In Memory of Jessy Dixon 1937-2011

     I was reading the "Gospel Greats " newletter this morning when I ran across the headline that Jessy Dixon had passed away. He went home to be with the Lord on September 26th. Jessy will be missed on the Gaither "Homecoming" tour singing songs such as "Highway to Heaven", "I Am Redeemed" just to name a few.

     I became familar with Jessy Dixon in 1976 with a song called "Gone at Last" from Paul Simon. The piano playing in rthe background sounded a lot like the piano player from our church at the time.  They would announce it as Paul Simon and the Jessy Dixon singers. In 1977 when I went to work at WJLS, they were getting some black gospel music in and there was an album by "Jessy Dixon' called "I Expect To See Him". On the back of it were endorsements from Leo Sayer, Paul Simon and others from the pop music world. I asked if I could have the album, and I bought it home. It was kind of contemporary, but I loved it.  I especially like the song "Hold On A Little While Longer". The words went something like this:
 If you feel it's raining in your life
Nothing you do seems to turn out right
Hold on a little while longer
Hold on a little longer
Hold to His hands (His hands)
God's unchanging hands
You've got to hold to His hand ,
God's unchanging hands
Build your hopes on things Eternal
My God will never let you down.

Then there was this "It's Alright Now": This one is my testimony. I wasn't saved when the album came out, but later it was my testimony.

When I started on my journey
I was a lost and lonely soul
I didn't know who I was or where I wanted to go
I felt an emptiness inside of me  I could never seem to fill
A longing in my heart the world just couldn't heal
But it's alright, it's alright now, It's alright it's alright now.

I went to my neighbor and said neighbor I need your help
He said I can't help you brother I'm looking for help myself
One day He came kocking at the door
When my heart I opened I knew it was the Lord
He told me that He loved me and forgave me of my sin
It's alright, it's alright now, yes it's alright it's alright now.


     Jessy Dixon became known to most of you because of the Gaither Homecoming series. I have albums by Jessy Dixon, a song that was popular in the 1980's was called "Silent Partner" and of course he was most famous for the Praise and worship song "Sanctuary". 

     Jessy's looks didn't change much over the years. I met him in person in 1999 at the Gaither Homecoming event in Charleston. I felt like a giggling schoolgirl. I told him that his was the first Gospel album I had ever owned, that I picked out myself.  He just nodded his head. and smiled.

     I know that Jessy will be missed in the gospel music world.  The only thing I can say about this is that if we had a real gospel station in Beckley you may have heard about this sooner.


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Everyone Can't Be In Your Front Row

     Sharon me gave this, I don't know if it is a poem or what. Everyone Can't Be In Your Front Row ( sometimes we just need to hear this ) Life is like a theater, so invite your audience carefully. Not everyone is holy or healthy enough to have a FRONT ROW seat in our lives. There are some people in your life that need to be loved from a distance. Its amazing what you can accomplish when you let go, or at least minimize your time draining, negative, incompatible not-going-anywhere relationships, friendships, fellowships or even family. Observe the relationships around you. Pay attention to which ones lean and which ones lean? Which ones encourage and which ones discourage? Which ones are on a path of growth uphill and which ones are going downhill or just staying still??? When you leave certain people do you feel better or worse?? Which ones always have drama or don't really understand, know and appreciate you and the gift rthat lies within you? The mor...
Read more

Don't Argue Or Reason With The Devil

I was watching Jesse Duplantis last night and he was teaching on Jesus being tempted in the wilderness in Matthew chapter 4. I was reminded of something that I was working on. I have never preached this message anywhere, but on radio once and I don't know when it ran...  In Matthew 4 "Then Jesus was led by the spirit into the wilderness, after fasting forty days he was hungry, the temptor came to Jesus and said, If thou be the Son of God command these stones to be turned into bread.  Jesus  said it is written that man shall not live by bread alone, but by every Word that proceedeth out of  out of the mouth of God."  Satan doesn't give up, he comes at Jesus a second time and says, "If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down, for it is written He shall Give His angels charge over you.... Jesus said for the second time, "It is written again, thou shall not tempt the Lord thy God. Satan didn't give up he came at Jesus a third time, takin...
Read more

Class of 1975, I Graduated, Whats Next????

The class of 1975 made it through the Pomp and Circumstance” getting our high school diplomas. June 6, 1975 seems like so long ago, but at the same time it seems like it was only yesterday. SO many decisions that were made that would affect our lives forever. I don’t think that we should hold decisions made by an 18 or 19 year old accountable for the rest of their lives. I was 17 when I graduated from high school and I was a very sheltered 17 year old to say the least. I had never dated. I didn’t date until I was 21. It wasn’t a religious thing, it was more like my mind and my age finally caught up with each other. Some of our class would go to college, some would work and some went into the military. Some would do well in college, some would leave home and go wild, but would eventually settle down into a career, some would marry and divorce, others married later, some would have children and some didn’t. This will cover my first year after graduation, what I did. Some of this some ...
Read more