Filed under: Exclusives, Interviews, Music, Gospel, Television
The 72-year-old singer/TV host's weekly series 'Bobby Jones Gospel' has been on television for 29 seasons.
According to Jones, it's the longest running show on cable television and he just found out, it's also the longest running live format show across the board. Despite it all, the Tennessee-bred talent has never been recognized by The Emmys, The NAACP Image Awards or even at the TV Land Awards for that matter.
"It's because its gospel," he explained to BV Buzz. "It's the genre of music. Because it is a religious program, they care not to respect it for its entertainment value. It's only looked at for its spiritual value."
Even in an era where Tyler Perry has helped to break down barriers for the faith-based comm
unity with his blockbuster films and his award-winning sitcoms on TBS, Jones confessed it's still hard to get advertisers to back a show like his even going into his 30th season."It's very hard to find sponsorship," he shared. "It is because it's a religious show! But I am very happy that companies like Verizon and a few others are getting into spiritual sponsorship and doing events like Verizon's How Sweet the Sound. That's important!"
'Bobby Jones Gospel' kicked off its 30th season on Sunday, Oct. 3 with an all-star tribute to the Bishop Walter Hawkins - read: 'Gone Up Yonder: Gospel Great Walter Hawkins Dead' - that featured performances by Jones' Nashville Super Choir, Kurt Carr, Jennifer Holiday, Richard Smallwood & Vision, Kim Burrell, Kathy Taylor, Karen Clark Sheard, Shirley Caesar and Byron Cage.
"It was such an honor to do that; I wouldn't have had it any other way. His brother Edwin Hawkins is one of my best friends. Walter always teased me for not giving him the respect that I give to Edwin, but it was only because Edwin and I have spent so much time touring in Europe together that I got to know him better. He had such a great personality and his contribution to gospel was great. It was a real pleasure to do that," said Jones, before adding: "But I wish you all could have seen on TV what happened after Karen Clark Sheard sang 'Changed.' The spirit really moved in the studio, but they couldn't show that because there were too many artists and not enough time."
Jones, who also occasionally hosts shows for the Word Network, the Gospel Music Channel and Centric, said part of the reason that he is launching his own television complex facility Visions in Nashville later this month is so that he can control exactly what viewers are able to see on TV.
The Grammy-winning singer, who released his last CD 'Ambassador' in 2007, disclosed that while he has no intentions to slow down anytime soon with his television endeavors, he does think he's done with the music business.
"I think I am pretty much done with recordings. They don't really work for me. I'm not going to fool with it really unless I find another way," he admitted, before lamenting: "Gospel radio isn't friendly to me and I don't why."
Jones, who is also an ambassador of the Commonwealth of Dominica, was recently interviewed for a Wa
shington Post feature titled 'The Gospel according to Bobby Jones.' Though he is extremely pleased the daily newspaper decided to prominently feature the launch of his 30th season, he wanted to clarify one of the subjects highlighted during the interview."It says that I don't believe in organized religion and that's not true. That's not what I was saying at all. I just don't like the commercialism that some churches are taking on. Sometimes I think we overdue ourselves trying to be like the mainstream marketplace. We have our own place and we need to celebrate and recognize that," he elucidated.
Splitting his time now between his residences in Nashville, Tenn. and Fort Lauderdale, Fla., Jones pointed out that he is a member of two churches -- Temple Baptist in Nashville and New Mount Olive Missionary Baptist in Fort Lauderdale.
Jones also pointed out that his show, 'Bobby Jones Gospel' is for the avid churchgoer and the un-churched.
His new season features performances by gospel luminaries like Tamela Mann, Hezekiah Walker, Dottie Peoples, VaShawn Mitchell, Ricky Dillard, 'Sunday Best' winner Y'Anna Crawley, Donald Lawrence, Ted Winn and JJ Hairston & Youthful Praise; in addition to mainstream stars like Ledisi, Kirk Whalum, Melba Moore and Jonathan Butler.
"I thank God and praise God for it," Jones concluded.
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For related stories, read also: 'Music Matters: Fred Hammond Re-Launches Record Label'
& 'Trey Lorenz: Singer Talks Mariah Carey, Beyonce & The Michael Jackson Memorial.'
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