The Key to Success

It was mentioned earlier how the McGruders were always placed in a different class than many artists because of the energy and anointing that followed them onto the stage.

In her book, "I've Just Started Living," Priscilla McGruder addresses something that holds the key to the influence they had. In the chapter "Let The Music Begin" she says this: "When we first began traveling and singing, I made a serious promise to God. 'Lord, I will never sing in front of an audience anywhere until I have prayed at least one hour. I also promise you that whenever I sing, regardless of who I am singing to, I will always worship you with all my heart.' By God's grace, I have always kept those two promises."

It was obvious the minute the McGruders stepped onto the stage, that there had been "prayer meeting" before she opened her mouth to sing.

The first time I read this in her book, I was reminded of an event at a concert our family attended many years ago. It was a concert consisting of several of the leading groups in the Southern Gospel industry and the McGruders. After arriving a little early, having driven approximately 3 hours to attend, we walked down the hall of the auditorium to find a snack and soda. When we rounded the corner, much to our surprise, off in the corner of the little room was one of the artist from another group on the schedule that night. I will not allow details to escape me, but for the record, that artist is no longer traveling, but at the time sang with one of Southern Gospel's finest groups - and continues to be the finest.

After we had walked in, we realized that the artist was using one of the pay phones there. Attempting to escape as quietly and quickly as we had entered to keep from disturbing them, we were completely blown away as this artist began to rail a string of expletives to whomever they were frustrated with on the other end of the line. It made the situation a little worse to hear such vile language coming from the mouth of a female.

Suffice it to say, I knew where this particular singer was the hour before the concert......and that's all I could think of every time she began began belting out her awesome notes. And I will not deny that she could flat sing, but it just didn't even sound good after that.

On the other hand, when "the Lady" (in every sense of the word) walked out on the stage, I knew where she'd been....although I wasn't there to see it. Want to guess who sang the glory down that night?

I'll just say, it wasn't the one at the phone booth!