Artee L. Philyaw: Long Journey to the Promised Land

A transfixing & beautiful song by Artee L. Philyaw (?-2008). From his obituary: “He was known as ‘Mr. Gospel Explosion’ on KIOU radio for many years. His singing career began at 5 years old & later became the leader of a Gospel group called the Echoes of Zion. He made several recordings & later CDs. Mr. Philyaw was known as an entrepreneur & had one of the first Black successful businesses called Philyaw's Confectionary. He was employed at Sears Roebuck in Bossier City, a board member of Security National Bank (the first Black owned bank in Shreveport), board member of the Casino Magic (Shreveport-Bossier), & acquired his dream as becoming a Mason, being the Worship master for the Broadway Lodge & he was also a member of the High Degree.”

From elsewhere: "[B]orn in Pleasant Hill, Louisiana, as the third of eleven children in a farm family. 'You worked harder & longer & you got lesser,' he quips of those days on the farm. He came to Shreveport alone to attend high school. 'I had to send my own self to school,' he says. He washed dishes at the Washington Hotel from 3 to 10:30 p.m. & bought his clothes at Goodwill. 'Children used to laugh at me because I wasn't able to go dressed like other children, & it hurt,' he recalls. [He] attended Milam Street Training School as well as Central Colored High School. Besides working at the hotel, he also was employed by Goldman Dry Goods Store, as well as at a radio station. He also worked as a carpenter. He joined a gospel singing group, Echoes of Zion, composed of both white & black members.” - http://ohp.rwnaf.org/tpl/index3.php?v...

Clearly he overcame a lot to become a leader in his community & create beautiful works such as this. I first learned of it via Kevin Nutt's Sinner's Crossroads radio program on WFMU, who I believe heard it via Shreveport music scholar Chris Brown. In ~15 years of searching, I have never seen this 45 or any other releases offered on the open market. I hope more of his music may become available before too long.

Hear another of Philyaw's deeply touching songs, Life Must Go On Without Me, via Brown's Shreveport Songs blog: http://shreveportsongs.blogspot.com/2...