tavis: good evening. from los angeles, i am tavis smiley. tonight, a conversation with musician jimmy carter, one of the founding members of the great gospel group, the blind boys of alabama. they first came together back in 1939. that amounts to more than seven decades touring and performing, a remarkable achievement for any music group. they have just released a new cd called "i'll find a way." we are glad you have joined us. a conversation with jimmy carter of the blind boys of alabama, coming up right now. ♪ ♪ ♪

>> and by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. thank you. ♪ tavis: jimmy carter is a founding member of the blind boys of alabama and the only one of the original group to still tour regularly. over the course of seven decades, performing and recording, they have won five grammy awards. they just released a new cd called "i'll find a way." let's take a look at a clip of the group and guest artists

performing the title cut. fool ♪ll play the ♪ just for a day i'll find a way ♪ to carry it all ♪ ♪ to carry it all good to have you back on the program, sir. >> good to be here. tavis: congratulations on the new project. >> thank you. tavis: my heart was broken when i discovered and realized that our good brother clarence can no longer tour. clarence fountain. >> clarence has some health issues now. every now and then, he might come out to help with an album,

but touring, he doesn't do that anymore. tavis: how many years would you guess that you and clarence to this together on the road? about eight years. tavis: that is a long time. how have you made the adjustment to not having him on the stage? >> when he passed me the torch, he said, this is your group now. he gave me some advice, of course. tavis: right. fun. said, you got to be you're not. [laughter] tavis: you've got to be firm with them because they will walk on you. you are a founding member. they can't walk on a founding member. you never know. these youngsters trying to walk on the fountain. speaking of youngsters, when you first joined the group, you were

so young, in fact, that while you were part of the group, your mama wouldn't actually let you two are -- you tour. is that true? inwhen they left schooling 1944, they came to my house to pick me up, and my mom said, no, you can't have him. he's too young. he is not going. i had to catch up with them later on. tavis: how later was later on? >> it was late. [laughter] tavis: how did you process the fact that you were a part of this group? i know why your momma did it, but i also know what it feels a to be young and have your mama tell you you can't do something you want to do. i got mad at my mom a whole bunch of times. you got mad at your mama too? >> yes. tavis: tommy the story -- this was not the original name. boys of alabama we

know was not the name you started with. somebody had the sense to change it to that name. it was a group called the blind boys of mississippi. >> it was to blind groups -- two blind groups from mississippi and alabama. they started out practically at the same time. the blind boys of mississippi was from a little school in mississippi out of jackson called piney wood. tavis: i have been there many times. >> the blind boys of alabama came from alabama. the blind boys of mississippi, ther actual name was jackson pioneers predict the blind boys of alabama's actual name was happy and jubilee. the blind boys of alabama and mississippi got their names, that is another story. [laughter] tavis: can i just tell you, with all due respect, whoever came up

with the happy land jubilee singers -- you know where i'm going, don't you? the five blind boys of alabama i think is lot better than the happy land jubilee singers. i'm happy you all made that switch. as difficult as it was -- this was back in 1944, right? >> yeah. ll the we all know too we hell that black people were enduring in alabama and mississippi in that area -- in that era. if it was bad for black folk across the board, how much more would difficult was it to make your way in the world as a blind black boy? >> you know, we had a sense back then. it was kind of hard to sing all night and couldn't find a decent place to eat. tavis: right. >> living in a rundown hotels and rooming houses. but we were dedicated. the blind boys were dedicated

and determined to make this work. how great the difficulties were, they did not deviate. they stuck it out. ifis: how did you end up -- you can sing, you can sing, and i know how will you sing it as i have been listening for years -- you could have sung in any other musical genre, but you have always been dedicated to this gospel music thing. give me some sense of how gospel music became your chosen john years, ory, over the how, over the years, you have stayed so dedicated to that, even as her popularity has grown. >> i was growing up in a christian environment. my parents were christian people. we weren't perfect. nobody is. tavis: nobody is.

not around here at least. [laughter] >> i was brought up in that kind of environment. and i got to the school found that there were other blind kids wanting to do the same thing, you know, we started singing together there in the glee club, the choir. just was something , singe wanted to do gospel and tell the world about god. tavis: there are a lot of people today, there are a lot of folk who are unafraid to do that. there are a lot of people still singing about god, but we live in a world today where people are so clinically correct that -- politically correct that they don't want to mention the name god, much less sing about god, much less you do albums about god, and yet come it seems to me that the blind boys of alabama

