- [Narrator] The gospel music of Alabama has influenced the entire world, and the "Alabama Gospel Roots" television show will give you a taste of this great music every week.

So call a neighbor, call a friend, and get ready to sing and dance and clap your hands.

It's time for "Alabama Gospel Roots."

(inspirational music) ♪ Why should I feel discouraged ♪ ♪ Why should the shadows come ♪ And why should my heart feel so lonely ♪ ♪ When I long for heaven my home ♪ ♪ For if Jesus is my person ♪ And a constant friend is He ♪ And if His eye is on that little sparrow ♪ ♪ How much more does He care for me ♪ ♪ For if His eye is on the sparrow ♪ ♪ How much more does he care for me ♪ ♪ So I'll sing because this makes me happy ♪ ♪ Yes, I'll sing because He set me free ♪ ♪ His eye is on the sparrow ♪ How much more does He care for me ♪ ♪ Let not your heart be troubled ♪ ♪ These precious words I sing ♪ He said these words in a promise ♪ ♪ A promise that would never fade away ♪ ♪ So when I call the closer to Him ♪ ♪ From care, He sets me free ♪ And if His eye is on that little sparrow ♪ ♪ How much more does He care for me ♪ ♪ For if His eye is on the sparrow ♪ ♪ How much more does He care for me ♪ ♪ So I'll sing because this makes me happy ♪ ♪ Makes me happy ♪ Oh, and I'll sing because He said, "Be free" ♪ ♪ His eye is on the sparrow ♪ How much more does He care for me ♪ ♪ For your eye is on the sparrow ♪ ♪ How much more, Lord, how much more ♪ ♪ Do you care for me ♪ Care for me ♪ Care for me - Well, welcome again to "Alabama Gospel Roots."

Tonight is a great night.

We're gonna introduce this guy, but right now, let me tell you, call a neighbor, call a friend, let him know that we are back again.

Brother Bruce Seacrest.

- Brother George.

Good to meet you, sir.

- It is a pleasure to meet you.

- Yes, sir.

- And we thank you for joining us on "Alabama Gospel Roots."

- Thank you.

I'm humbled just to be asked to come.

I'm grateful to be here today.

- Great.

We had a chance to talk before you came on.

- Yes, sir.

- And your testimony is beautiful.

Your inspiration is evident, and we hope and trust that you'll be a regular on "Alabama Gospel Roots."

- If you'll have me, I'll be glad to come along.

- Well, it's already said and done.

- Alright, great.

- Great.

Now, where are you from?

- I'm originally from High Point, North Carolina, and right now I live a little bit below Nashville in a little town called Lewisburg, Tennessee.

- Okay, and are you a full-time ministry with them?

- Yes, sir.

I'm a full-time music evangelist.

- Okay and the name of the ministry is?

- I'm sponsored by a group called The Fair Havens Well.

It's a nonprofit.

- Okay.

- That sends me across the country, and out on the air and every place else there.

- Well, that's great.

That's great.

Well, we wanna tell them, thank them for.

- Thank you.

- Sending you down our way.

- Well, it's an honor to be here.

- Right here at Locust Fork, Alabama.

- Yes, sir.

- All right, and this is a wonderful place of healing here.

It's a place for the lost, the church for the lost is what this is.

- It's a very friendly place, and I feel, I feel right at home.

- Great.

Well, hey, on behalf of Pastor Chip, we wanna just say thank you for coming.

- Thank you.

- And everything's been rolled out for you.

- Well, I feel it.

- That's what I'm talking about.

All right, well listen, we want to keep on moving, and here's some more singing.

- Thank you very much.

- All right, Brother Bruce Seacrest on "Alabama Gospel Roots," and go ahead now, call a neighbor, call a friend, because there's much more to come.

(upbeat music) ♪ You have heard of little Moses in the bulrush ♪ ♪ You have heard of fearless David and his sling ♪ ♪ You have heard the story told of dreaming Joseph ♪ ♪ And of Jonah and the whale you often sing ♪ ♪ There are many, many others through the Bible ♪ ♪ I would like to see them all I do to declare ♪ ♪ By and by the Lord says we will surely meet them ♪ ♪ At that meeting in the air ♪ Oh, there is going to be a meeting in the air ♪ ♪ In the sweet, sweet by and by ♪ ♪ I am going to meet you ♪ Meet you over there in that home beyond the sky ♪ ♪ Such singing you'll hear never hurt by mortal ear ♪ ♪ 'Twill be glorious I do declare ♪ ♪ And God's own son will be the leading one ♪ ♪ At the meeting in the air ♪ Oh, there is going to be a meeting in the air ♪ ♪ In the sweet, sweet by and by ♪ ♪ I am going to meet you ♪ Meet you over there in that home beyond the sky ♪ ♪ Such singing you will hear, never heard by mortal ear ♪ ♪ 'Twill be glorious I do declare ♪ ♪ And God's own son will be the leading one ♪ ♪ At the meeting in the air ♪ Well, play it, boys, there you go ♪ ♪ Sing along ♪ Oh I'll fly away, O glory, I'll fly away ♪ ♪ In the morning when I die, Hallelujah ♪ ♪ By and by, I'll fly away ♪ Oh, I'll fly away, oh glory, I'll fly away ♪ ♪ When I die, Hallelujah, by and by ♪ ♪ I'll fly away ♪ Just a few more weary days ♪ And then, I'll fly away ♪ Like a bird from prison bars have flown ♪ ♪ I'll fly away ♪ Oh, I'll fly away, oh Lord ♪ I'll fly away ♪ In the morning when I die, Hallelujah, by and by ♪ ♪ I'll fly away ♪ Yes, when I die, Hallelujah, by and by ♪ ♪ I'll fly away - Yes it is.

