The Blind Boys of Alabama are a gospel group from Alabama that first formed at the Alabama Institute for the Negro Blind in 1939. The three main vocalists of the group and their drummer/percussionist are all blind. As of 2008, they continue to tour nationally and internationally, with Jimmy Lee Carter singing lead vocals. In 2006, Clarence Fountain, the group's former long-time lead vocalist and founding member limited his touring for health reasons. Another founding member, George Scott, died on March 9, 2005 at the age of 75. Releases by the group in recent years have been favorites at the Grammy Awards—they won the Grammy Award for Best Traditional Soul Gospel Album every year between 2002 to 2005. The Blind Boys of Alabama were inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame in 2007. In the early 1980s, the Blind Boys of Alabama performed in the Obie Award-winning musical The Gospel at Colonus ; their involvement in the production has continued into the twenty-first century, most recently with a 2008 performance in Athens (near the original performance location of Sophocles's play), where Jimmy Carter took over the role of Oedipus originally created by Clarence Foster. [1] Their rendition of Tom Waits' "Way Down in the Hole" was used as the theme song of the HBO series The Wire in its first season. Their cover of Ben Harper's "I Shall Not Walk Alone" was featured in the first season of ABC's Lost , in the episode "Confidence Man". The Blind Boys were featured on the Imus in the Morning radio and TV show on November 30, 2006, on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno on December 20, 2006 and March 11 2008, and on Late Night With Conan O'Brien on February 1, 2008. They have collaborated with numerous artists, including Ben Harper, Aaron Neville and Mavis Staples. They have joined Tom Petty, John Fogerty, and Peter Gabriel on tour, and will tour with Taj Mahal in 2008. In a surprise to both the band and the audience, the Blind Boys were joined by Prince on stage in a March 7, 2008 show at the Knitting Factory in Hollywood, California.

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Current members

• Jimmy Carter – vocals
• Bishop Billy Bowers – vocals
• Ben Moore - vocals
• Eric (Ricky) McKinnie – drums, percussion, vocals
• Caleb Butler – rhythm guitar
• Joey Williams – lead guitar
• Tracy Pierce – bass
• Clarence Fountain – tours with the group as his health allows

Founding members

• Clarence Fountain
• Johnny Fields - vocals
• George Scott (deceased) - vocals
• Ollie Thomas (deceased) - vocals

Discography

• 1948 I Can See Everybody's Mother But Mine
• 1950 Livin' On Mother's Prayers
• 1950 Sweet Honey in the Rocks
• 1953 Sermon
• 1953 When I Lost My Mother
• 1954 Marching to Zion
• 1954 Oh Lord Stand By Me
• 1958 My Mother's Train
• 1959 God is On the Throne
• 1959 The Original Blind Boys
• 1963 (1957) You'll Never Walk Alone
• 1963 Old Time Religion
• 1963 True Convictions
• 1965 Can I Get a Witness?
• 1967 Church Concert in New Orleans (Live)
• 1969 Fix it Jesus Like You Said You Would
• 1969 Jesus Will Be Waiting
• 1970 In the Gospel Light
• 1970 The Five Blind Boys From Alabama
• 1970 The Soul of Clarence Fountain
• 1973 Best of Five Blind Boys of Alabama
• 1974 Precious Memories
• 1978 The Soldier Album
• 1984 Faith Moves Mountains
• 1987 In the Hands of the Lord
• 1989 I'm a Changed Man
• 1989 The Five Blind Boys of Alabama
• 1990 Brand New
• 1990 I'm Not That Way Anymore
• 1991 I am a Soldier
• 1991 Oh Lord, Stand By Me / Marching Up to Zion
• 1991 The Best of the Five Blind Boys
• 1992 Deep River
• 1993 Bridge Over Troubled Waters
• 1994 Alive in Person
• 1994 Blessed Assurance
• 1994 Don't Forget To Pray
• 1994 In the Gospel Light
• 1994 Soul Gospel
• 1994 Swing Low, Sweet Chariot
• 1995 1948-51
• 1995 I Brought Him With Me
• 1996 All Things Are Possible
• 1996 Golden Mements in Gospel
• 1997 Holdin' On
• 1998 Have Faith: The Very Best of the Five Blind Boys of Alabama
• 1999 Best of Clarence Fountain and the Five Blind Boys of Alabama
• 1999 Hallelujah: A Collection of Their Finest
• 2000 My Lord What a Morning
• 2001 Gospel For the Lord
• 2001 Original Blind Boys
• 2001 Spirit of the Century
• 2001 You'll Never Walk Alone / True Convictions
• 2002 Collectors Edition
• 2002 Higher Ground
• 2002 I Saw the Light
• 2003 Go Tell it On the Mountain
• 2004 There Will Be a Light (with Ben Harper)
• 2005 Atom Bomb
• 2006 Just a Closer Walk with Thee , a compilation of work ranging from the years 1963–1965
• 2008 Down in New Orleans

Contributions

• 2002 - Lifted: Songs of the Spirit - "Freedom Road"
• 2002 - WYEP Live and Direct: Volume 4 - On Air Performances - "Amazing Grace"
• 2007 - Song of America - "Let Us Break Bread Together"

Grammy Awards

• 2002 for Spirit of the Century
• 2003 for Higher Ground
• 2004 for Go Tell it On the Mountain
• 2005 for There Will Be a Light
• 2009 for Down in New Orleans

References

1. Lee Breuer's official website