have continued to do that and do it well, even in a world where people oftentimes don't want to hear about god. >> you know, i'm going to tell you why i will never -- i'm going to tell you one of the reasons why i will never deviate from talking about god. when i was a young boy, very young boy -- i'm not young anymore -- [laughter] i used to ask god to let my mother live to see me get grown. i was blind in the world by myself, making it the best that i could. i asked him, i said, let my mother live to see me get grown. he didn't only do that -- my 2009. just passed in she was 103. [laughter] tavis: i said the lord answered your rare, didn't he? -- prayer,

didn't he? us bible i read said he give -- gives us three score and 10 years. a 70. she took somebody else's time. he answered your prayer. of all the to ask -- times we've talked over the years, i've never asked you this, and i'm glad you told the story about your prayer to god asking him to let your mother live to see you get grown -- did you ever ask god why you were born this way? >> i did. tavis: lord. >> and he told me why too. this is my calling. if i was able to see, you wouldn't be doing this. he knew that. i'm not going to give you your site back. i have work for you. i have a job that i wanted to do. out, i neverthat complained again.

i don't mind being blind. it doesn't bother me at all. i'm happy. i can do just about anything everybody else can do except see. [laughter] tavis: but what was the process though? i love your honesty. what was the process though for you getting comfortable with that? i know you prayed and asked the lord why you were born this way. he gave you the answer, and he out is to give you the right answer, and you have been working this out over 70 years of singing this good stuff. how did you get comfortable with that? it is change up above from him. after he told me that, he just gave me peace. i just felt peace. i guess that's all i can say. tavis: i wonder whether or not you and the other members of the group -- i think of brother clarence, for example -- did you

all have the same experience? that is to say, did all of you -- let me ask it this way -- the other brothers in the group with you when you first started, did they come to that kind of peace as easily as you did? were there folk in the group that had a hard time accepting it? >> i think not. i think everyone of us found a piece like that -- found peace like that. we were having -- the school but we went to -- it wasn't peaches and cream. it was really a pretty bad establishment at the time. had so much fun together, man, singing together. we all found peace. tavis: i love your modesty. when you say that the school you went to in talladega wasn't teachers and cream, the truth of the matter is that there was a

school in alabama for the blind and there was a school in alabama for the black blind. [laughter] even back then, segregation and racism separated even blind people. you people can't even see, and they still wanted to keep them separate. >> that's absolutely right. tavis: isn't that pretty sick though? >> it is the past and now. tavis: what do you make of the fact that the lord has so blessed you that you are born blind in the south and you have been able, with this group, to travel the world spreading this good news? what do you make of that? >> i'm proud to be fortunate enough to have the privilege to do it you know -- to do it, you know? it makes it all worthwhile when you see how you touch people's lives. evil come up to you and tell you

-- people come up to you and tell you, you did something to me. you touched my heart. all that, it makes it all worthwhile. a lot of people think singing is an easy job, but it's not. sometimes, you've got to travel 300-400 miles an sing the same night. that's not easy. we do it, and we are used to it. we don't mind it. i do mind it sometimes. [laughter] tavis: but you still do it anyways. after all these years, do you still feel that same kind of joy when people are touched by the music, or after you have done this for so long and received every honor and every accolade and have traveled the world, do you ever get a little jaded, ever a little cynical, door -- or does it always bring you the same kind of joy to know that you touch the lives of people? >> i have not lost any of that. i am still having the same joy. i have to be honest. tired now little

sometimes good like i said, i'm an old guy now -- tired now sometimes. like i said, i'm an old guy now. i still do what i do. [laughter] tavis: you still got it. >> i've still got it. tavis: it's on the record. i've seen you in person so many times. i know you've still got it. since you raise that, what do you make of the fact that over all these years, you still have it, as far as your voice is concerned? after 70 years of all the wear and tear and all the travel around the world, 70 years later, this instrument is still holding up for you, and you can still -- you still got the pipes -- how have you protected this instrument all of the years? >> i don't dissipate myself. i get my proper amount of rest. tell that they

still need a little rest. i have a little rest -- rasp. if i get warmed up, i can still do it i'm supposed to. [laughter] tavis: i think the raspy works. i like raspy. if you get warmed up, you can work out. [laughter] >> oh yeah. tavis: what does warming up consist of? take me through a day. if you are doing a show at night, what is your process for getting your stuff ready and warmed up for that night? up at about 10:00 in the morning. i get me a cup of coffee. i get me some grits and eggs. tavis: that's it right there. i think it's the grits and eggs. go ahead. i'm sorry. few hollers. that gets it going. [laughter] tavis: a couple hollers is all

it takes and you're ready to go? [laughter] >> i'm ready to go. tavis: the group, over the years because of death and illness -- we talked about her brother clarence earlier, his health challenges -- the group come over the years, has changed. tell me about this current iteration of the blind boys of alabama. >> we have all had to make some changes. somee had someguys -- had guys now. like i said, clarence cannot go. we just lost another one in billy. we had to replace him. we have a new guy now, paul beasley. tavis: a nice voice. >> a very nice voice. sing in a famous good out of texas called the gospel keynotes. he has added -- as a matter of fact, he has taken it to another

