Welcome to "Tuesday Morning"—committed to encouraging those who are committed to excellence, wherever in the world they may live.

 

This week's "Tuesday Morning" is entitled, "Keys to Glory." It is a story about a fledgling black pianist who wanted to make a living for herself but also contribute to the early development of gospel music. Her name was Mildred Carter Falls. In the 1930s she formed a trio that played back-up for a famous gospel vocalist often referred to as the "Queen of Gospel Music." Mildred's name is mentioned only briefly in the biographical sketches written about the famous vocalist she accompanied. Mildred discovered early in life what her calling was, and she pursued that calling with a resolve to become the very best she could be—as a gospel pianist. She never became as famous as the gospel singer she accompanied, but her story is a powerful one.

 

I did not write this week's epistle, but the author and I share the same last name. We were brothers born during the Great Depression. I felt called to ministry as a teenager. My brother thought he would become an engineer (he loved trains and planes), but later turned his attention to the arts. He became an exceptional artist, expressing his talent on canvas and paper with oils, water-colors, and acrylics. Commercially he made a living by designing many of the exterior electric signs of the most famous entertainment centers in Las Vegas. Along the way he developed skills as a writer. His major publication is entitled The Magic Sign—The Electric Art/Architecture of Las Vegas (1993, ST Publications). Now retired and living in California, he responded to my invitation to write something that I could adapt to the "Tuesday Morning" format. The attached essay below is his. It inspired me; I believe it will inspire you.

 

Tom Barnard

Editor and weekly writer of "Tuesday Morning"

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Keys to Glory

Chuck Barnard

 

he name Mildred Falls probably doesn’t ring any bells or pluck any strings for you. She was just one of those “nameless” people, the kind that go about doing what they do without much recognition or fanfare. Now and then one of these will pick up a craft and get pretty good at it; a few may even excel at what they do. Mildred was one of these.

 

She got really good at playing the piano. She was black. I only mention that here because the ‘context’ is important. Coming from black poverty in the 1930s there weren’t a lot of meaningful opportunities for men, and even fewer for women, especially in the South. Things were a little better in Chicago, but life was still very difficult; and along with many of her peers Mildred sought relief from it all through her church and gospel music.

 

A lot of misery was blowing around the “Windy City” in those days and many of the black churches there helped people cope. While still young, Mildred fell under the spell of the rhythms and spirit of the sacred music which surrounded her life and found joy in playing the piano. Eventually her talent began to blossom and she developed a percussive, rocking, syncopated style that was captivating.

 

The black community took notice and her name began to circulate from church to church. When other musicians became attracted to her dramatic piano style, she put together the Mildred Falls Trio and began booking tent meetings and concerts in an ever-widening circle. Often their “take-home pay” was whatever came in when the offering plates were collected. But Falls was doing the thing she was born to do and the Mildred Falls Trio and their female vocalist kept on the move, thrilling audiences across the land with their spirited gospel music.

 

Accommodations were whatever could be found and they jokingly remarked about traveling on “Maypop” tires (may pop at any time!). They became the first gospel group ever to appear on the Ed Sullivan Show. Eventually their record sessions with Apollo and Columbia Records started generating sales which eventually soared into the millions.

 

In 1952 the trio and their vocalist were invited to a concert in France and then traveled to India. They were asked to perform at the White House during the Eisenhower presidency and at the Newport Jazz Festival in 1958. Mildred’s trio and vocalist were there at JFK’s inauguration, at Martin Luther King’s funeral, and at Carnegie Hall and the Hollywood Bowl.

 

And still the name Mildred Falls may not resonate. She never aspired to be a headliner, only a pianist, and there are no biographies or ringing endorsements of her talent to be found. All we know of her comes from those moments when her hands reached out and touched the keys. But that is enough. You see, for years Mildred Carter Falls was the “nameless” backup for the world’s greatest gospel singer…. Miss Mahalia Jackson.

 

Few are destined to become headliners, but there will forever be a place in this world for those willing to put their hands to useful tasks—not for any fame and its accompanying returns, but simply for the joy of contributing to the welfare of those around them, to their churches and communities. Some may have “star” quality like Mahalia Jackson, with the ability to inspire millions. For others, like Mildred Falls, the glory may come when they simply reach out and put their dedicated effort into the tasks before them.

 

(This week’s guest writer is Chuck Barnard, a California artist and writer. As a commercial designer, he was involved in the creation of some of the most famous electric signs in Las Vegas, Nevada. Now retired in Stockton, California, he and his wife, Ellie, have four adult children, three grandchildren and one great-granddaughter.)