- [mother perry] people might not express it, but there's gonna be a change in somebody's life. that's what i'm working for. that somebody would just stand up in that congregation and tell god thank you. i've been saying, ♪ keep yourself prayed up. [ambient music] - [male announcer]: support for reel south is provided by:

additional funding for "stay prayed up" is provided by: and others. a complete list is available from pbs. [gentle music] - welcome to the main event. if you guys love church, this event, really churchy. so, and if you guys just wanna watch the fun and check up like how your friends are doing, most of your friends might even being there. - [mae] heavenly father. we are gathered here again. - [speaker 2] yes god. - [mae] thanking you for your many, many blessings. - [speaker 2] oh, yes, god thank you. - [mae] lord, you have been so good to us. - [speaker 2] thank you lord. yes, lord. - [mae] down through the years. - [speaker 2] yes. - [mae] you brought us this far. - [speaker 2] yes. - [mae] and you never left us. - [speaker 2] yes, sir. - [mae] and we can't praise you enough.

- [speaker 2] yes, sir. - [mae] as we go today in adventure, that's new to us. get in the midst of god. - [speaker 2] yes god. - [mae] and help us to do your will. we know that you are able and we know you can. - [speaker] yes. - strengthen us oh god. - [speaker 2] oh yes. - look down on little old me god. - [speaker 2] yes, yes. - [mae] it was all that love. - [speaker 2] yes. - [mae] we have inside of us for one for another. - [speaker] yes. - [mae] do these for us holy father, we'll be so very, very, very careful in giving your name the praise. in jesus name we pray amen. - [group] amen. ♪ i'm gonna walk through the streets of the city ♪ ♪ where my love one has gone on before ♪ ♪ oh yeah ♪ ♪ i'm gonna sit down on the banks of the river ♪ ♪ oh lord ♪ ♪ and i won't be back no more ♪

♪ yeah ♪ ♪ all my troubles and my ♪ ♪ will be over ♪ ♪ and i won't have to cry no more ♪ ♪ oh yeah ♪ ♪ i'm gonna sit down on the banks of the river ♪ ♪ oh yeah ♪ ♪ and i won't be back ♪ ♪ no more ♪ ♪ yeah ♪ ♪ yeah ♪ [people chattering] ♪ to the streets of the city ♪

♪ my lord ♪ ♪ where my love one has gone ♪ ♪ on before ♪ ♪ we gonna sit down ♪ - so many people call her ma, mae or mother perry, because it's a part of her. - [mae] try g. - [speaker] try g? [gentle piano] - i don't know of any that would go up to her and call her ms perry. ma gotta come out because mother is what you feel. ♪ gone before ♪ ♪ i'm gonna sit down ♪ - switch it over to c. switch it over to c. if i wanna run, i'll run. if i wanna jump, i'll jump. whatever, the lord say do. now, i'm not a show off when it come to dealing with god. he gotta be in the midst, or i need to go somewhere and sit down.

♪ on the banks of the river ♪ - come on yeah. ♪ and i won't be back no more ♪ - putting it in c. - [phil] yeah. i mean guys, did you hear that though? you heard that angela, i know you gotta hit that c. hit that c. - i thought it was c. no, no it wasn't that one. it wasn't that one. the first one we sung was in c. - [speaker] okay. - [mae] i like that. - [speaker] i like that too. - [mae] i like that song. - yeah. - [speaker] i like that song too. - when we go out and sing, i don't mind singing songs and take some songs from some other people. but i'm starting from where i, you know? [gentle piano] i want to do that. i mean, from back yonder ♪ oh ♪ ♪ look at the people ♪ ♪ oh ♪ ♪ look at the people ♪ ♪ oh ♪