level with his voice. tavis: that's him on "take me to the water." >> that's him. yes, indeed. wants to learn our style, that's all. tavis: when you say, learn your style, how would you describe, with all of these groups we have heard over the years singing gospel music, how would you describe, jimmy carter, the song stylings of the blind boys of alabama? what is that style? >> all i can tell you about that is that the blind boys of alabama are known as a traditional gospel singing group. we don't plan to deviate on that, even though sometimes we might seem that we have, but we haven't. so, that's it. we are a traditional gospel singing group.

when people bring material to us, we look at it, we listen to it, and if the style ain't right, we give it back to them. [laughter] though, andur point i think we are all the better for it, you will have taken some risk over the years. you have tried some different things. i'm picking up a conversation i had on the show one time with ben harper, who you guys did some stuff with. you have done -- you have tried some different things out. there are a lot of collaborators on this project. you collaborated with all different kinds of people treat you tried out different styles. you have gone some different directions. to your point, you have never deviated from the gospel tradition. >> that's correct. we never did and never will. tavis: never will. -- i want toocess phrase this the right way because i don't want to put you in your grave anytime soon -- we are all going to have to go that

way. >> one day. tavis: we can't get out of here alive. i only know one person. the rest of us are going to stay there. we have to go that way. what you have been able to do though -- speaking of paul beasley and others -- would you have been able to do is create an institution that is going to live beyond you. when you first started, your mama wouldn't even let you two are with the group because you were that young, but you have now put your imprint on something that is good to live way after you. there will be blind boys of alabama singing with a different iteration. that's got to make you feel good, that you helped to create an institution that is respected the world over. >> that's right. i hope when i do have to step down -- i hope it is no time soon, but you never know. people that iind can pass the torch to that i think will carry on. , ben moore, two

great singers, and paul beasley, they are able -- i'm teaching them everyday. i hope they are learning from you. tavis: i'm sure they are learning from you. they are being taught by you, they are being taught by the best. but talk about this new project, "i'll find a way." after doing so many records over the years, how do you keep finding a way to put material out that is good in different? ,> well, this record here justin vernon produced it. we went through the mill with justin, but after we were introduced to him and after we got talking with him, he had so many good ideas. is closer toere , you know,roots than the previous other ones.

he went around and got stuff like "i shall not be moved," those more traditional gospels -- that is what we are known for. he got all of that and brought it back to us, and "take me to the water" and all that stuff. less, the new stuff -- plus, the new stuff. "i'll find a way" with shara worden. when he introduced this stuff to it, andisten to everything just clicked. it just fell right in. earlier, youioned got some collaborators on your. patty griffin is on this project. >> yes, she is singing "jubilee." we did something with her. we did something with shara worden too in australia. we knew her. ones we weren't

too familiar with, but patty is a good singer with robert plant. tavis: absolutely. another good friend. our very good friend robert plant. we believe that right where it is. a very close friend of robert plant. robert plant is about as good as they come. >> yeah, we've got that on here. tavis: it is a beautiful thing to have people that want to work with you. >> it is. all of these people, we didn't even realize that we had so many fans that had been listening to the blind boys all this time. tavis: it is that soul and that spirit. they want some of that. [laughter] they want some of that blind boys of alabama soldier i'm always honored to have you on this program. when you talk to brother clarence, give him i regard and

love. >> i shall. tavis: the new project from the blind boys of alabama is called "i'll find a way." jimmy carter, the last original member who still travels with the band everywhere they go, even if he is tired. if you hear him in the hotel room giving a couple yells out, that means he is getting ready for the show that night. he's getting warmed up. jimmy carter, i love you. >> thank you very much. tavis: that's our show for tonight. as always, keep the faith. >> ♪ he said young man ♪ you're too young ♪ ♪ i'm free at last ♪ ♪ i'm free at last ♪ ♪ ♪ yes sir all right

♪ are you free ♪ are you free now ♪ can i get a witness ♪ can i get one witness here do you want to be free ♪ ♪ do you want to be free ♪ do you want to be free ♪ do you want to be free ♪ free at last ♪ free at last ♪ free at last ♪ free at last >> for more information on today's show, visit tavis smiley at pbs.org. tavis: hi, i'm tavis smiley. join me next time for a conversation with actress and playwright danai gurira as the new season of the -- of "the walking dead" begins.

that is next time. we will see you then. ♪ ♪ ♪ >> and by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. thank you. you. thank you. begins.

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