Program

Legends & Lore®

Subject

Arts & Culture, Folklore

Location

524 S Queen St, Kinston, NC 28501, USA

Lat/Long

35.254546, -77.581171

Grant Recipient

Woods Empowerment Foundation

Kinston, North Carolina’s most celebrated contribution to gospel is the Mitchell’s Christian Singers, formed by four Kinston folks: William Brown, Julius Davis, Louis “Panella” David, and Lewis Herring. Before their rise to fame, they worked as farmers, truck drivers, carpenters, and in tobacco factories. United by friendship and a shared love for harmonies, their combined voices produced captivating gospel melodies. Their journey from the farms of Kinston to the limelight began in the early 1930s. As they sang together, they caught the attention of J.B. Long, a scout for the American Record Company and skilled ear for talent who had also discovered Blind Boy Fuller.

The Mitchell’s Christian Singers’ big break came when they won a local talent contest organized by Long. The prize was a golden ticket to New York to record their first song, paving the way for many more. Their big moment arrived in 1938 when they took the stage at New York’s prestigious Carnegie Hall, performing at the Spirituals to Swing Concert. Kinston’s gospel culture paved the way for this inspiring and true rags-to-riches tale of four farmers singing all the way to Carnegie Hall.