The Sweet Brothers of Vero Beach, Florida, shared The Revealing Book of Life, Vol. 1 album, with another Song Bird Records act, the Cotton Brothers. And the two family groups had a lot in common – sweet sibling harmonies, and a deep soul sensibility. While the Cottons had a long career, the Sweets only released this one split LP, along with a handful of 45s.
Still, they’re frequently anthologized on gospel collections even today. Brothers Bobby, Horace, Zema, Eugene, Louis and cousin Charlie Thomas often toured with the Blind Boys of Alabama and could wreck a church with their impassioned vocals and preaching... which is why their track “I’ll Be Welcomed,” with its slow burn and spoken word intro is such a treat!
I’m Robert Darden … “Shout! Black Gospel Music Moments” is produced by KWBU and the Black Gospel Music Preservation Program at Baylor University Libraries.