♪ look at the people ♪ ♪ standing at the judgment ♪ ♪ gotta to be tried ♪ - they were very powerful singers. those three ladies, sister ethel elliot had the highest voice. the next voice down was sister lena mae perry and the aunt sister bennett. she had the lowest voice. and there was some beautiful three part harmony. - they were consistent in the song that they chose to sing, which was the old hymns. and they would put their little twist on it. and you knew, okay, this is the branchettes. ♪ i can see my mother ♪ - [mae] as time moved on, aunt mae sort of drifted off from us but ethel and i kept singing. ♪ you know that sin have love ♪ ♪ forever stay just as you are ♪

- when the lord say move [indistinct] some fire get under your foot. you just can't sit still. you gonna holler, you're gonna jump. whatever comes forth, you do it. and it makes me feel, oh like, just feel like i take wings and fly. ♪ oh ♪ ♪ to give my own ♪ ♪ you know that faith ♪ - i belonged to a noisy crew, shouting, and foot stomping and clapping and praise the lord. a church gospel, noisy crew. [wilbur laughing] - [mae] right. right. - just a line or two. [upbeat piano] - can anybody talk about wilber without smiling? he loves to play piano. he loves music. - wilber plays. he plays.

♪ you gotta trust him and give him time ♪ ♪ no matter how long it takes ♪ - even as a small child, i saw pianos in my sleep. i think that was a message from god. ♪ don't you worry ♪ ♪ it may not come when you want it ♪ ♪ but it's right on time ♪ - [mae] we didn't do "come by here good lord" did we? - [phil] we have not done that one yet. - yeah, that one, "victory is mine." - yeah. - and the other one, "i don't feel no ways tired." cause i'm still boundin'. [laughs] - that's right. the first time i met her, we were singing within 20 minutes of meeting each other all together. and she was teaching me parts. ♪ hey hey and we go on ♪ anytime we're on a stage, no matter where we are, she will bring people to the altar. she will invite something out of people. she's taught me how to follow her. - i love him. he can sing and he falls in line,

with the rest of the children. but when we wind it, we gotta be sort of wide open, you know? - [phil] oh yeah. - when we wind it. - [phil] yeah. - i approached sister perry at one point about, let's make a record together. would you be willing to make a record with me? i love how she responded. - yeah. - "that'd be fine". ♪ to me ♪ - as sad as that, but we hear the same thing. - [mae] you don't have to say [indistinct]. - you down here ♪ real real jesus is real ♪ - try it again. ♪ real ♪ - angela kent is one of north carolina's absolutely foundational gospel singers. she's just a powerhouse. just a phenomenal singer. ♪ whoa yes ♪ ♪ gave me the victory ♪

angela has known sister perry for most of her life. and her presence and her personality are just essential to bringing that third part. ♪ that is why i love him so ♪ ♪ he's so real to me ♪ i love this. this is great. these aren't any of the tunes i wrote down, and i love it. i just totally into it. [phil laughing] once we decided it was a live record, we talked about a lot of things. - what did you say? what did you mean? - we talked about honoring the other branchettes. obviously we talked about places in rooms she's been in her life. and we would go back to, well, where does the name the branchettes come from? [dramatic piano] - long branch disciples of christ. it really makes me feel good when i come up in this driveway,

'cause this is my stomping ground. we had a wonderful family. we had singing, parents, singing family. ♪ my lord ♪ ♪ were you there ♪ my sister and my brother and i, we made our own music, in the yard, back up in a corner somewhere. i would have a shoebox and my sister had the foot tub. we laughed, we frolicked. we had a good time, but we knew what we had to do. at some points, we had to fill up a barn of tobacco the same day. and it was a certain way, that tobacco had to go on that stick, put it on that string. and oh, could i do it? ♪ tremble ♪ ♪ tremble ♪ ♪ tremble ♪ we thought it was hard, but it wasn't. it was just part of life.

