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SHOUT! Black Gospel Music Moments - The Rev. Janice Barnes

The Rev. Janice Barnes and the Jr. Petite Choir of Red Budd Holy Church of Rocky Mount, NC, I Must Be Young deliver a devastating gospel version of the beloved hymn, "The Old Rugged Cross."

In 1983, the unlikely duo of Rev. F.C. Barnes and the Rev. Janice Brown released one of the biggest hits in gospel history, "Rough Side of the Mountain" - a very traditional gospel song at a time when contemporary artists like Andrae Crouch and the Winans ruled the charts.

In the years to come, both artists would release numerous albums, both together and solo. One of the more unique LP's, however, is the Rev. Janice Barnes and the Jr. Petite Choir of Red Budd Holy Church of Rocky Mount, North Carolina LP, I Must Be Young. Besides being a mouthful to say, the choir of energetic youngsters manages to stay with Rev. Barnes' passionate vocals - including one of the greatest slow and bluesy versions of the "Old Rugged Cross" I've ever heard!

Old Rugged Cross by Rev Janice Barnes

MUSIC: The Rev. Janice Barnes and the Jr. Petite Choir of Red Budd Holy Church of Rocky Mount, NC, I Must Be Young LP, Side 1 Track 3.

I'm Robert Darden..."Shout! Black Gospel Music Moments" is produced by KWBU, the Black Gospel Music Preservation Program at Baylor University Libraries and is funded by generous support from the Prichard Foundation.

Robert F. Darden is the author of two dozen books, most recently: Nothing But Love in God’s Water, Volume II: Black Sacred Music from Sit-In to Resurrection City (Penn State University Press, 2016); Nothing But Love in God’s Water, Volume I: Black Sacred Music from the Civil War to the Civil Rights Movement(Penn State University Press, 2014); Jesus Laughed: The Redemptive Power of Humor(Abingdon Press, 2008), Reluctant Prophets and Clueless Disciples: Understanding the Bible by Telling Its Stories(Abingdon Press, 2006); and People Get Ready! A New History of Black Gospel Music(Continuum/Bloomsbury, 2004).