Mark Bishop
Singing News Article
April 2007
I once told Les Beasley that whenever
I hear The Florida Boys sing, I can smell bacon.
I didn't tell him that because of any new cologne that one of the
guys was wearing. I don't think they've manufactured a "Le' Pork
Perfume" yet. No, I told him that because my earliest recollection
of gospel music was of the Gospel Jubilee on tv every Sunday
morning. There were many, many Sundays that I woke up to the
sounds of the Florida Boys harmony in my ear and the smell of
bacon frying in the kitchen.
Throughout the week, on school days, we usually ate cereal before
catching the bus to school. Sometimes mom would fix pancakes. On
Saturdays and Sundays, Dad would wake us up as mom was fixing a
country breakfast. On Saturdays, we could hear the sounds of
cartoons coming from the living room tv. This was when we only had
four channels on television and when the cartoons were still
funny, before the days when every cartoon became a commercial for
a line of toys. Dad would sit with us and we'd laugh at Bugs
Bunny, Daffy Duck and Porky Pig.
Sundays were only a little different. We had to get up a little
earlier than Saturdays so we could eat breakfast before leaving
for church. Dad would wake you up by sneaking into the room and
tickling your nose or your ear. If that didn't wake you up, he
started singing some made-up song to go along with the tickling.
Maybe that's where my awareness for songwriting began.
As I slowly left the land of slumber and eased back into the real
world, that was when my senses became aware of the smell of bacon
and sausage in the air. I could hear it frying in the pan. I could
hear mom opening the oven door to put in biscuits, I could hear
the cracking of eggs and there in the mix of Sunday morning
sounds, I could hear Les Beasley saying "And now, here are your
hosts... The Florida Boys...".
It paints a picture in my mind's eye that is as clear as any
high-definition television out on the market. I can't help but
smile when I think about it.
I can't help but wonder what kinds of memories my own kids will
have when they are grown up and have moved away. Things have
certainly changed since I was a kid. Now Saturday morning cartoons
are nearly meaningless because kids have the ability to watch any
cartoon, anytime they want. We've gone from four channels to
hundreds, with dvd's and video games and the internet and ipods
and whatever...
I still eat cereal through the week, but if I find myself home on
a weekend, Carolyn fixes a big country breakfast. As for my girls,
Courtney and Haley, they probably hear more Gospel Music than I
did growing up, simply because dad is a Gospel singer. They meet
and hear the other singers and it is a part of our everyday lives.
Only time will tell what they will be nostalgic about. It's hard
to say what memories they will most cherish. As for me, every time
I share the stage with the Florida Boys, after the concert, when
the stage is cleared and the product tables are put away, I'm
always in the mood for a little breakfast.
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