♪ when they ♪ my grandmother and my aunt remembers here at long branch church. they was elderly seniors that taught us so much. three little kids knew what three-part harmony, because we heard it so much. we knew that we were gonna have to sing at church. they called us then, the bennett three. [upbeat music] we pops up, goes down there to the front of the church and we would start singing and they would be just, clapping their hands and some singing along with us. and i heard my grandma say. "tear it all to pieces". ♪ misery ♪ ♪ oh have you ever ♪ ♪ a man like you is a misery ♪ ♪ a misery ♪ ♪ oh have you ever ♪ ♪ a man like you is a misery ♪

- [lena ] is that your senior? - [mae] senior class picture. - [lena] okay. - [mae] i loved school. i really loved to go to school. and that is lena mae bennett, valedictorian class of 1957. [mae laughing] - lena mae bennett valedictorian. - [lena] yes. - we rehearsed in daddy's corn patch and we start singing this little song that my granddad had taught us. something like ♪ we are rolling ♪ ♪ we are rolling now. ♪ little bitty children. ♪ we are rolling in this unfriendly world ♪ ♪ we are rolling ♪ ♪ we are rolling ♪ when we got ready to get in daddy's car, we knew exactly where we were supposed to sit

to make that harmony. ♪ we are rolling ♪ coming on highway 70, towards smithfield. we saw the sign and we had heard people talking about it, but it had three great big k's. kkk. ♪ we are rolling ♪ ♪ we are rolling ♪ with us being kids, we didn't really know what it meant. and we didn't talk about that. ♪ we are rolling ♪ it was a sense of fear. there were some klansmen in our community. some families had told they was afraid to go outside. somebody said they gonna come to their house. we couldn't do that much about it.

all we could do was pray. ♪ we are rolling ♪ ♪ through an unfriendly world ♪ [traffic whirring] [birds chirping] - i hope this record finds people wherever they are, somewhere in their life in a crazy way. if it's the right person, it's gonna change their life. i grew up in a tiny town in northern wisconsin called chippewa falls, and everyone went to confirmation on wednesday nights and we sang songs like. ♪ as a deer drinking for the water ♪

you know, that was the vibe. i feel like music finds you and it either grabs you, or it doesn't. so yeah, it's a little funny that, of course, gospel music came into me through the form of the movie sister act. you know what i mean? i mean, if i'm being honest. ♪ happy days ♪ ♪ oh happy days ♪ ♪ oh happy days ♪ ♪ yeah ♪ - a multitude of voices all together at the same time. like harmony, but not just like ♪ harmony ♪ like harmony. you know, just going like all those things shaking and vibrating at the same time. you know, like, do i have a choice? no. ♪ oh happy days ♪ [upbeat music] oh my god, that tune is so good.

[phil laughing] - [mae] wow. wow. - [phil] hey. - hey. - [phil] come by here. - how's everybody? - you look absolutely gorgeous. - [mae] thank you. thank you. - [band member] how you doing? - i'm good, i'm good. [phil laughing] - oh a handshake huh? just a little handshake? [people chattering] [people laughing] well, so what you think? - i said, i didn't know we have to get all this stuff in this little place. [people laughing] - i told chris, the engineer, i said, "when they walk in the room, you hit record. "because when you get the branchettes into a room, "you never know what's gonna come up". and sure enough, wilber sat down and had recorded an entire album's worth of material in a half hour.

it was the first thing that happened at the session. ♪ someday i'm going to see my lord ♪ ♪ walk around the heaven ♪ ♪ spread the news ♪ ♪ put on my shiny golden shoes ♪ ♪ when my savior calls me home ♪ ♪ well you'd better get ready ♪ ♪ every day ♪ ♪ tell the things will always stay ♪ ♪ heaven gates ♪ ♪ open wide for me ♪ ♪ when my savior calls me home ♪ ♪ mmm mmm ♪ - that's a good one. - yeah, that's the great song that was sung by, the walker sisters, of raleigh, north carolina. if there was a right promoter, or something down in this area, they would've been pushed to the top a long time ago. some people get breaks and some people don't. [people laughing]

