Norman B. Wooding Jr., 2013 Oral History
Title
Norman B. Wooding Jr., 2013 Oral History
Description
Norman B. Wooding, Jr.(b. Nov. 28, 1923, d. Oct. 31, 2015). Eight decades singing gospel quartet in Jefferson County, Alabama, at 89, Norman reflects in conversation on the conditions in the 1930’s and 40’s surrounding the development of quartet singing in the Birmingham area and his love for the music. For 12 years, Norman was the President of the Pillars of Birmingham (2005-2012), a local quartet that included in its last manifestation, Henry Burton, Don Solomon, John Lawrence and Bob Friedman. Wooding’s life history is captured in the Four Octave Production video, “Salute to a Soldier” (2013).
Creator
Norman B. Wooding Jr.
Bob Friedman
Publisher
Birmingham Black Radio Museum
Date
July 13, 2013
Contributor
Mark Usry
Emily Bibb
Format
JPG
MP3
PDF
Language
English
Interviewer
Bob Friedman
Interviewee
Norman B. Wooding Jr.
Transcription
Transcript of audio snippet:
Bob Friedman: Uh, now you were close to gospel music
Norman Wooding: Yeah. Mhm
BF: For your entire life
NW: Mhm
BF: And finally starts to get played
NW: Yeah
BF: And you hear WLAC and WWL
NW: Yeah
BF: You picked up those AM stations
NW: Yeah
BF: Do you remember when you started hearing it on Birmingham stations?
NW: ‘42. I listened to that in 1942, WJLD. I start listenin' there. They was playin it yeah, and they would have live programs. Different quartets would go there through the week. That's what I liked.
BF: You think it's that early? 1942?
NW: Huh?
BF: Cuz they went on the air in April of 1942 for the first time.
NW: I know… We went on the air with them in ‘44
BF: Yeah
NW: with Kelley Choral Singers…
BF: Right
NW: Yeah so they had been going on
BF: Oh. So you knew that they had played
NW: Yeah. Gospel
BF: Gospel before you even… you say well let's give it a try
NW: Yeah. There was a gospel station and an FM station, see.
BF: Well the FM didn't come till 1948.
NW: I’m talking later on…
BF: Yeah
NW: : I’m talking later on… I just said there was an FM an a ‘42 station
BF: Mhm. Mhm
NW: But ’42, I mean on AM they played gospel
BF: Right
NW: Yeah. Real gospel
BF: So now, if you're saying that one of the reasons you approach them with the Kelley Choral Singers. Did you do the approaching or was it McKinstry? Who made the contact?
NW: Stallworth and Johnson had a recorded program in Bessemer and McKinstry approached 'em and he said, “what about we come on live?” So he okayed it. That's how we come on there.
BF: On JLD
NW: Yeah
BF: And that was still out in Bessemer.
NW: Yeah that was in Bessemer
BF: At the hotel?
NW: Yeah
BF: Mhm
NW: At the...
BF: At the Realty Building
NW: Mhm
BF: Yeah.
NW: But meanwhile William Pope was having programs. William Blevins would have a program on WBRC and other stations.
BF: Mhm
NW: Yeah
BF: He was on WSGN
NW: Right, right, right
BF: Yeah.
NW: Yeah
Bob Friedman: Uh, now you were close to gospel music
Norman Wooding: Yeah. Mhm
BF: For your entire life
NW: Mhm
BF: And finally starts to get played
NW: Yeah
BF: And you hear WLAC and WWL
NW: Yeah
BF: You picked up those AM stations
NW: Yeah
BF: Do you remember when you started hearing it on Birmingham stations?
NW: ‘42. I listened to that in 1942, WJLD. I start listenin' there. They was playin it yeah, and they would have live programs. Different quartets would go there through the week. That's what I liked.
BF: You think it's that early? 1942?
NW: Huh?
BF: Cuz they went on the air in April of 1942 for the first time.
NW: I know… We went on the air with them in ‘44
BF: Yeah
NW: with Kelley Choral Singers…
BF: Right
NW: Yeah so they had been going on
BF: Oh. So you knew that they had played
NW: Yeah. Gospel
BF: Gospel before you even… you say well let's give it a try
NW: Yeah. There was a gospel station and an FM station, see.
BF: Well the FM didn't come till 1948.
NW: I’m talking later on…
BF: Yeah
NW: : I’m talking later on… I just said there was an FM an a ‘42 station
BF: Mhm. Mhm
NW: But ’42, I mean on AM they played gospel
BF: Right
NW: Yeah. Real gospel
BF: So now, if you're saying that one of the reasons you approach them with the Kelley Choral Singers. Did you do the approaching or was it McKinstry? Who made the contact?
NW: Stallworth and Johnson had a recorded program in Bessemer and McKinstry approached 'em and he said, “what about we come on live?” So he okayed it. That's how we come on there.
BF: On JLD
NW: Yeah
BF: And that was still out in Bessemer.
NW: Yeah that was in Bessemer
BF: At the hotel?
NW: Yeah
BF: Mhm
NW: At the...
BF: At the Realty Building
NW: Mhm
BF: Yeah.
NW: But meanwhile William Pope was having programs. William Blevins would have a program on WBRC and other stations.
BF: Mhm
NW: Yeah
BF: He was on WSGN
NW: Right, right, right
BF: Yeah.
NW: Yeah
Duration
Full interview: 26 minutes
Audio snippet: 2 minutes
Audio snippet: 2 minutes
Files
Collection
Citation
Norman B. Wooding Jr. and Bob Friedman, “Norman B. Wooding Jr., 2013 Oral History,” The Birmingham Black Radio Museum, accessed October 22, 2024, https://www.thebbrm.org/item/109.
Item Relations
| This Item | dcterms:relation | Item: Norman B. Wooding Jr., 2007 Oral History |
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