Season 2: Gospel Music in the Black Church Tradition - Curtis Shears

In this episode, host Jean Greene welcomes Mr. Curtis Shears, a lifelong Utica area native whose musical roots stretch back to stomping feet and acapella harmonies in an old wooden country church. Raised in a family of eleven siblings — nine of whom came through Utica Junior College — Curtis was singing from the time he could stand on a step stool in the choir loft. His journey took him from Morningstar Baptist Church to Hinds AHS, where he studied under Dr. Bobby Cooper before earning a music scholarship to Tougaloo College, all while remaining deeply anchored to his home community. Along the way, Dr. Cooper's mentorship, Opera South productions, and a student-run gospel choir that brought down the house at every campus assembly shaped him into the vocalist and music leader he is today.

Curtis also shares the remarkable story of his nearly four-decade membership in the Mississippi Mass Choir, which he joined at its founding in 1987 at the invitation of Frank Williams of the Jackson Southernaires. What began as a local rehearsal grew into a global ministry that has performed in Spain, Japan, and before the Pope — and whose debut album stayed on the charts for 45 weeks. True to his Utica roots, Curtis has never stopped bringing those experiences back home, most recently through the Utica Community Choir, which he helped revive as an ecumenical gathering of voices from churches across the area. For Curtis, every stage he has stood on — from rural Mississippi to international concert halls — has carried the name of Utica with it.

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