hi sugar. [people chattering] - [phil] all right. walk the street to the city. let's do one in g first. - i thought i sung that in c because it was, you know, we had a little conflict over there. - no, i'm sorry. - uh-uh, that's not it. - no, it's not! [people laughing] - is it a g? - huh? - [mae] let's find out. what is it? [wilbur exhaling] - hold tight. - [mae] i told you to rest while he does it. - no, no, no. - [mae] listen to mom. - when you continue to, you gotta breathe. everybody has to breathe just a little bit. - [mae] yeah, you have to. - you gotta catch that breath. that's the truth. - [mae] let me see, what? - what was his name of the song? - [mae] what i said to you. - three years ago, i had problems with circulation on my left leg. so i had to have it amputated below the knee. every key i hit, encouraged me to continue on.

♪ was there ♪ ♪ all ♪ ♪ the time ♪ ♪ he was there ♪ ♪ he was there ♪ ♪ all the time ♪ ♪ all the time ♪ ♪ he was waiting patiently ♪ ♪ waiting patiently ♪ ♪ he was waiting patiently ♪ ♪ oh in life ♪ ♪ in life ♪ ♪ he was ♪ ♪ was there ♪ - the god who put me here, is for me to inspire people and i pray and ask god,

you know, "lord, i'm working for you. "please open doors for me. "please". i pray that prayer lots of times. - [phil] the branchettes and friends at a nursing home in dublin ireland. - [lena] remember that? - [mae] yes. - [lena] so mom, where were you guys in this photo? that looked like when y'all maybe first started. - [mae] yeah. - [lena] i do think. - [mae] yeah. and that was an anniversary. that was the first anniversary. 'cause we had [indistinct]. first anniversary. - wow. - yeah. - this one is the closest one. this one says. - 1982. - 1982. - okay. and wilbur would've been in this time, or no? - no. we was on a journey. we were singing at different churches. so, we went to this church in angier,

north carolina, right down the road. [upbeat gospel singing] wilber came to play for this church. when he put them long fingers on that piano, i said "elsa, that's the man". ♪ i pray that i pray ♪ ♪ prayed all night long ♪ - we'd be invited to so many ministries all over north carolina. saturday nights, sunday mornings, sunday evenings, we were gone every weekend. - travel, travel, travel, travel. ♪ just couldn't rest a day ♪ ♪ my soul ♪ - [speaker] johnson county and surrounding county is definitely known for strong gospel roots. [upbeat gospel singing] a gospel choir anniversary,

is a celebration of another year that you have been steadfast, unmovable doing the work of god. ♪ god he hold me up ♪ ♪ god ♪ the attendance sheet will run from 12 to 15 groups each day. ♪ lord i thank you ♪ ♪ lord ♪ ♪ lord i thank you ♪ - we started it here, but the church was too small. [people cheering] [people singing gospel] - [speaker] i know she has traveled far, because of the support that she gets at her anniversary. some of those groups traveled two hours and sing two, maybe three songs. but they traveled because, they were gonna be in the midst of something remarkable.

every group, every person, don't have that ability to give the people a ministry that they want, a ministry that they need and a ministry that they gonna hunger for. [whirring traffic] - cucumbers old tradition. let me see, let me see. [water trickling] we learned a lot of this when we were at home and daddy grew his cucumbers. and wilbur tell me sometimes "sister perry", when he say it like that, i know something about cooking. you want me to tell her how to put, what to put together. - she will tell me exactly what to do

and it will come out right every time. i'm surprised that she doesn't have sister lena mae perry's cookbook on the market. - get it all mixed up. whip it up real good. and i got some of all the little utensils that people, that lazy people use to keep from you using your arm. you just take time and do it and it'll whip up. - one of the previous chapters of sister perry's life, she owned a soul kitchen in raleigh, called mae's country kitchen. - i cooked real meals, not no sandwiches. - i would go down there every day. i don't care about working in cary. i would come back at 12 o'clock and eat at mae's kitchen.

