“I cannot sweeten the Atlantic Ocean, but I can take a pitcher of water out of the ocean and sweeten that.”
- Shirley Caesar
Even before the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, gospel legend Pastor Shirley Caesar was already thinking of ways to mend the country's spirit.
“And when the 11th day of September did happen, I knew that I was right in recording an old-time hymn album to try and help to bring the people back to the old ways,” the gospel singer and evangelist said in a phone interview from her home in Durham, N.C.
Caesar, 62, who also runs the Shirley Caesar Outreach Ministries and has released a book this year titled The Lady, The Melody, and The Word (Thomas Nelson), is scheduled to appear at 7 tonight at Seagate Convention Centre as part of the “Gospel Explosion 2001” concert, presented by She Productions. The event also features artists John P. Kee & New Life Production, Charles Woolfork & Covenant, the Bryan Thomas Chorale, Robert Greenly, and others.
The album, appropriately titled “Hymns,” was released this year on Word/Epic Records, the 36th album in her discography that started in 1967 with the release of “I'll Go” (Hob Records). “Hymns” includes gospel standards like “Steal Away to Jesus,” “Amazing Grace,” and her favorite, “How Long Has it Been.”
“[The song] reminds me of when my mother was ill and my sister and I were driving all night to get to her. Families need to stay in touch with each other because you never know when they'll be gone,” said Caesar, who pastors Mount Calvary Word of Faith, a Pentecostal church in Raleigh, N.C.
In a career that has spanned more than 40 years, such sentiment is not surprising from a woman many consider to be the mother of traditional gospel music. In May, Caesar was recognized by President Bush at the White House for being a pioneer of gospel music.
Caesar's accomplishments are numerous, including 11 Grammys, and she has been involved with four major motion picture soundtracks: “The Preacher's Wife,” “The Prince of Egypt,” “Why Do Fools Fall in Love,” and “Rosewood.”
Caesar grew up in Durham, the 11th child of 13 siblings born to a factory worker father, James Caesar, and a homemaker mother, Halle Martin Caesar. As a result of her mother's disabilities, from the time Caesar was a small child she helped care for her mother. Seven of the 13 children from the Caesar clan are living today.
Caesar said her parents kept the family involved in church, and as a result, her passion for gospel music came at an early age.
“I was 12 years old and it was at a revival when [God] first spoke to my heart. A woman who was the junior church pastor was preaching. I committed my life on a Tuesday night of the second week of the revival,” Caesar said.
“I've been singing since the time I can remember being who I am. I was always a little singer during my childhood,” she added.
A fan of the traditional gospel sound, citing among her favorite gospel artists Mahalia Jackson and James Cleveland, Caesar said she is open to the new, younger sound in gospel, which includes influences from hip-hop, soul, and rap music.
“Everything goes through a metamorphosis. Everything doesn't stay the same, even the Lord changes - he gets sweeter. So I'm grateful that all gospel music is not the same,” she said.
Caesar cited the “parading of flesh” as a negative aspect of some younger gospel artists who wear revealing clothes as a way to appeal to the crossover market between Christian and secular musical genres.
Tickets for “Gospel Explosion 2001” are $30 for general admission, $35 for reserved seating, and $40 at the door. Tickets are available at SeaGate's box office and at Sound Asylum Records, Fosters Hair Concepts Unlimited, Kings and Queens Salon, Powell's Beauty Supply, and Boogie Records. Information: 419-252-7437.
First Published December 14, 2001, 12:44 p.m.
