GRAMMY Award-Winning Gospel Group "Blind Boys of Alabama" to Perform at Wildey Theatre
EDWARDSVILLE - The Wildey Theatre will welcome Blind Boys of Alabama, a GRAMMY Award-winning gospel group, to perform in Edwardsville.
At 7:30 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 7, 2025, community members are invited to The Wildey Theatre for an evening that spans traditional gospel music and contemporary favorites. Ricky McKinnie, percussionist and manager of the band, expressed his excitement to come to Edwardsville and share the group’s music with the Riverbend.
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“It is going to be a night that you’re going to remember because we’re going to give it all we've got,” McKinnie said. “We’re going to have a wonderful time because no town is too large or too small for Blind Boys to come and do what we do. We realize that people need people. We enjoy singing our music. It’ll be a night of great song. If you like songs that’ll make you feel good, it’s the place to be.”
The founding members of Blind Boys got their start as The Happy Land Jubilee Singers at the Alabama Institute for the Negro Deaf and Blind. They were involved in a “Battle of the Blind Boys” against another gospel group whose singers were visually impaired, prompting the group to permanently change their name to Blind Boys of Alabama.
The group quickly became renowned for their gospel music. Current members include McKinnie, Joey Williams, Julius Love, Peter Levin and Stephen Raynard Ladson. They have traveled around the world and received six GRAMMY Awards, including a Lifetime Achievement Award.
“It’s been some years to remember,” McKinnie said. “We’ve been to the White House three times. We’ve recorded with a lot of different artists. We’ve been all over the world. We’ve been on every continent at least one time. It’s been a real singing good time.”
At the Edwardsville concert, McKinnie promises a variety of music from their discography, including several a capella renditions of their songs. Copies of their book, “Spirit of the Century,” and their newest album “Echoes of the South” will be available for purchase.
Al Canal, entertainment director of The Wildey Theatre, expressed his excitement to welcome Blind Boys to Edwardsville. He said he has been following the band for “a long time,” and when the opportunity arose to bring them to The Wildey, he jumped on it.
“From the day I got here, I looked at the place and wanted it to be a beacon for the community and attract people,” Canal said. “To be able to bring talent of this quality like Blind Boys to Edwardsville, that makes me proud.”
As the entertainment director, he wants to bring more major acts to The Wildey in the future. He encourages people to visit the official website and Facebook page for information about upcoming events, movie screenings and concerts.
In the meantime, you can check out the official Facebook event page for more information about the Blind Boys concert, including how to purchase tickets online. Just like Canal is excited to welcome the band to Edwardsville, McKinnie looks forward to performing for Riverbend residents.
“We have been blessed, and we find ourselves fortunate to have been innovators,” McKinnie added. “We love what we do and do what we love. So we’re looking for all our many friends to tell somebody that if y’all want to have a good time, the place to be is with Blind Boys.”
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