- i had the little booths up and down the side of this wall. i had the little bars, so i could walk around and talk to each one of them. - you see all kinds of people there. all walks of life. some of 'em have drunk, but they would be there but. [johnny laughing] [sizzling oil] - she could handle a congregation of hundreds of people. all of us hungry at the same time. all of us going into the fellowship hall at the same time. you knew that mother perry had put her love and her professional touch to it. if you didn't come back for the preaching, you sure came back for the food. [laughing] [oil bubbling] - she and her family share meals together, several times a week. you know, and they are all grown and married and have their own lives and careers. but they dine together several nights a week. [oil bubbling] - their daddy started it and if they weren't here, especially by this time,

he'd be on the phone calling every one of 'em. ♪ here we go ♪ ♪ walking ♪ he would look after those kids while i was gone and i stayed on the road. and he never ever said to me that you can't go. he made it possible. - [speaker] even though she traveled a lot, she let people know, i gotta get back home. i still am a wife and a mom. ♪ trying to get rid of all of my ♪ - let's say a prayer. the heavenly father, we thank you for this moment. we thank you for what we have accomplished this day. we thank you for us being a close, connected family. thank you for being able to see my children by almost every day. keep 'em safe, is if it is your will.

- [speaker] yes. - now lord, we are truly and thankful for what we are about to receive for the nourishments of our bodies for christ sake. amen. - [group] amen. - it wasn't too long was it? - [lena] it wasn't too long. we didn't have to get the offering trays out. [mae laughing] - [lena] yeah. - regina has worked another. she could almost have ran the restaurant for me. y'all pretty well knew what you supposed to do. - i knew i had to clean the stove and i didn't wash many dishes. - sometime i went back there to wash dishes, just to get out the front. [laughing] - [mae] regina. - nobody be in the kitchen but mama. - and still can't go in there now. - can't go in there now. - [cedric] don't put nothing in the sink. can't wash the dishes, - can't do nothing. - [cedric] can't even walk in there. [people laughing] - when all of those kids was young, i taught them to love everybody, because i knew that in this life there's lot of things you gotta confront. you got to have enough faith and you got to be able to put enough trust in god, that you can handle what comes up against you.

1997. - [kenny] okay. - [mae] i lost my oldest child, kenny. [indistinct] he was a smart child. he was so sweet and he really loved karate. and right outta high school, he went into service. he was a overseas a whole lot and when he come home, we would just be so overwhelmed, there come my baby. [mae laughing] [soft music] when he was sick, when he called me, i went to germany and i went to visit him and they had this long board across there with different plugs in it. and my baby would, had something in each,

every one of them plugs trying to keep him in. i never saw him move. i just sit there and watched. there's nothing like losing a child. you can't help but think about it and it hurts. just like it happened yesterday. as we are born in the world, we don't know how we gonna leave. and i didn't want to question god, 'cause he's in control. and it seems like when i began to like trust god, i got a little bit of more ease. i usually say, "god, you handle this. "i can't handle this".

[dramatic piano] ♪ i don't ♪ ♪ feel no waste time ♪ ♪ come too far from where i started from ♪ ♪ nobody told me ♪ ♪ that the road would be easy ♪ ♪ i don't believe he brought me this far ♪ ♪ to leave me ♪ ♪ i don't feel no waste time ♪ ♪ come too far from where i started from ♪

♪ nobody told me that this road would be easy ♪ ♪ i don't believe he brought me this far ♪ ♪ i don't believe he brought me this far ♪ ♪ i don't believe ♪ ♪ i don't believe he brought me this far to leave me ♪ [people clapping] [gentle piano] - [speaker] hey, how are you? - [mae] hello. look at you, oh that's beautiful.

