Make a Joyful Noise - My 25 Years in Gospel Music (Electronic book text)

As the host and executive producer of the world's number one syndicated gospel television program, seen weekly by more than five million viewers, Dr. Bobby Jones is considered "the name" in gospel television. The Grammy-and Cable Ace Award-winning entertainer has been internationally showcasing professional and amateur gospel talent on programs for Black Entertainment Television and the Odyssey network since 1980. In this revealing memoir, Dr. Jones takes us on his personal behind-the-scenes journey and shares with readers his childhood struggles, quest for education, and love for gospel music.

Born into a family of sharecroppers in Henry, Tennessee, Dr. Bobby Jones faced an almost certain future of poverty and despair. His adolescence was traumatic, the effects of alcohol on his parents led them to fight violently every week, and his father relentlessly heaped verbal abuse on his young son. But his grandmother, affectionately known as Mammy Lydia, had a strong influence on his developing years. She showered her grandson with love, praise, and guidance. An extremely bright and inquisitive child who had a love for singing spirituals and leading the choir, he instinctively knew this platform would reach and inspire people. Dr. Jones also felt that knowledge and education were vital to success, which led him to Tennessee State University, where he earned a bachelors degree in elementary education at the age of nineteen. Never straying too far from his gospel roots, he formed the New Life Singers, a successful alliance that yielded a Grammy, one of many awards he would receive in his illustrious career.

Dr. Bobby Jones has played an instrumental role in helping many gospel entertainerslaunch their careers. Well respected and admired, he is a rarity in a business that can be competitive and intimidating. He feels blessed to call many of gospel's most beloved talents his friends -- from gospel hip-hopper Kirk Franklin to such legend