Don Solomon, 2007 Oral History
Title
Don Solomon, 2007 Oral History
Description
Rev. Don Solomon (b.Feb 13, 1932, d. Dec 14, 2017) Pastor for many years of the Lily Grove Missionary Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama, and worked closely for years with UAB’s School of Public Health founding Congregations for Public Health. Solomon served as right hand man to millionaire A.G. Gaston for whom he worked for some 40 years, retiring as a senior vice president of Booker T. Washington Insurance Company. From 2005 until his passing, he was a member and harmony instructor with the Birmingham based Pillars of Birmingham gospel quartet. In this interview, Don shares his early life and his first gospel singing experiences with groups in his child hood in the 1940’s
Creator
Don Solomon
Bob Friedman
Publisher
Birmingham Black Radio Museum
Date
May 25, 2007
Contributor
Lindsey Reynolds
Emily Bibb
Format
JPG
MP3
PDF
Language
English
Interviewer
Bob Friedman
Interviewee
Don Solomon
Transcription
Transcription of audio snippet:
Don Solomon: out at Legion Field. There was a time when AG Gaston would have, once a year in the summer, a major program in which he featured local quartets from all around the state. And he would bring in one group, one famous group. .. he brought in the Blue Jays. . But the make-up primarily of the program was local groups from all around the state. Whatever they were calling the stadium then – Legion Field – it was all one big thing. It’s not all like it is now… We filled it up. Eating peanuts. Peanuts was a nickel a bag. Wasn’t no popcorn, was peanuts and cold drinks. It cost a quarter to get in the program, but if you had a book with Booker T. Washington Insurance Company, ya got in free. Insurance book, ya understand?
Bob Friedman: Yeah
DS: Anyway, quartets would line up a mile a minute waiting on their chance for the two songs they had.
BF: Did they have a sound system?
DS: Yeah, sound system, it was a big thing…Well, the Heavenly Four won third place in the contest, I think primarily because we were children.
BF: But you haven’t told me how the Titusville Spiritual Five transitioned...
DS: They were called the Titusville Spiritual Five at that program. Ok?
BF: What year is that?
DS: Man are you kidding? Give me a break. I have no idea. But anyway,
BF: must have been ’45 or so…
DS: Anyway, the Titusville Spiritual Five sung at the program. And we won third place. People talk about it now. We sung “The Gospel Train” the way the Golden Gates recorded it. And Monroe, ya see Monroe right over there..he’d come to the mike and say “All Aboard.” (pointing to the picture) that fella right there. Anyway,
Don Solomon: out at Legion Field. There was a time when AG Gaston would have, once a year in the summer, a major program in which he featured local quartets from all around the state. And he would bring in one group, one famous group. .. he brought in the Blue Jays. . But the make-up primarily of the program was local groups from all around the state. Whatever they were calling the stadium then – Legion Field – it was all one big thing. It’s not all like it is now… We filled it up. Eating peanuts. Peanuts was a nickel a bag. Wasn’t no popcorn, was peanuts and cold drinks. It cost a quarter to get in the program, but if you had a book with Booker T. Washington Insurance Company, ya got in free. Insurance book, ya understand?
Bob Friedman: Yeah
DS: Anyway, quartets would line up a mile a minute waiting on their chance for the two songs they had.
BF: Did they have a sound system?
DS: Yeah, sound system, it was a big thing…Well, the Heavenly Four won third place in the contest, I think primarily because we were children.
BF: But you haven’t told me how the Titusville Spiritual Five transitioned...
DS: They were called the Titusville Spiritual Five at that program. Ok?
BF: What year is that?
DS: Man are you kidding? Give me a break. I have no idea. But anyway,
BF: must have been ’45 or so…
DS: Anyway, the Titusville Spiritual Five sung at the program. And we won third place. People talk about it now. We sung “The Gospel Train” the way the Golden Gates recorded it. And Monroe, ya see Monroe right over there..he’d come to the mike and say “All Aboard.” (pointing to the picture) that fella right there. Anyway,
Duration
Full interview: 40 minutes
Audio snippet: 2 minutes
Audio snippet: 2 minutes
Files
Collection
Citation
Don Solomon and Bob Friedman, “Don Solomon, 2007 Oral History,” The Birmingham Black Radio Museum, accessed October 22, 2024, https://thebbrm.org/item/104.
Item Relations
| This Item | dcterms:relation | Item: Don Solomon, Oral History |
| This Item | dcterms:relation | Item: WENN Staff, Gaston Lounge |
| This Item | dcterms:relation | Item: The Heavenly Four, Gospel Singers |
| Item: Don Solomon and Norman B. Wooding Jr., Oral History | dcterms:relation | This Item |
| Item: Heavenly Four Gospel Singers | dcterms:relation | This Item |
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