- [speaker] hey sweetie, how are you? - i'm good. love you all. - [speaker] good. - [mae] how you doing handsome? - [speaker] everybody loves ms perry. - [mae] good to see you. - god's dream woman. you can look and count on her. church is her middle name. [people chattering] - [speaker] good morning. - [speaker 2] good morning. - what a mighty god we serve. - what a mighty god. - [preacher] we've come into this house, gathered in his name. - that's right. - we may as well go and give him the praise. - hallelujah. [people clapping] - my mama always told me, "keep yourself prayed up". and that's what i do. - [speaker] anyone else? - the same god that's in the church, is the same god that's out there with me on those stages. mighty, mighty good. ♪ i prayed up ♪

♪ lord ♪ ♪ jesus ♪ ♪ i'm holding up ♪ - gospel music has a tendency to go where the gospel itself cannot go. well, the gospel is the power of god unto salvation. we know we need the gospel. but to get some people to the gospel, you got to give them the appetizer of the music. - you get much out of a song, as a sermon. that one gospel song can pull you into the church, because the spirit has been uplifted. ♪ got him up ♪ ♪ and him ♪ ♪ tell him what you are ♪ - [group] yeah. [people clapping]

- yeah. - [speaker] amen. - [group] amen. - [speaker] amen and so i praise him. - i have hope. i want y'all to get that too. - [speaker] yes. - a lot of stuff is going on. we living in a hopeless time. can can we be real? can i talk to some - [speaker] yes, yes. - real people today? this thing has to become personal to y'all. - [speaker] that's right. that's right. - i can encourage you. - yes. - and i can offer your hope and i can tell you about jesus. but you gotta get this right in your own heart and in the home. - that's right. that's right. - see, i want you to have hope. phil i want you to have hope. but i do, i really do. i want you to have hope. but you gotta get in. - [speaker] yeah. - yeah, yeah. we can't wait, until the battle is over the shout.

we got to shout now. [indistinct] - yes. - i can't see my way all the time, but i still have to live up the end. i don't always have what i wanna have, but i lift up my head and i say "god, - thank you god. - "why does the [indistinct] becomes much? - [mae] yes. [people clapping] - for god i live and for god i die. - [speaker] yeah. - [barbara] and for this i have hope. - hope. yes. [birds chirping] oh, good morning vanessa. i was just checking on you, after the conversation last night, to see how you were doing and see if you're feeling good this morning. but i'll give you a call a little bit later. okay, bye-bye.

♪ god will take care of you ♪ ♪ through every day along the way ♪ - so many people call sister lena mae perry, to pray for them as though she was their minister. but then again too, she knows how to pray. ♪ of you ♪ - every time i'd been sick in and outta the hospital, she was there. ♪ god will ♪ ♪ take care ♪ ♪ of you ♪ [phone ringing] ♪ through every day ♪ oh my goodness. ♪ along the way ♪ hello? i'm doing great. how are you?

oh, i'm glad. i'm glad to hear that. i'm glad to hear that. had you on my mind and said, let me check on everybody, so that, you'll be surprised that the things that some people are going through. yes. and i sit there sometimes hours, trying to let them know that they're not alone. daniel, the next thing, you gotta look after yourself also. so take care. - she's opened me up so much more, to where i see god every day. so many more places, than i did five years ago. in people, in nature, in all kinds of things. ♪ he will show you ♪ i've just noticed gratitude being a lot more at the forefront of my brain. ♪ where he bled and died ♪ ♪ get right with god ♪ ♪ get right, get right with god ♪

♪ every chance ♪ ♪ to the highest mountain ♪ the people's keyboard. ♪ hand in gold ♪ kenny arrived from maryland and basically just walked into the room and we handed him a microphone and he just went into it and i think we went straight into a song he taught us. ♪ whoa yeah ♪ ♪ all the love ♪ - i've known kenny since he was a little boy. he's an excellent singer. ♪ yeah ♪ and what make it so good, he's not ashamed to give god praise. he give god all he got.

