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International Gospel Act For nearly six decades, the Swanee Quintet of Augusta has entertained international audiences with its recordings and spirited concerts. They have performed in almost every state including such prestigious places as New York City's Carnegie Hall and Madison Square Garden and Harlem's Apollo Theater. Comedian Bill Cosby, while hosting a TV special reopening the remodeled Apollo, said one of his favorite memories was watching the Swanee Quintet excite Apollo audiences with their special brand of gospel music. Charlie Barnwell, Rufus Washington and William Crawford started singing together in Georgia and South Carolina in 1944. They added James Anderson and Rubin Willingham in 1945, giving birth to the Swanee Quintet. Other long-time members have included Johnny Jones and Percy Griffin. Their first broadcasts were on Augusta radio station WTNT before moving to WGAC radio station for about 15 years. One of their first major trips outside of Augusta was to Mount Olive Baptist Church on Long Island, N.Y., about six years after the group formed. It was their first guaranteed concert fee, which was $150. In 1956, the Quintet became the first black gospel group to have its own touring bus. One smart thing the group did was to be nice to a boy who shined shoes in front of WGAC where the Quintet had their afternoon radio program. That boy was future soul king James Brown, and years later he hired the Quintet to open his shows before thousands of people in sold-out auditoriums. |
