Growing up with singers

Growing up with singers

When I was a kid, music was always around me. But, not where you’d think. We never had a record player till I begged for one from the RCA record club at the age of 10. There was very little music available on the 3 channels we got on TV. Dick Clark’s BandStand on Saturdays and an occasional lip sync on variety shows. I had a variety of transistor radios over the years. But, the majority of music I grew up with was the acapella voices of my mom and dad.
Mom and dad sang all the time. Mom was the song leader at the Baptist Church. Dad was the deacon. When we were in the car, or at home, mom and dad would often sing hymnal songs together.
Mom would sometimes sing non religious songs to us… such as “Mary Ann, down by the seashore sifting sand…” and dad had a collection of old 78 RPM records including “Wabash Cannonball” that I never saw him play, but did sing out loud occasionally.
It was not unusual to find dad sitting alone on the porch, singing a gospel song out loud to no one.
Mom and dad would sing special music at church occasionally. Sometimes as a solo, often as a duet and one song I remember in particular with my Aunt Bonnie. “Surely, Goodness and Mercy.” So, we decided that they were the title. My mom is named SHirley (Surely), and dad was goodness and Bonnie was mercy.
There is one song that still sends chills up my spine. MY dad, did not read music, but loved to sing. He would often sing a solo of “How Great Thou Art.” He would stand at the front of the church, beside the podium, his glasses held in one hand, while his gurff, deep voice sang out the words that were the basis of his faith. Dad and mom sang the songs because they believed the songs.
My family wasn't a family that played musical instruments, even though my little sister Jo, finally became the first real musician in the family. My family’s instrument was their voice. A good voice is not something I share with them.
ALthough, in my lifelong love of music, to this day, when I am outside, looking at the night time sky, I still hear my dad’s voice singing out “I see the stars. I hear the rolling thunder. Thy power throughout, the universe proclaim.”
That is the music present in every night of stars or in every storm.