GospelFlava.com's James Robinson reminisces about when John P. Kee first broke on the scene....


The year was 1986 and I was a junior at New York's High School of Music and Art. It was a place where you were tested and then chosen to be among what was assumed to be the best actors, singers, dancers and musicians within your age group.

A lot of these kids were people that I grew up with together in our local communities and churches in Brooklyn. To me their opinion was key. If they said you could sing, YOU COULD SING. They were extremely critical of everyone vocally, so if you received a nod from them, then you were well on the way.

Everyday at 10:15 AM on the 4th floor, we gathered together for Gospel chorus. We would sing till the Power fell down, and we would compete to find songs that we could submit to the teachers and student leaders.

One morning I got up to prepare myself for school, and I turned on to 1600 AM. The station was WWRL and the DJ was Donna Wilson. She had the 6 to 10 AM slot, and on this particular morning she was spinning the #1 single at the time, The Tommies' "Safe In His Arms". As always, I got caught up.

Just as that song was ending, she faded into new music from the Edwin Hawkins Music and Arts Seminar Mass Choir (Give Us Peace). And BANG there it was. It began with "I serve a risen Savior, He's in the world today", and ended with his then signature "ME ME MA MA MA MA MA MA ME ME". And let me tell ya you would have thought the world stopped and Jesus cracked the sky.

Needless to say not only did I go buy the LP, Live in Houston, but Pastor Kee had attained a fan forever. Since that day to this one, I am a supporter of this music ministry. I have purchased everything he's done, from Brethren in Unity with John and Lejeune, to Michael Brooks' Young Artists for Christ, with John singing "Down on My Knees", to my favorite "I Can Call Him " by the East Coast Regional Mass Choir on Pepperco Records.

Yes I was at the GMWA in Indianapolis when you signed to a new label called Verity, and told the masses to ask the "Lord to help me to hold out". As you can tell I own, and more importantly have purchased, every song, album, CD, video and guest appearance John P. Kee album.

So without further embarrassing myself I salute this great man of the Gospel, and wish him God's speed. And yes, I was sitting in front of the TV when the earthquake hit LA, and you were supposed to appear on the Arsenio Hall Show that night. And as you now know, not only did John not appear, but Arsenio never came back on the air.

And look, God did it anyhow.