Thank You Pianoman
 

I had lunch today with Pianoman and he gave me my copy of the 2005 JCM Reunion DVD.

I had not been in a huge rush to get it since I had looked at all of the raw footage when Pianoman was deciding what to include in the volume 1 DVD, but I should have been!

Watching the finished product of the Singspiration and interviews with JCM alumni was a wonderful experience. My wife and I just finished watching it a little after midnight.

I thought Darrell Johns had exactly the right intro to the DVD and about the reunion as did TLC in his interview interspaced throught the program.

I know this project was a tremendous headache to Pianoman and many times would have died without his perseverence through unbelievable adversity.

My hat is off to him and I am thankful he saw the project through.

Volume 1 has really whetted my appetite for Volume 2, especially because I want to hear Rex Johnson's chapel sermon again!

Well, he is a bit slow in the production...

I think we have had three forum name changes since the event.

ROFLMBO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Plus this project has given him a lot more grey hair than he had before. At least he got it out before the alumni all died of old age.

Right..... I also think he just did it for the money.

I hope Mrs. Pianoman doesn't read your post since they are actually in the hole on this little project that was supposed to just be a keepsake for the alumni and friends.

The best part of the DVD is that my wife's picture is on the back of the DVD cover and on the DVD itself!!!! That was a nice surprise.

Would this be your first wife.... I know it has been a while...

Hahahahahaha! I'm trying to remember who was US president at the time! :D

This DVD project was a lesson in patience. It should have been released in the fall of 2005, but certain folks got in the way! :)

CC1, glad you enjoyed it! The editing could have been a little better (I finally threw my hands up after repeated attempts to get the producer to make changes!), but I think we captured the spirit of the reunion.

As it stands today, I'm only $450 in the hole! ha! My dream is to break even! :)

BTW, if anyone wants to order a copy of the DVD, you can visit our JCM Alumni Store at JCM Alumni Reunion DVD

LOL! You are SO RIGHT!!!!!

The reunion is how I got hooked on those three forums too!

I just wish my picture was on the DVD cover too because I'm sure it would look much younger!

Joel, again, if I wore at hat - it would be off to you!:tiphat I can't wait to get mine!

Joel, I love that quote you have in your sig line. A friend here shared that with me and I sent it to my son and his fiancé - truer words have never been spoken about love!

Yes, me too...:)

Watching and listening to Marietta sing "Go'in UP Yonder" to end the program brought back memories of one of my fondest JCM moments.

The JCM choir had been invited to sing at a Black Gospel Music convention at the Hilton Hotel Ballroom.

We were the only white choir and were scheduled right at the end of a program of black gospel choirs from around Mississippi. When they announced us you could tell by the looks on the audience faces that they were expecting some boring cracker choir singing baptist hymns.

You should have seen their faces when Wayne Goodine started "Go'in Up Yonder" with that great organ riff on the B3!!!

Then when Marietta started singing that place when wild. Before it was over the ushers had carried out people slain in the Spirit. Which was a funny sight to see, people laying in the hallway of the Hilton Hotel outside of that ballroom!!!

Great Job Pianoman! I did receive mine and enjoyed watching it.
we ought to have another reunion some day maybe and if we do, hopefully more students from the 80s and 90s will come too

Thad, I agree. While I was watching it I thought back to what Darrell Johns told me midway through the 2005 one. He said that we should plan for another one in five years.

That would be 2010 and I think that would be perfect. I would hope that after word got around how great this one was that some of the UPC folks who were reluctant to come to the 2005 one would show up.

I think the UPC folks at the last one had a great time and would agree that there was no agenda other than reconnecting with old friends and having a great time.

I would like to see that 70-30% exUPC vs. UPC ratio I estimated at the last one get to about a 50/50% ratio.

Perhaps if some progressive UPC church hosted it that could happen. A church that would recognize this as an event outside of normal "services" so all would be welcome regardless of their current religous affiliation.

CC, I am convinced Sis. W could sing names from the phone book and have people falling out...she is SO anointed!!

Goin' Up Yonder has always been one of my favorites anyway and thought no one but Tramaine could do it justice. However, when I bought the Music Workshop LP and she began to sing, I was highly impressed, and then of course she recorded it on a solo LP.

I wish I still had those old Music Workshop LPs...wonder where I can get them...:thad

maybe PM could suggest for it to take place at John's church in Atlanta.
i could see that it was indeed mostly people who had left UPC and i could tell that the UPC folks while they enjoyed it overall felt a little out of place

Or maybe that was just you since you didn't know everyone. You should have hung out with us and you wouldn't have felt that way.

Thanks from me also.

That makes sense...

Thad was a baby compared to most of the alumni and friends there!! I think most of us were the 70's crowd.

That's 1970's - not age 70's.......lol!

But, I think that's why Thad felt that way because UPC or exUPC we all got along great, but it's because we all knew each other so well.

:heeheehee

not true! i was fine. i think it was the ladies who still wore traditional UPC styles

Those exUPCer women would have gladly loaned them some makeup and siccsors!!! All they had to do was ask.:hypercoffee

You are just assuming that - I doubt anyone said anything to you along those lines.

:thwak ;)

a few of them said they felt ill at ease at first . later i think everyone sort of loosend up a bit .

I would agree to that. Once they realized that the ones that left UPC weren't full of the devil, they were able to accept them....lol!

Except for that one from Arkansas who lives in Memphis now!!!

:telephone watch it!

Renda, you know as well as i do that there have been ugly attitudes on both sides. i have never mis treated anyone who left. but let's be fair. There were some people who left the UPC because they were in sin only to find a welcoming refuge from the Xers no matter what that sin was

For sure, but I didn't feel that AT ALL at the reunion. We all had a common bond and from where I sat, stood or hung out - - everyone was nice to everyone.

IF there was someone that you heard there that had an ugly attitude, then all I can say is, they missed the whole point of Rex Johnson's sermon.

NOoooooo you are misunderstanding me! Lord help her !!!! Touch her today in Jesus mighty Name !

Just because everyone was friendly to a certain someone that YOU want to bring into this, doesn't mean they are accepted or their life style. Let's just leave it at that, deal?

Thanks for the prayer!

I'm surprised! you are a smart lady yet you totally misunderstood my point.

heal her mind LORD!

No, I'm just avoiding your point.

Pianoman is just a great guy. That's all there is to it. :thumbsup

nope you missed it totally. it's okay if you can't admit it

Renda, Right here, this post is the one I was addressing. NOT the reunion itself. you made it sound as if the attitudes IN GENERAL are a one sided problem. Let me say again, I think there have been wrong attitudes on both sides and there were a FEW that left UPC because sin was uncovered and instead of owning up to it they tried to smear the UPC and found refuge in some Xupc folks that still carrried a chip on their own shoulders.

what I mentioned above really doesn't have to do with the reunion. There was a few people that mentioned to me that they felt a little out of place(maybe because overwhelming the majority was Xers?) AT FIRST but later on as time went on, felt more relaxed. i think that's to be expected when you havent seen people in 20+ years.

Thad, I got ya.