Blind Boys of Alabama bring their holiday show to town

“Working together works,” said Ricky McKinnie, member and business manager of the gospel group The Blind Boys of Alabama.

Originally formed in 1939 as part of the school chorus at the Alabama Institute for the Negro Deaf and Blind, the group’s 70-year history has seen a rotating roster of performers and accolades such as an induction into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame, six Grammy Awards and the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Recording Academy.

The Blind Boys of Alabama are taking their Christmas show on tour, and they will perform at 8 p.m. Friday, Dec. 20, at Arcadia Live, 717 Water St. in downtown Kerrville.

McKinnie has been with the group for more than 30 years.

Coming from a musical family, his mother performed with Gene Martin and Marvin Anderson, and she encouraged him to sing in the church choir and take drum lessons, he said.

Diagnosed with cataracts as a boy, McKinnie underwent glaucoma surgery and eventually lost his eyesight by the age of 23.

“I lost my sight, but I didn’t lose my vision,” he said.

McKinnie kept singing and playing the drums despite his disability, and in 1989, Clarence Fountain — founding member of the Blind Boys of Alabama — asked him to join the group as a musician.

By the mid-90s, McKinnie would also become a vocalist and business manager for the group.

“What’s from the heart, reaches the heart,” McKinnie said of the group’s lasting legacy over the years. “We perform with authenticity.”

Audiences can expect to experience a show that mixes holiday standards with selections from the Blind Boys of Alabama’s holiday classic album, “Go Tell it on the Mountain,” as well as their “Talkin’ Christmas” album.

“Don’t miss the Blind Boys when they’re in town,” he said. “When you leave the show, you’ll be filled with joy.”

In March 2024, the definitive book on the Blind Boys of Alabama, “Spirit of the Century,” was released. It’s an insider history of America’s longest-running group and the untold story of their world, written with band members and key musical colleagues.

The Arcadia Live is a nonprofit historic theater with a mission to promote vibrant and diverse entertainment while preserving the history and life of downtown Kerrville.

To reserve tickets for the Blind Boys of Alabama, or to learn more about Arcadia Live and other events on schedule, visit www.thearcadialive.org or call the box office at 830-315-5483.

This article was originally published in the Dec. 19, 2024 edition of The Kerrville Daily Times.