Today’s post was written by Paul.
Corie, Pap, Granny, Katie
I’m thankful to have the video of Pap and Granny singing that I’m sharing today. I hope to find one more that I made prior to this one. I’ll be sure to share it too.
Several Acorns have commented that they wish they had recordings of their parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles, etc. With regard to audio recordings, I was born into the practice of making audio recordings.
Pap and his brothers made their first commercial recording in 1973 (Words of Life), but even prior to that, they made reel-to-reel recordings for the radio, to send to family members, and to check how they sounded. They continued to make recordings throughout their lives.
With regard to video recordings, I owe a big thanks to Mr. Derwin Chastain. Derwin married my first cousin, Gail (Uncle Ray’s oldest daughter), and Derwin is the father of Andrew Chastain who appeared in our Original Thursday series a couple of months ago.
In the late 1980’s, Derwin rented an RCA video camera from a store in Murphy. He brought the camera into the holler and recorded everyone he could. Although at the time, most of us acted pretty bashful, we later came to love seeing ourselves on the TV and being able to look back at younger, simpler times.
Not long after that, Derwin made a series of videos that were interviews with my Papaw Wade Wilson (Pap’s father). In those videos, Papaw told about his life and experiences preaching the gospel. Papaw passed in 1992 from lung cancer, and Derwin’s videos of him immediately became precious to our entire, extended family.
Lord willing, I will eventually share those videos on the Wilson Brothers YouTube channel.
In the late 90’s, Derwin also videoed Pap (my father) teaching in the Book of Revelations at New Martins Creek Church. I also hope to upload that content to the Wilson Brothers YouTube channel.
Derwin made two videos of Pap and Uncle Ray singing (one on the couch at Derwin’s home, and one sitting on the front of a car outside Uncle Ray’s house). Both of those videos were shot in the late 1980’s. You can find them on the Blind Pig & the Acorn YouTube channel.
All that to say that Derwin showed me that cherished moments are worth capturing, so when I got my first teaching job, I bought an RCA video camera very similar to the one that Derwin rented. I used it to make this video of Pap and Granny, and I still have it today.
Without Derwin’s influence, I don’t think I would have ever done that.
Pap and Granny learned the song I’m sharing from Walter Bailes. Here is a link to the episode of Country’s Family Reunion where Pap and Granny heard the song that they sang in today’s video.
As evidenced by them looking at a page of handwritten lyrics, you can tell that Pap and Granny were just learning the song at the time of this video in 2000, but if I recall correctly, the earlier video of them singing the song was actually better, and they did the song at a quicker pace. Hopefully, I’ll eventually find it.
I think at the time of that episode, the other Bailes Brothers were passed on. I thought it was neat that Jim and Jesse filled in for them. That video only shows Mr. Bailes sing the song, but in the full episode, he shared personal testimony about how God saved his soul and helped him overcome alcohol addiction. He admitted that he wrote the last verse the morning after having abused alcohol. Suffering from a bad hangover, he truly wrote that verse in a moment of shame and regret.
Most likely, Pap heard the Bailes Brothers sing this song when he was young, but it took the episode of Country’s Family Reunion to cause him and Granny to sing it. Most likely stemming from Walter’s personal battle with alcoholism, the Bailes Brothers had several songs that directly addressed the dangers and evils of drunkenness, such as “Whiskey is the Devil in Liquid Form” and “Drunkard’s Grave,” which Pap and I recorded on a CD called “Lamp Lighting Time.” I think that CD may currently be out of stock in the blindpig Etsy store, but hopefully we’ll make it available again sometime in the future.
Watching these old videos as I transferred them to DVD was bitter sweet. The 90’s and early 2000’s were a truly great time in America, more so than perhaps anyone realized at the time. In addition to family videos, I saw things like music and interviews from the Grand Ole Opry, with people like Charlie Louvin and Del McCoury. I saw Charlotte Church singing Christmas songs. Pap, Granny, and I used to love to hear her sing back then, when she was only 13 or 14 years old. I’m thankful for those days. They’re gone, but we can make the best of today, with God’s help. It’s strange to realize that in this video, Granny is only 8 years older than I am now. This life goes by so quickly. We should always take the time to tell and show our loved ones that we love them.
Paul
Original singles released on Spotify.
Shepherd of My Soul (Album released in 2016).
The Wilson Brothers Words of Life Album released in the 70s.
Enjoyed hearing your parents sing. Thank you Paul!
So precious ! Loved it ! Thank you for sharing it ! Praying for all !
