The Rev. Frank Newsome at FloydFest’s folklife stage
The Rev. Frank Newsome
A healthy crowd at the folklife stage got a healthy dose of Old Regular Baptist singing from the Rev. Frank Newsome, of Haysi.
If his full-throated, steely, vibrato-waving tenor was not enough inspiration, dig this — Newsome, who worked in the coal mines around Haysi for more than 17 years with no OSHA-type protection, suffers black lung.
But his voice is still strong. And it’s been 46 years since God called him to preach while he was working in a coal mine, he told the crowd.
“We’re all leaving here — we’re all going to die,” he said. “Are you prepared to live with Him? That’s the real issue.”
Newsome, one of 20 children raised “in the head of a holler,” sang a capella from a well-used hymnal about striving to help troubled souls and the treasure that money can’t buy.
“Let it read on my tombstone: Gone away with a friend,” he sang, his voice never breaking, despite the ravages of the old black dust.
He called five family members onstage to help him sing “Amazing Grace,” and got some crowd singalong on that number.
He invited the audience to come see him in Haysi, where he is an elder at Little David Church.
“If you ever get down that way, come see us,” he said. “I’ll love you to death.”
July 24, 2009 - 1:09 PM
Reverend Frank is easily the most riveting siner I’ve ever heard, and I’ve heard a lot of them. His presence was nothing short of a blessing at Floydfest.
Jon, thanks for jumping in here. You do a great job presenting stuff at the FloydFest folklife stage. Great selection again this year, capped off (for me, anyway) by the great interplay among Hot 8 and Zydeco Cha Chas members!
I had to miss FloydFest this year, and reading this, it sounds like it might have been the performance that I most regret not hearing. Thanks to Jon and FF for arranging to have Rev. Newsome appear. I suspect like many others, I have to overcome some self-conciousness in order to approach listening to such intense testimony, especially in person. Putting Rev. Newsome at FF gave more folks the chance to do so. The emotional involvement of gospel performers such as Rev. Newsome can easily surpass the postured “feelings” of most pop music, making it a good way to reset one’s perspective on lyrical sincerity. In a world full of trite lyrics for sale, it never hurts to occasionally consider that “there’s a fire down yonder, and I don’t want to go”.