Jesus Tore My Heart To Pieces
THIS JUST IN:Sister Lucille Pope & The Pearly Gates will be honored during the Twentieth Anniversary Celebration of the
GMWA Quartet Division 'Salute to The Pioneers' at their annual convention, held this year in Atlanta, Georgia. It's great to see Sister Lucille, who is still out there performing, get some home-town kudos!
You Go, Sister!
6PM, WEDNESDAY, JULY 30, 2014
HYATT REGENCY HOTEL
265 PEACHTREE ST NE
ATLANTA,GA 30303
For tickets and information, please contact
GOSPEL MUSIC WORKSHOP AMERICA at 919-274-6340 or visit their website at
gmwanational.net.
The newly unearthed (and just awesome) promo photo above was taken back in the early sixties, when Sister Pope and The Gates were recording for the local
eddo label.
According to our friends at
45cat, The Gates had the only three releases on
eddo, which was owned by a gentleman named Ed Sheahan. Shane (as he phonetically renamed himself) was a dee-jay on WRIX radio in Griffin, GA, which is Sister Lucille's home town. Ed has stayed 'in the business', and is now president and CEO of
Shane Media Services out in Texas. Although Sister Lucille wrote today's selection, another name that kind of jumps out at you on the label is that of the publisher - 'Lowery Music', owned, I'm sure, by Atlanta music impresario
Bill Lowery. It's all good!
All of the
eddo 45s were picked up for distribution by other labels, including this one which was also released as Checker 5004 in 1964. It is, in my opinion, the best of the bunch. Check out the Gates, man! When Sister Pope starts preaching there towards the end, you just know the Holy Ghost is in the house!
Take a look at this late eighties performance from Sister & the Gates:
Amen! This wonderful woman has been putting the sunshine in all of our lives now for over sixty years. May God Bless and keep her, Brother Lewis, and all Pearly Gates past and present.
God is always on time!
1/9/14:
I am pleased to announce that our good friend Sister Lucille Pope-Alexander and her Pearly Gates have been chosen to be the 2014 inductees to the
American Gospel Quartet Convention Hall of Fame. As I'm sure you know by now, we believe Sister Lucille represents all that is right and real in Gospel Music, and it does our heart good to see that she is finally getting some of the recognition she deserves!
The induction ceremony will be held at:
6PM on FRIDAY, JANUARY 24, 2014
GREATER ST. JOHN BAPTIST CHURCH
2401 CARLOS AVENUE SW
BIRMINGHAM, AL 35211
For tickets and information, please contact the Convention at 205-798-4093 or visit their website at
agqconvention.ning.com.