Great video, Paul, wonderful memories! I’m sure you had no idea when you were filming just how precious these would be 26 years later! When Ira and Woodrow are old enough to appreciate them they will think so too.
This video is such a treasure! Thanks for sharing it with us!
I just loved this video you shared, Paul! It is so fun to go down memory lane and back in time. It was quite fun to see Tipper and the girls so much younger, and of course, Granny and Pap. I also enjoyed your thoughts and comments, and found them interesting and insightful, as always. Have a blessed day!
That song was beautiful! And the other videos were just a real treat!
God bless Matt’s father Tony, in Jesus name heal his body and make him well, I’ll be seeing a neurosurgeon tomorrow, if good Lord’s willing, pray for my visit, to be productive and successful, thank you and God bless you all
Norman I’m praying you get some help. God bless you! Thank you for your prayers!!
This is wonderful!
I still say Granny was the best singer of the bunch. Are there any recordings of her singing by herself, with no instruments or vocals hindering her?
Love this! All of it. So glad we have memories like this to share. thankyou
I loved the video, Paul. Thank you for sharing! Pap and Granny singing is wonderful, the beautiful flowers, and the birds in the background singing. So many wonderful memories. God bless
Thank you Paul and Tipper – a beautiful way to begin Sunday – listening to Pap & Granny – a blessing and a treasure for sure.
Happy Sunday! I’m praying for all, please pray for me and my family. I’m feeling emotional and like there is something coming. Please remember church today.
I’m sorry. I will keep praying.
Happy Sunday! Thank you Paul for sharing Pap and Granny singing with us. It’s a treasure for sure. When I saw Tipper with the girls, I couldn’t help but think that now the girls have grown up, Corie looks the most like Tipper did back then. I think this video was the first time I’ve seen Tipper with straight hair. I only remember her having curly hair. It’s funny how people see things in videos. Like some notice the background more than the people or how people react on camera. I’m one that notices people facial expressions, what they wear, hair styles, backgrounds, but mostly facial expressions. Yes, I hear the songs they sing or what they are saying, but I tend to notice other things too. Like in this video after Pap and Granny sang, I noticed a pillow behind Granny with snowmen on it and Tipper’s hair being straight. I loved when Granny said get us, “three generations together”. You are so blessed to have so many videos of your family together. My dad took videos too, but there were no sounds. After he passed one of my brothers took all the old motion picture reels, but did nothing with them. I have no clue where they are today, just lost forever I guess. You are smart for uploading your videos on YouTube because besides us subscribers seeing them, your family for all future generations will know your sweet family and your musical friends.
Loved the video Paul that you captured of Pap and Granny singing and the Easter one of Tipper and the little ones, Katie and Corie. You are really a JEWEL” of a son, brother and uncle. Oh my goodness how many hours you’ve been there to support and help guide Katie and Corie in their learning their instruments and performing with ya all. In one of the old blogs Tipper mentioned Pap referred to the twins as Jewels and I think Pap and Granny raised three jewels.
Last night I went with some of my Sunday School friends to Shippensburg University’s Luhr’s Center, PA., to see The Raleigh Ringers from North Carolina. Oh my we sure enjoyed all those handbell ringers!
God Bless ya all! I’ve got to leave for church.
That is the sweetest and most precious video of granny and pap singing and playing for the glory of our Blessed Llrd and Savior! The banter is cute too. They were a lovely couple. I thought the video of the holler and spring plants is lovely and wasn’t Tipper just gorgeous back in her day? I really enjoyed the video from start to finish. I enjoyed seeing years gone by. Weren’t the girls sweet and precious little ones back then too??? You really did yourself proud on your pretty home too, Paul. It’s just a lovely way to start my Sunday off right! Praise God for family and REAL LOVE which is what everybody really needs and wants!!! If love and family was money, you’d be millionaires!!!!
I dearly love listening to Pap and Granny singing. My wife’s family have many recordings of their Daddy singing with his band and many other friends. The recordings are on VHS, cassette and even some of the early ones in the early on reel to reel tapes made on a Sears and Roebuck recorder. Unfortunately most are unmarked and you unable to tell what is on them. My sister in law (Kathy) started singing with her Daddy when she was three years old, she would stand in a turned around straight back cane bottom chair and hold on to the back. Maria reminds me of her, Kathy would often be requested to sing two songs by people that knew her…”Build My Mansion” and “Where The Roses Never Fade.” I asked here to sing this song at my funeral but she died from a very rare brain disease in December 2016. Are there any CD’s of Maria singing available to buy of Maria?
Randy, there isn’t but she should make some 🙂