By Tyrone Reid, Staff Reporter
McClurkin
OUR NATIVE gospel music would be sitting pretty amongst the big hitters around the world, if renowned gospel vocalist, Pastor Donnie McClurkin was calling all the shots.
At the end of the Jamaican leg of the 'Hopeville Tour', dubbed '3 The Lord's Way', at King's House on Saturday night, The Gleaner spoke with Pastor McClurkin as he sat in the back seat of a Lexus GS 300 limousine that was about ready to escort him from the venue.
The pastor and excellent vocalist had some heartening words for the island's gospel music and its people. According to the pastor, the gospel music produced locally is not receiving its just due around the world. Implying that the quality of the music churned out by our local acts should not be opposed, McClurkin stated; "Please. Carlene (Davis), Papa San ..., you guys have some of the greatest music in the world. It's underrated, it should be global."
In that same breath, Pastor McClurkin, who is no stranger to the island, breathed out additional praises for the Jamaican people. The former pianist turned vocalist stated that the ambience gets progressively better every time around. ".... the people are so wonderfully embracing, it gets more intense every time."
A fact that he believes this impacted on the mega-success of the show. "It was off the hook, out of control, it was what every concert should be like," noted an obviously pleased McClurkin.
Donnie, who was the standout performer on a night that promised and delivered excellent performances, got very emotional during his first stint on-stage. One of the many emotional and spiritual peaks that was reached during his performance came after the singer summoned his elder sibling to the front of the stage alongside him.
He shared with the massive audience at King's House that five years ago, reports came in from the doctors that stated his older sister had cancer. McClurkin who in 1989 had his own bout with and overcame leukaemia, fought fiercely to hold back the sincere sentiments. He said that according to the earthly physicians, the cancer that was lodged in his sister's spine was in an advanced stage and there was nothing much that they could do for her, except treat her with morphine.
Additionally, he uttered that the medical practitioners opined
