…You got a message from above, you ain’t no thug, you’re royalty…

When we invited Dr. Gary Dennis Hines to a Juneteenth fundraiser sponsored by the King’s Town Family Foundation, Columbus GA, this past year, we already knew of the 45 years of award-winning music Dr. Hines and his team have been turning out year after year. His resume and background was so extensive, Columbus’ own master musician, Madeleine Davis -who introduced him as keynote speaker- had to work hard keep the introduction as short and sweet as possible, and that “short version” still took quite a bit of time. LOL.

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I was very excited and happy to finally meet Dr. Hines in person after more than 10 years of interviewing him for different magazine articles and blogs, and for my former radio show “The Joshua Generation Network Radio” on The Legacy of A Nation.

Take the time out to read the history of this Band for yourself.
…and that isn’t the half of it.

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Though the local fundraiser did not work out as expected, King’s Town is proud to say that Dr. Hines delivered one of the most groundbreaking excellent and moving speeches I have ever heard in my life, especially when he spoke of our Queen Warriors who came out of Africa. The size of the audience did not matter, he brought the knowledge as if there were 10,000 people in the room all the same.

June 18 is now officially Dr. Gary Dennis Hines Day in Columbus and we couldn’t be more elated to call him our “Hometown Brother from Minneapolis.” He and the Band (affectionately known as “The Sounds”), as well as the HSRA (High School for Recording Arts) out of Minneapolis, Minnesota deserve every moment in the spotlight that they receive.

The messages they put out are timely and effective, as well as a ‘repairer of the breaches’ that have impacted us in our spirits, hearts, minds and souls. I am proud to know people like him, not because they are famous, but because of the beauty and life they keep pumping into the airwaves on behalf of all that is Black and Proud in America. When the world speaks death to us, Dr. Hines and his world-traveled group speak and breathe LIFE.

For these many years, this outstanding and prolific band has worked overtime to keep positivity, love, and light flooded into the Black communities across America in song ministry and dance, and for all people and cultures the world over.

We Black folk have heard so much harshness and cruelty and ugliness lodged at us as a people on television, radio and in the music and theater worlds, thrown at our souls and eyes and ears day in and day out, that it is scandalously hard nowadays to find very many entertainers or artists left who are still trying to “hold our heads up high” as a People Who Have Yet to Know We are a People.

Dr. Hines, The Sounds, and the HSRA get it done and hold it up as the best and brightest in the music field every single day of the week.

The TWO NAACP Image Award nominations are well-earned and we hope and pray and wish ALL THE BEST to Dr. Gary Dennis Hines and The Sounds of Blackness and the High School for Recording Arts for GREAT WINS and many returns of prosperity this upcoming year!

Congratulations! ABOUT HSRA