- i'm trying to think. now, i sang a total different way. sometimes i'll solo the first part and then everybody come in on a, i don't wanna take everybody outta their comfort zone. - [speaker] nope, that'd be cool. - [kenny] everything and just kind of pick every note on edges. - i asked the lord to instill into my mind, songs that will flow through the congregation, so that they might be able to feel it. - and i might say something like. ♪ oh, i know it was a lot of love ♪ - edward g-o-s-p-e-l. that's faith. ♪ that's given me strength ♪ the church is a building, but the church is inside of you. ♪ today ♪ ♪ it will never ♪

♪ never ♪ - there we go ♪ never lose ♪ ♪ it's power ♪ ♪ whoa i know it reaches ♪ let me know that ♪ to the highest mountain ♪ ♪ and when i found myself in the low place ♪ ♪ i found out that that same god ♪ ♪ is flown all the way on down to the lord ♪ ♪ yeah lord ♪ ♪ this valley ♪ ♪ somebody said on yeah ♪ ♪ oh yeah ♪ ♪ i know the love yeah ♪ ♪ that gives me strength ♪ ♪ from day ♪

♪ to day ♪ ♪ and we will never ♪ ♪ lose ♪ ♪ yes how ♪ ♪ i wanna tell you one time ♪ ♪ i said ♪ ♪ listen ♪ ♪ whoa i know it reaches ♪ ♪ to the and all of the highest mountain ♪ ♪ and then i found out that that same lord ♪ ♪ same flowing flow ♪ ♪ all the way on down to the sweet lord ♪ ♪ is found ♪ ♪ somebody said oh yeah ♪ ♪ oh yeah ♪ ♪ the love that gives me strength ♪ ♪ from day ♪

♪ to day ♪ ♪ take me ♪ ♪ you ever ♪ ♪ i don't know about you ♪ ♪ but i'm a believer ♪ ♪ we will never ♪ ♪ you'll never ever ♪ ♪ never never never never never never ♪ ♪ never never never never ♪ ♪ ever lose his power ♪ ♪ yeah ♪ [uninteligible] you ought to tap your neighbor and say "neighbor the blood still works"

[people clapping] [birds chirping] - [lena] so mom, what are you gonna wear today? - [mae] oh, the purple is pretty. - [lena] yeah, all the details with the feathers. that yellow will be pretty too. - oh yeah. i have put a whole lot of prayer in this project and one of the things that would just thrill me so much, if in this service with god being in charge, that somebody would just stand up in that congregation and tell god "thank you, i've been saved". people might not express it, but there's gonna be a change in somebody's life. that's what i'm working for. there's a song that we sing, please be patient with me. god is not through with me yet. and when god gets through with me,

i shall come forth like pure gold. my gold digging is here. and i'm so happy that i waited on the lord. ♪ everybody talking about if you gonna make it to heaven ♪ - [speaker] all right. ♪ all of us talk about heaven or maybe no heaven ♪ - ethel mae was my friend. she knew what i liked and she would cook some of that. and we picked the songs, where we were going to sing together. that's what you call real true love. - those two, it was like a marriage, loving, supportive, brave, honest and them coming together, making the branchettes, i think it gave them that strength that god's grace was gonna be sufficient

together and separate. [gentle melancholic music] the branchettes never forgot where they came from. they sung their roots and they sung a message to you. ♪ lord will you keep me lord ♪ ♪ lord keep me ♪ ♪ keep me day by day ♪ ♪ if you ♪ ♪ in a pure ♪ ♪ pure and perfect way ♪ ♪ i want to live ♪ ♪ i want to live on ♪

♪ i want to live on ♪ ♪ in a building not made by hand ♪ [birds chirping] - okay, right here is my grandma. that one right there, is her first cousins. ethel, you know i miss you so much and even now, when we go somewhere to sing, i don't care where it is. i can always hear you in this ear and it is so beautiful that voice. you're still one of us. we'll never forget you. that s is still on branchettes.