It's time for our shout outs and of the cities and nursing home and rehab centers, as well as to salute our golden vessel.

Got standing with me, a guy here, you might know him.

We up here passing licks up here.

(Dennis laughing) Dennis Williams.

Dennis works with us to secure many of the groups that you see, and Dennis just wanna let you know that we appreciate you, and man, listen, I know you up for a nomination.

You know how I feel all about that because you already, we don't need to vote.

The votes are in.

- Yes.

- And you know, the one who counts the votes.

- Absolutely.

- Has already counted you in.

- Yes sir.

- Yeah.

So you did how many programs?

Or if you will, booked how many last year?

- Counting this, about 327 groups.

- 327 groups, and you're breaking that record this year, right?

- Yes sir.

- Getting calls from all over the world.

- All over, from Selma to Athens.

- All right, I gotcha.

All outta United.

I mean outta Alabama, too.

Beyond Alabama.

- Yeah.

- Yeah.

Well, we thank you and we congratulate you on that.

Getting ready for Love Stock in Butte County.

- Yes.

- You worked on that.

- I have.

We have some.

- July 13th, right?

- July 13th.

We have been working on that.

We've got some great groups coming in.

I even have my granddaughter, Savannah Rowland.

She is going come.

- She does something unique there, right?

- She does.

- And I'm looking forward to it.

- Yeah, she is.

She is a blessing, and she puts a lot of hard work into that.

- Great.

- And it's just giving the Lord all the praise and glory about it.

- I'm looking forward to it.

Well, before my producer tell me to wrap it up, let me get into these cities, okay?

- Yes, sir.

- All right.

Thank you, Dennis Williams.

Let's talk to all our wonderful people in Babbie, Alabama.

B-A-B-B-I-E and 626 people.

If you've never heard of Babbie, don't worry about it.

It's in Covington County.

You'll find out about it sooner or later.

Grant, I had a chance to go up and be in Grant, Alabama, at the home going service up there with the wonderful family of the Wilson, Sarah, her father passed, Mr. Park Hill, and we are sending our sympathy and our prayers out to all the family and the friends.

Everybody was just so wonderful up in Grant.

Greenville, Alabama, 7,374 people in Butler County, Hobson City, all 759 residents of Hobson City and Calhoun County, and then Homewood.

Everybody knows where Homewood.

26,414 people there.

A lot of people.

- A lot of folks.

- Yeah, you gonna go over there and be 26,004 15 and run for mayor?

Here he is.

(Dennis laughing) That's in Jefferson County.

(microphone squealing) All right, and then we're gonna say hello to all the nursing home people at EAMC-Lanier Nursing Home in Valley, Alabama, Sylacauga Health and Rehab Center in Sylacauga, Alabama, Palms Garden Health and Rehab Center in Mobile.

All our people down there in south Alabama.

Lauderdale, Christian Nursing home in Killen.

I guess, I'm try to work with that.

That's a wonderful place to be.

I know in Cleveland County, nursing home in Heflin, and I say to all our nursing home friends, keep staying healthy, keep working hard, and you know what?

You going to get better and better every day.

Now our golden vessel, I'm honored to salute this man.

He's in Atmore, Alabama now, that's where he was born, but he'd been around the world, California, New York, Nashville, and now he's back in Atmore, Alabama, Mr. James Bullard.

He's a gospel music executive icon, worked from Los Angeles, as I said, Nashville, Atlanta, all across the world with some of the great artists like Shirley Caesar, Al Green, Mighty Clouds of Joy, Helen Baylor, Lee Williams and the Spiritual QCs, and the Reverend James Cleveland.

So we salute you tonight.

My friend had a chance to visit with him recently, 92 years old, and I'm telling he's looking young and fit and his mind is sharp.

So we salute you.

You're our golden vessel for tonight, Mr. James Bullard, and we dedicate this entire "Alabama Gospel Roots" show to you.

Let's hear some more great gospel music.

- Absolutely.

Let's hear it.

- All right.

(upbeat music) ♪ I stand amazed in the presence ♪ ♪ Of Jesus the Nazarene ♪ And wonder how He could love me ♪ ♪ A sinner condemned, unclean ♪ Singing oh, how marvelous, how wonderful ♪ ♪ And my song shall ever be ♪ Oh, how marvelous, how wonderful ♪ ♪ Is my Savior's love for me ♪ He took my sins and my sorrows ♪ ♪ He made them His very own ♪ He bore the burden to Calv'ry ♪ ♪ And suffered, and died alone