Blind Boys of Alabama

Friday, September 16, 8 p.m.

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A powerhouse performance to open a powerful performing arts season!

The Blind Boys of Alabama have been inspiring, empowering, and uplifting audiences for seven decades. The group’s original members (including Jimmy Carter, who leads the Blind Boys today) found their voices as kids at the Alabama Institute for the Negro Blind in the late 1930s. And they used their voices to change gospel music and to help change the world. The Blind Boys of Alabama toured throughout the Jim Crow-era south in the 1940s and 1950s. In the 1960s, they shaped the sounds of the Civil Rights movement, singing at benefits for Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. With their unique blend of gospel singing styles, they helped to define the gospel traditions in the 20th century, collaborating along the way with everyone from Stevie Wonder to Prince to Lou Reed. And they have created a new gospel sound for the 21st century. Their live shows are roof-raising musical events that appeal to audiences of all cultures. They will bring you to your feet, confirm your faith in music, and remind you of the transformative power of the arts.