And when I was old enough to buy records, it was the Supremes, Dion Warwick and Ray Charles that I would buy along with white folk music. My father owned the entire record collection set of Charlie Pride, his favorite country singer. But even though everyone seemed to appreciate enjoy all of this black music, it was a time of segregation and prejudiceness that did not make sense to a child born into such a confusing and turbulent climate
Susi Lawson
@susisouljourney · 4:26
You could hear their soulful song from all the way down the road, and they would sing, get your watermelon, y'all. Peacock your watermelon and you'll peek in by. And it was the most soulful sound I had ever heard a real live person singing. And they came every weekend and I begged my daddy, please buy us some pie
Susi Lawson
@susisouljourney · 4:06
And so I just sat there and watched and went inside and closed the door. The following autumn, I'm riding my new bike to school. As I didn't like riding the bus with all that noise and the other kids. I still remember wearing a new cotton blue brown plaid dress and was enjoying that free feeling every kid gets pedaling long all alone with the breeze in your hair. And I took the back road as it was away from the busy highway
Susi Lawson
@susisouljourney · 4:44
The sight of it brought tears to my eyes. How much he had loved Charlie's music. I pulled it out and placed the vinyl on my turntable. And in the music, I heard the love and the soul of all of us. To all of us. And I grasped the power of music and all of that. How music heals us and beckons us all to listen. To really, truly listen. Not just to the song but to the singer. And that's my memory from 1958