From 1961 to 1968 the group recorded on the HOB label: 'I Saw The Light', 'The Best Of The Blind Boys (Volumes One and Two)', 'Can I Get A Witness', True Conviction' and 'It's Sweet To Be Saved'. A release in 1969 on Keen Records, "Fix It Jesus Like You Said", would be the last for several years. After disagreement with the road manager, Fountain left the group." Our leg man, the guy had a bad temper and that put us off track," said Fountain. From 1969 to 1975, Fountain became a solo act. During this time he released several albums on Jewel Records including, 'In The Gospel Light' and 'The Soul Of Clarence Fountain'.

"I knew the road, I made money, I just did it," he said. Johnny Fields produced Fountain's Jewel releases. Fountain said he returned to the group because, "the record company and me got in a discrepancy and if I went back to the Blind Boys they couldn't stop me from making records." In 1978, a regrouped Blind Boys recorded The Soldier Album' (PIR, 1978) and 'Faith Moves Mountains' (Messiah Records, 1981). In 1983 the Blind Boys got a break in form of a Greek tragedy. They (the six men) played Oedipus in Lee Breuer and Bob Telson's The Gospel At Colonus, an American Pentecostal operatic version of Oedipus At Colonus.

The opera, originally performed at Minnesota's Walker Art Centre, went over so well that it appeared on public television's "Great Performances" and toured internationally. Another split occurred with the opera. Fountain and Ollice Thomas formed a group - Clarence Fountain and the Five Blind Boys Of Alabama - to tour with the opera and Fields and George Scott formed a group - the Five Blind Boys Of Alabama - which sang in the Southeast. By 1989, however, the group reunited. In that play, our blindness worked out so well, because Oedipus is blind, too.
At the first pop out of the box it was a sell out. It was a play that had been done before, but never the way we did it," Fountain said. "Once you hit Broadway, something good is bound to happen. For him, blindness has been a gift. "In the '40s and '50s we didn't have any racial problems because people felt sorry for us. We got away clean. As of now I could get on a bus here in Boston and go to California and people will look out for me. California-based Falk and Morrow Talent has been looking out for the Blind Boys after the phenomenal success of The Gospel At Colonus.

The Blind Boys are in demand, though the venues they play have changed. Playing clubs, once considered off-limits to gospel performers, has been an enjoyable experience for the Blind Boys.

"First of all, you've got somebody doing the work beforehand, so there are no booking headaches and you know you're going to get paid. In gospel, you might get paid or you might not,"

Fountain said. Fields sees the work as a new ministry. "We're taking gospel music to people who wouldn't normally hear it. We don't change nothing. One of the audiences' favourite numbers is 'Amazing Grace'. They don't want to hear any of that new stuff," Fountain said. Audience members respond. In Winthrop, Washington, a man told Fields, "When I came to this show I had mixed emotions. I had reached a suicidal point. Now, my life is better."

There's no preaching going on. "If you're above someone, you can't communicate with them. We don't participate in the drinking, but we don't knock them," said Fields. The exposure has propelled the Blind Boys to the most profitable period of their career. They recorded 'I'm A Changed Man' (Wajji Records, 1989), 'Brand New' (Wajji, 1990) and 'I'm Not That Way Anymore' (Atlanta International Records, 1991). In January 1992 they signed a three-album contract with Elektra Records and sang with Bonnie Raitt on a Richard Thompson tribute later that year. Fortunately, the Blind Boys' voices are still strong as ever and will be able to take advantage of these breaks which have appeared in their later years.

They have no secret for keeping a voice healthy other than "leaning and depending on the Lord," Fountain said. The Talladega supermen are finally getting the credit they deserve. They take the credit on faith, but the money is nice.

"I just kept waiting on the big thing," said Fountain, "I knew we would hit the jackpot one day."

This feature first appeared in Rejoice magazine, published by the University of Mississippi and is used with permission.