when i went to visit ethel in the hospital, i made a promise to her in her ear. as long as the lord let me live, the branchette's name will keep on going, until i leave here and that's what i'm doing. [upbeat piano] ♪ come by ♪ ♪ here's the lord ♪ ♪ come by here ♪ ♪ come by here's the lord ♪ ♪ come by here ♪ ♪ come by here's the lord ♪

♪ come by here ♪ ♪ yeah ♪ ♪ oh lord come by here ♪ ♪ oh come by here if you don't stay long ♪ ♪ come by here ♪ ♪ come by here don't stay long ♪ ♪ come by here ♪ ♪ come by here ♪ ♪ don't stay low ♪ ♪ come by here ♪ ♪ oh lord ♪ ♪ come by here ♪ ♪ i said someone is in trouble lord ♪ ♪ come by here ♪ ♪ somebody is in trouble lord ♪ ♪ come by here ♪ ♪ somebody's in trouble lord ♪ ♪ come by here ♪ ♪ oh lord ♪ ♪ oh lord ♪ ♪ oh ♪

♪ come by here ♪ ♪ oh ♪ - thank you. thank you for all of the we, for everyone that participated, for all of them that come out to do this first with the branchettes and i thank god for that. i know god is pleased. i know those other two branchettes are pleased, they'll still carrying the legacy on. now, i've come too far now to turn around, continue to give us that strength that we need, all our families. we need you in a time just like this. all our friends. we need you too and even our enemies. we all need you. now, god bless us, we shall be blessed. reverend, will you please dismiss us?

- god our father. god, we thank you for showing up and showing. god we thank you for allowing your holy spirit to rest ruling god in this place god. god let us find everything that we left better than it was. as we return god. now watch over us and keep us until we meet again and we all say amen. - [crowd] amen. - [speaker] amen. amen again. - [crowd] amen. ♪ let the church say amen ♪ ♪ let the church say amen ♪ ♪ god has spoken ♪ ♪ let the church say amen ♪ ♪ would you mind saying one more time ♪ ♪ let the church say amen ♪ - [mae] the lord has blessed and kept us, give us the strength that we need, to do what we are doing and we are happy. we are so, so happy.

- [phil] they're not gonna retire. that's not how it works. they will do this until they're no more. [winding down upbeat music] - how you doing sweetheart? - [speaker] you was awesome. - and i just feel good too. [wilbur laughing] absolutely. [gentle music] - [phil] there's an old hymn that i love called "a satisfied mind". every time i hear that song, i think of sister perry. - i love people, because if i didn't love people,

all of my running would be in vain and i don't want it to be in vain. - [phil] her whole life, she strengthened the ties between human beings. they feel closer, they see each other because of the vast amount of love that is in her heart. that's just an example of one person can do, in one community, person to person, day to day. song to song, over the course of a life. [gentle music]

- i want god to just keep and continue to elevate me. i refuse to give up now at 80 years old and he brought me this far. i want him to use me until he use me up. then i'll be satisfied. ♪ when we all see jesus ♪ ♪ we will sing and shout victory ♪ [mae humming]

[phone ringing] [mae chuckling] hello? hey, how are you? yeah, me too. me too. taking it one day at a time and trying to keep on going. [mae laughing] aha. good, good. good. [birds chirping] [upbeat gospel music] - [singer] here we go.

listen ♪ there'll be singing over yonder ♪ ♪ there'll be singing over there ♪ ♪ when our singers get together ♪ ♪ how we're gonna enjoy one another ♪ ♪ we gonna lay down our lives for the lord ♪ ♪ yeah, i know we're gonna lay down our lives for the lord ♪ ♪ there'll be shouting over yonder ♪ ♪ there'll be shouting over there ♪ ♪ when the shouters get together ♪ ♪ how we're gonna... ♪ - [male announcer]: support for reel south is provided by: additional funding for "stay prayed up" is provided by: and others. a complete list is available from pbs. ♪ you're watching pbs.

♪