Dr. Bobby Jones
The role of gospel music in America throughout its 200-plus year history is 1,000,000 times richer than most men could become had they that lifespan to accumulate wealth. The music stands proudly as a staple to our heritage, itself, reaching the levels of even baseball and apple pie as it is intertwined in our basic structure as Southerners, deeply influencing the most intimate parts of our souls to help overcome woes, immensely strengthen faith and especially supply an outlet to exclaim that woe-shedding and belief at the tops of our lungs, ultimately bringing everyone closer together in harmony for at least an hour out of each week in the pews.
One man has made it his life’s work to carry the opportunities to achieve those necessities of happiness and life enrichment for aspiring Christian gospel musicians, as well as listeners, be them in town or far past our borders to the corners of the globe, and has done so for over thirty years, gaining him the name Ambassador of Gospel, or even Mr. Gospel himself.
Dr. Bobby Jones has many titles under his belt that hit the ear in similar fashion but you may know him mostly as the producer, host and performer of the longest running original show in cable television history for 31 seasons: The Grammy award-winning Bobby Jones Gospel, remaining one of BET’s pride-and-joy broadcasts. Adding to that, he has Bobby Jones Gospel Radio, his magazine publications, movie appearances and an extensive accumulation of awards such as multiple Grammys, Dove Awards and Stellar Awards.
“Yeah, […] it’s impossible to even try and think of all these things. Some stand out bigger than others,” Dr. Jones said when asked about his career accomplishments. “I think the one I’m most impressed with is I’m in the cabinet and the prime minister of Dominica. I am an ambassador for their country. That’s a big deal (laughs). That was all brought about because of them watching my shows on the island and seeing what my philanthropic efforts are. I’m a philanthropist, in a way of speaking. And [the U.S.] thought that because of the [audience] I have that people would be eager to follow what I say. So, I’m coming to Murfreesboro!”
Cicely Mason (top) and Janard Cross
But the man is really known as a revolutionary of the genre, and to our gospel circuit’s delight, is bringing his notoriety to Bluesboro in the middle of the month on behalf of the Middle Tennessee Gospel Music Consortium (MTGMC). Hosted by the organization’s event chair Janard Cross and co-host Cicely Mason, the audience is in for a night of performances showcasing local acts including The Bingham Sisters, Root Road, Dex & Divine Purpose, Shelly Massey, and Darryl Chaney & Christ Fellowship Chorale, all of whom have put in their time performing at churches and coffee houses around the area and some of whom have already been guests on Dr. Jones’s broadcasts in the past.
Dr. Jones, what brings you to Murfreesboro?
[Laughs] [MTGMC] decided that because the gospel artists and the people there […] come into Nashville in large numbers, [that] gave us the indication that they were great supporters of our industry, so we decided to go there first as the consortium. [The Bluesboro show] is going to be an intimate gospel music presentation by a variety of artists of different music. It should be an enjoyable evening.
How’d did you find out about the musicians playing with you that evening?
Some of them have been to my [Nashville] studio and have recorded. [I tell them] to make good music, be serious about it, study the climate—that means the surrounding situations that relate to what you do—be prevalent, and develop their skills, and most of those people have gone on to become quite successful.
Any particular ones we should be keeping an eye out for?
All of them. (Laughs). They’re like having children. You can’t love one of them more than another, especially if they’re well-behaved. So, you can’t show any partiality towards one of them because they’re all my babies. I speak very highly of them.
And beyond the Bluesboro show?
A continuation of what I do. We’re just taping television shows for the new artist showcases I present on the Impact Television network, which is a new satellite network that’s been up for about a year now. Its black owned and I left one network to go to it. I helped the other one to grow tremendously that was called the Word and we were responsible for BET being where it is. Now I’m challenging the next one I’m on called Impact.
The Bingham Sisters
Impact?
I come on there every day at 3:00 our time. You can get it if you have the Dish satellite, which is numbers 93 through 97, but if you don’t have the Dish and you’re in your office in front of your computer, you can go to www.time4impact.com, and there you will find music going out all over the world from Nashville, Tennessee, every day, at 3:00. Isn’t that a wonderful thing for us?
Nice. I hope to see our locals represented, soon. What would you say your representation of gospel music has been over the years?
To sum it up, it’s been a magnificent journey travelling all over the world. I’ve been on every continent in the world except one, and gospel music is flourishing; people love it from different areas and it’s been a joy. And to come from the middle Tennessee area with the music is another scripture to the fact that Nashville and Middle Tennessee is a music kingdom. One of them. We have New York, LA and we have Nashville.
Anything else we should know about the Bluesboro date?
Well, since we’re coming into Murfreesboro, we’re sure that we’re going to have a jam-packed house, and I want them to get ready to come out and enjoy all that we have to present to them. As long as they keep supporting it we’ll keep coming back, and some of the artists will become more and more known. Some of the real known artists, we’ll bring them in as well. We’re looking forward to it. I believe they’re doing a great job. I hope you get a chance to stop by.
This is the first MTGMC event in Murfreesboro and will be held at Bluesboro, Sunday, Feb. 19 at 5 p.m., with the doors opening at 4:30. There will be a $10 cover, but tickets are being sold in advance at the Middle Tennessee Gospel Music Consortium’s Facebook page or by calling Janard Cross at 615-585-9136.
