By Christopher Young,
Contributing Writer,
Oh, what a night of artistic excellence at Thee I Love’s Rose Embly McCoy auditorium Wednesday, April 2, 2025. How could it be anything but sheer celebration when you combine Jerry Smith & Children of Israel choir with soloists Katie Graham, Rhonda Chambers Davis, and Shelia Ramsey embracing gospel selections of the undisputed Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin.
The Queen grew up in Detroit’s New Bethel Baptist Church and was nominated forty-four times for Grammy Awards – winning eighteen, including eight consecutive years (1968-1975). Although most of her Grammy wins were in the Rhythm & Blues category, she also won for Soul Gospel Performance in 1973 and 1988, and Gospel Performance in 2008. She was twice named by Rolling Stone Magazine as the greatest singer of all time. She was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2005.
Dr. Mark G. Henderson served as narrator for the free concert sponsored by Jackson State University’s Department of Speech, Communication and Theatre where he serves as chair, as well as the JSU Office of Student Success/Title III. Henderson founded the renowned MADDRAMA Performance Troup in 1998 and continues to serve as artistic director.
Whether it be with the world renowned Mississippi Mass Choir – where he served as the founding first assistant director and still serves as minister of music; the Mississippi Children’s Choir; Jerry Smith & Children of Israel – which he founded in 1983; or as minister of music and pianist at the historic Farish Street Baptist Church in Jackson, you hardly notice when Jerry Smith first walks into the room – he is just that humble and unassuming. But when he sits down at those magical keys, oh how you feel him. As choir director, songwriter, arranger, musician and minister of music, he is inhabited by his music – you see it wash in and through him in performance.
On this inspirational night, nearly all members of Children of Israel performed under his direction – Antirnita Hill, Jessica Winston, Jonathan Winston, Shirley LaBranche, Cedric Robinson, Harvey Johnson, Stephan Johnson, Dennis McDonald, Alisa Patrick McDonald, LaToya Knight Hubbard, Jane Graham Crowner, Sonja Powe and Sandra Thomas.
The concert began with a high voltage rendition of The Best is Yet to Come. Selections that followed included Precious Lord Take My Hand, with Sheila Ramsey out front; What a Friend, led by Alisa Patrick McDonald, musical director of MADDRAMA and the NADSA (National Association of Dramatic and Speech Arts) Intergenerational Choir; Katie Graham, who Henderson described as being “light years beyond what music can comprehend,” led Precious Memories; alongside Dennis McDonald and Rhonda Chambers Davis who was soloist for When Morning Come.
When Children of Israel took a brief break, Katie Graham returned for Never Grow Old, her heavenly voice with seemingly limitless range, delivering to the audience of over a hundred students and guests.
Sheila Ramsey came next with Amazing Grace, with a deeply personal lead-in. The Children of Israel returned to the stage, with Rhonda Chambers Davis’ powerful rendition of Mary Don’t You Weep. Graham, who spends most of her time in Atlanta, but returns to her native Jackson often, then came with How I Got Over, bringing the house to its feet – oh how she sang.
Just before the final selection, Henderson passed the mic to Jerry Smith. While performing at numerous events throughout Mississippi and as far beyond as Spain, Smith acknowledged that the Children of Israel have not performed publicly in Jackson itself in over twenty-five years. He gave thanks for the invitation. He thanked the one original member of Children of Israel, Alisa Patrick McDonald, who also serves as his business manager. He thanked other soloists Sheila Ramsey, Katie Graham, Rhonda Davis, and of course the other incredible musicians – Barry Bolden on organ, Marcus Singleton on drums and Micha May on bass guitar.
While it was gospel throughout, the final selection shifted to the popular for a rousing rendition of RESPECT by LaToya Knight Hubbard who brought it so propah! Surely if our Queen Aretha was still with us – gone seven years this August – to witness this tribute concert, we would have no doubt seen her incomparable glow, her timeless smile, and her meaningful nod – her unquestionable stamp of appreciation and approval.
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