Jonathots Daily Blog
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(Transcript)
The Gospel Tones.
They were a singing group that visited our church on April 28th, 1964–actually, three friends of our pastor, who used to sing together back in college.
The southern gospel quartet–bass, baritone, lead, high tenor–an interesting blending of a musical circus atmosphere mingled with the sanctity and sobriety of the Gregorian chant.
I remember that night well. I had never seen our preacher so alive. He usually had a somberness which accompanied his sermons, granting him the authority to be holy.
But on that night he was moving around and singing low bass notes on the RCA Victor microphone which had been placed in the middle of the platform.
I got excited. Honestly, it was a little corny, but still had enough fun in it that I participated.
After the show everybody processed to the fellowship hall for cookies and punch. I grabbed three of my friends and we headed off to a Sunday School classroom which had an off-key Wurlitzer piano, and started pounding out some songs of our own. We didn’t sound very good but we were totally enthusiastic.
Right in the middle of an exhilarating screech, one of the church elders stuck his head in, rebuked us and said we were bad children because we weren’t joining in with the rest of the church. My friends were intimidated by the austere condemnation and left to go eat their cookies, but I stayed in the room. I played and played; I sang and sang.
That night changed me. I realized I liked music. I liked entertaining.
I regathered my three friends shortly after that evening and we began to sing everywhere–nursing homes, school talent shows, street rallies, coffee houses–and later, when my buddies paired off and got married, I kept it up.
In the process I worked with the Blackwood Brothers, the Rambos, the Happy Goodmans, the Imperials and the Oak Ridge Boys.
I became an egg. Whether I was scrambled, fried, poached or put in an omelet, I was an egg. You could use me to make a cake, a souffle, or even to hold your meatloaf together.
I was not a ham and certainly not a crab.
On April 28th, 1964, listening to the Gospel Tones, I chose to become an egg. Over the years many people have tried to get me to fit into their box, but I’m an egg.
I was built for a carton.
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