Across Indiana
The Soul of Indiana Gospel
Clip | 6m 31sVideo has Closed Captions
Central Indiana has played a great part in gospel music.
Robert Turner and the Silver Heart Singers were Indiana gospel icons. Join Across Indiana on an exploration of spiritual music in this classic episode from 1991.
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Across Indiana is a local public television program presented by WFYI
Across Indiana
The Soul of Indiana Gospel
Clip | 6m 31sVideo has Closed Captions
Robert Turner and the Silver Heart Singers were Indiana gospel icons. Join Across Indiana on an exploration of spiritual music in this classic episode from 1991.
Problems playing video? | Closed Captioning Feedback
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Learn Moreabout PBS online sponsorship♪ Whatever my lot ♪ ♪ I love Him, I love Him ♪ ♪ I love Him, yeah ♪ ♪ Hath taught me ♪ ♪ To say ♪ ♪ Can you imagine somewhere ♪ ♪ Where life will never end ♪ ♪ It is well ♪ - [Narrator] Gospel music runs the gamut.
From the traditional hymns to the polished and slick sounds of today's contemporary artists.
♪ It's about that time, y'all ♪ ♪ Time to make a change ♪ ♪ That's right ♪ ♪ We are the people who can do it ♪ - [Deloris] We've managed to come together now and take the form higher.
And that's gospel music from its basic to its highest form.
It has not really, really come as far as we expect for it to go.
Because there's been a great awakening within the minds of the people when it comes to gospel music.
- Gospel music is unique in that it is the only music that is not categorized by the beat or the chord structure.
But it's gospel because of the message that it carries.
And because of that, you have gospel jazz, you have gospel soul, you have southern gospel, and it incorporates all types of forms of music.
- Indiana itself, central Indiana has played a great part in gospel music.
Robert Turner, the Silver Heart Singers, 31 years of gospel music.
Now you're talking about a traditional singer.
If you want old time religion, that's tradition.
That's great tradition.
♪ I am singing my gospel song ♪ ♪ Trying to help someone ♪ ♪ From going wrong ♪ ♪ Lord, You may not understand what I do ♪ ♪ Yeah, but I've got to keep singing ♪ ♪ Till the Lord says I'm through ♪ - [Robert] In 1960, at the age of 14, I decided to start the Silver Heart Singers.
Now how I made it for 31 years, only the Lord can answer that.
'Cause 31 years has not been easy, but yet I love what I'm doing.
And the reason why I'm in it is because I wanted to do something personal for the Lord.
I hear a lot of folks say that the Lord told them to do this, the Lord told them to do that.
Well, in my case, that wasn't it.
I decided to start the Silver Hearts on my own, and the Lord allowed whatever success I may have at this point.
- [Narrator] According to Robert Turner, he knows no other type of music.
He lives it, he breathes it, and of course he sings it.
And for Robert Turner, his mission is in his music.
- [Robert] Singing to me is much needed and especially in the world today.
Now, I hear so many folk criticize singers because singers are able to maybe pack out a church sometimes, sometimes maybe when the preaching can't.
And the criticism that comes, you can't go to heaven on singing and everybody needs the word.
Well, I think whatever kind of way you draw folk to church, then I think you've done something there.
I mean, my mission is to get 'em in there.
Then once I get 'em there, then it's up to the preacher, to the church, to the missionaries to try to keep them there.
- [Narrator] Turner believes that gospel's message is paramount.
Although today's secular stars sing it, it is the message itself which is crafting its success.
♪ Why don't you come on ♪ ♪ Hey, come on ♪ - [Robert] I think you're going to see gospel take a higher height than it's ever taken before.
And one of the reasons gospel music is going higher and higher, you gotta look at your world.
There's so much dope and well, you know all the situations that's going on in our world.
You need a music that's going to help you these days.
And I'm just thinking that the punk rock is not the answer.
The punk rock almost tell you to go out there and get some dope.
Gospel music is certainly on the rise.
- [Narrator] Traveling across the country, in and out of churches is an expensive proposition.
One which Robert Turner has countered with faith.
- [Robert] I'm one singer that if you tell me to come, I'll come running.
And if you say, "I don't have any money," it makes no difference, I'll still come running.
And I'm criticized for that.
And not only am I criticized for it, it kinda hurts.
'Cause if you go out and you spend $600 just to get there, hotel and food, and pay your musicians, and then your offering only comes up to $150, that's kind of hurting.
But I just believe that the Lord use me to be that way and I've been blessed.
You can look at me, you can sure enough tell I'm not hungry.
♪ Here's what He did for me ♪ ♪ Picked me up and He turned me around ♪ ♪ Picked me up and He turned me around ♪ ♪ Placed my feet on solid ground ♪ ♪ Placed my feet on solid ground ♪ ♪ Can't nobody do me like Jesus ♪ ♪ Can't nobody do me Like Jesus ♪ ♪ Nobody, nobody ♪ ♪ Nobody, nobody ♪ ♪ Lord, Jesus, I love You ♪ - [Narrator] Decades of labor in any discipline reveals a degree of commitment.
But this group's dedication to the gospel performance is no better exemplified than in the simple selection of their name.
- [Robert] Silver is a substance that has to be purified so many times before it's claimed silver.
The Bible says that none but the pure, there's your word pure, none but the pure in heart, there's your word heart, shall see God.
So we're actually the Pure Heart Gospel Singers translated.
That takes work to live up to.
♪ Nobody, nobody ♪ ♪ Nobody, nobody ♪ ♪ Nobody, nobody ♪ ♪ Oh, no, no ♪ ♪ Nobody, nobody ♪ ♪ Nobody, nobody ♪ ♪ Lord, Jesus ♪ ♪ I love You ♪ ♪ Jesus, I love You ♪ ♪ Oh, yes I do ♪ ♪ Oh, yes I do ♪ ♪ Oh, I really, really love You tonight ♪ (warm acoustic music) - [Announcer] For more "Across Indiana" stories, go to wfyi.org/acrossindiana.
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Across Indiana is a local public television program presented by WFYI