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“font-family: Verdana;”>What was planned as a celebration for Dr. Doris Jones Wilson ended up being a praise testament to the legendary choir director.
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“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>As the honored guest and her husband entered the doors of West Side Missionary Baptist Church on Sunday afternoon, the shouting began well before the musical program commenced.
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“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>Just three days before some of the biggest names in St. Louis church music came to pay tribute for Wilson’s lifelong commitment to the industry, her husband John Wilson suffered a heart attack.
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“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>On Friday, doctors informed the Wilson that it wasn’t looking good for him. Yet on Sunday, he walked into the church with her, arm in arm.
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“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>An “Amen” chorus and thunderous applause rang through the church.
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“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>A series of performances led by Dello Thedford, Malcolm Speed, Robert Ray, Anita Watkins-Stevens – and including The Legend Singers, Westside Missionary Baptist Church, Harris-Stowe State University and the Jones family choir – offered tribute.
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“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>“For all she’s done to inspire us to strive for excellence,” The West Side Missionary Baptist Church Contemporary Choir sang in brilliant four-part harmony. “For how she’s lived her life, the example she set, praising God for the victory. We salute the lady, the music and the legacy.”
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“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>The song was an original selection composed by Gwendolyn Wesley for Wilson’s celebration. It set the tone for a night of incredible choral arrangements and fervent praise from family, friends, the faith community and political leaders.
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“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>It was a far cry from the beginning of her career, when 9-year-old Doris Jones played piano at Pilgrim Rest for Sunday School and the Baptist Training Union.
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“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>“I was making 75 cents a Sunday,” Wilson said. “Back then, that was a lot of money.”
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“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>She went on to direct countless choirs and to be honored on local, state and national levels for her work at Harris-Stowe State University – including a St. Louis American Foundation Salute To Excellence in Education Stellar Performer Award and a featured performance of Wilson’s arrangement of “Even Me” at The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, in Washington, D.C.
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“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>As she steps down from her position at Westside – where she has served for more than 13 years – she received gratitude from the ministry she helped grow.
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“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”> “Hasn’t this been a ‘wow’ experience,” asked the Rev. Ronald Bobo Sr., pastor of Westside Missionary Baptist Church.
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“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>“Well, we were celebrating a ‘wow’ individual. She hasn’t been with us as long as she had been with Liberty, Harris-Stowe and some of the other places, but while she was here she made a powerful impact. And we thank God for her work and her ministry.”
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“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>Wilson
was full of
emotion as she came forward for remarks.
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“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>“You all just blew my mind,” she said. “And on top of that to have my husband here – to God be the glory. I have so much to thankful for.”
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“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>She thanked the late Kenneth Billups, her teacher at Sumner High School, her alma maters Lincoln University and Washington University, and her longtime employer Harris-Stowe State University.
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“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>She also remained ever the teacher and critic.
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“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>“Beautiful tonal quality, wonderful diction – you sounded like angels,” she said of the singers who came forward to perform her choral arrangements.
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“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>“What I wanted to do is train folks so when they get up there for that angelic choir and sing, ‘Holy, Holy, Holy,’ the Lord God would say, ‘Oh, I believe those people had a chance to work with Doris Jones Wilson.’”
