2023 In Review, Pt. 1 [with new video content!]
Re-visiting this year's posts about Sheila Walsh and Dorothy Norwood!
Hello friends,
I hope this week finds you all well. Our area took a big hit this weekend when a tornado touched down on Saturday evening. Thankfully, we are fine, but three people died, sixty-two were injured and many people lost their homes and businesses. I’m providing a link to an article that outlines the ways that you can help if you feel so inclined. Thanks to everyone who reached out to see if we were safe.
Before I go any further, I want to say a big thank you to Omnivore Records for asking me to contribute liner notes to their gorgeous new reissue of the Mighty Clouds of Joy classic, Kickin’, which contains their 1975 hit “Mighty High.” You can pick up a copy of this exquisite package wherever you buy physical CDs, like Amazon or Omnivore’s website.
As I continue to work on the last chapter of the New York Community Choir book, I wanted to take this opportunity to take a look back at some of the lesser-read articles from 2023 (that I’m quite proud of!) and share new video content related to them for the new subscribers.
In May of this year, I got to write about Sheila Walsh, one of CCM’s most innovative performers in the eighties, not once, but twice! I wrote an essay about her 1983 album, War of Love, which celebrated its fortieth anniversary this year, which included my own personal memories as a listener but segued into Sheila’s creative story. I pulled from historical interviews from the eighties, but also my interview with her for my undergraduate thesis. I also got to write about her in my UDiscover article on Sparrow Records’ edgier eighties roster of artists. Click here to read that.
I’ve uploaded her 1984 concert at Jim and Tammy Bakker’s Heritage USA to the #GodsMusicIsMyLife YouTube channel. You can see it below!
Reflections on the Music & Theology of Sheila Walsh's 'War of Love'
The eighties were an intense decade. In 1984, I was in the fourth grade attending a Southern Baptist school, seemingly inundated by a lot of rules and regulations. The boys' hair was measured regularly to make sure it wasn’t touching our collars, girls’ skirts were measured to make sure they weren’t “too far” above their knees, and we signed contracts a…
In April, I was going through my archives and revisited my 2007 interview with gospel music legend Dorothy Norwood. In the piece below, I shared snippets from that interview in which she talks about the days of producing records without credit and the importance of some of her musical heroes. I also shared a rare track from her 1979 Live album recorded with the Drinkard Ensemble. Beneath the article, you’ll find a video of Dorothy on Bobby Jones Gospel circa 1994 singing “I Still Have Joy” from her Grammy-nominated Better Days Ahead album.
I Stepped Out: Talking with Dorothy Norwood
If you want to contribute to the work that is happening here, I encourage you to either become a paid subscriber or contribute to the GoFundMe that I’ve set up for the New York Community Choir book! I am grateful for your support! Music is like a map. I started seeing it this way when I was a teenager, possibly when I read Mark Bego’s biography of Aretha…
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Just opened my very first email from God's Music Is My Life, and I'm very excited to learn about the Mighty Clouds of Joy re-release. Lots of big fans here in Austin, Texas. In my neighborhood, E. M. Franklin Avenue is named for Rev. Ermant Franklin, Sr., who was MCOJ's Rev. Ermant Franklin, Jr.'s father.
I love this review of your year (thus far), Tim, and so appreciate your authentic sharing! Blessings