Robert Stone:

So I’m talking to Katie Jackson. Katie, can you tell me when and where you were born for starters?

Katie Jackson:

I was born in Columbus, Georgia.

Robert Stone:

Columbus, mm-hmm (affirmative).

Katie Jackson:

Like a hundred miles from Atlanta, Georgia.

Robert Stone:

Right.

Katie Jackson:

90 miles from Macon.

Robert Stone:

Mm-hmm (affirmative), and can you give me your date of birth?

Katie Jackson:

You want me to give you my date of birth?

Robert Stone:

Yeah. If you don’t mind, just for the record.

Katie Jackson:

Oh my goodness. Do you really want me to? I don’t want to give you my age.

Robert Stone:

Okay.

Katie Jackson:

Can’t give that out.

Robert Stone:

How about your birthday?

Katie Jackson:

Well, one thing I can say this, I’m not 16.

Robert Stone:

Neither am I. What day were you born on though?

Katie Jackson:

I was born in August-

Robert Stone:

August, okay.

Katie Jackson:

August 5th.

Robert Stone:

August 5th, okay, in Columbus, Georgia? How about your parents, what were their names?

Katie Jackson:

My mother’s name was Ella and my father’s name was Willie. And they were religious people.

Robert Stone:

Well, that’s the next question. How about the Keith Dominion, were you raised up in the Keith Dominion from beginning or?

Katie Jackson:

No, I wasn’t always in the Keith Dominion. I joined the Keith Dominion, I’ve been in that organization for, oh, I know it’s been over 30 years.

Robert Stone:

Okay. Speak up now.

Katie Jackson:

Can you hear me?

Robert Stone:

For over 30 years?

Katie Jackson:

30 years.

Robert Stone:

Now, was that, when did you move to Baltimore?

Katie Jackson:

I moved to Baltimore in 1958.

Robert Stone:

So that was not with your family, that was as an adult?

Katie Jackson:

Yes, I was an adult. I came here to sing with a Baltimore group. They needed a lead singer. And at that particular time, I was, had a little broadcast in Columbus for like three years. And when gospel artists would come through, I would like to have them on the show.

Robert Stone:

Oh you were a DJ?

Katie Jackson:

I wasn’t a DJ. I just had like a small, maybe 30 minutes, on Sundays.

Robert Stone:

But you were the host.

Katie Jackson:

I was the host.

Robert Stone:

On what station was that, do you remember?

Katie Jackson:

WCLS.

Robert Stone:

WCLS in Columbus?

Katie Jackson:

In Columbus.

Robert Stone:

And about what year was that?

Katie Jackson:

That was like in the year of, like. ’55.

Robert Stone:

Mm-hmm (affirmative).

Katie Jackson:

Mm-hmm (affirmative).

Robert Stone:

And so then you came up to Baltimore?

Katie Jackson:

I came to Baltimore, and did lead for the Baltimore Echoes.

Robert Stone:

The Baltimore Echoes.

Katie Jackson:

The Baltimore Echoes.

Robert Stone:

What kind of group was that?

Katie Jackson:

That was a gospel group.

Robert Stone:

Was it a quartet or?

Katie Jackson:

No, it was a gospel group.

Robert Stone:

Was it a mixed or all male or all female?

Katie Jackson:

It was mixed. You know, women and men.

Robert Stone:

And then when did you join the Keith Dominion? Well, you said about 30 years ago.

Katie Jackson:

About 30 years.

Robert Stone:

So that would be about 1967 or so?

Katie Jackson:

’61.

Robert Stone:

’61. And who was the leader at that time?

Katie Jackson:

The leader at that time was Bishop James Jenkins.

Robert Stone:

Jenkins. You know you’re still, your voice is still coming weak on the meter, if you could just speak up a little more.

Katie Jackson:

Okay. Is that better?

Robert Stone:

Yeah, much better.

Katie Jackson:

Okay.

Robert Stone:

Yeah.

Katie Jackson:

Bishop James Jenkins.

Robert Stone:

And what, do you participate in services regularly there in Baltimore?

Katie Jackson:

Oh yes.

Robert Stone:

At which church?

Katie Jackson:

At the House of God Church No. 1, here in Baltimore.

Robert Stone:

Number one.

Katie Jackson:

Yes.

Robert Stone:

And where is that located?

Katie Jackson:

The 2600 block of Polk Street.

Robert Stone:

Polk Street.

Katie Jackson:

In East Baltimore. In the east, north west, you know.

Robert Stone:

And how long have you been there at that church?

Katie Jackson:

I’ve been at this particular church, it was still Keith Dominion, but I’ve been… We moved from West Baltimore, small location to a larger location. I know it’s been almost 20 years.

Robert Stone:

Just going back to Georgia for a minute. How long did you do that radio show?

Katie Jackson:

For about three years.

Robert Stone:

And you say it was a half hour or so?

Katie Jackson:

Mm-hmm (affirmative).

Robert Stone:

On Sunday?

Katie Jackson:

Yes, every Sunday,

Robert Stone:

Sunday morning?

Katie Jackson:

They looked forward to the Katie, I was Jones then, I wasn’t Jackson. Like Katie Jones Inspirational Hour.

Robert Stone:

So how did you get started singing and how did you get started in the radio thing?

Katie Jackson:

Well I was, let’s see. My parents were, my mother was a singer. She wasn’t like an outgoing singer like I am. She kind of sang in the Methodist Church. And my family was just, with the church and just singing along.

Robert Stone:

How about the radio?

Katie Jackson:

Oh, … [inaudible 00:05:16] heard me sing, and in Columbus I used to like help a lot of the ministers there in the city. If they needed a soloist, like in the afternoon or something.

Robert Stone:

Right.

Katie Jackson:

I would always go and sing. And this particular guy from the radio station who was, I can’t think of his name now, he was the owner. And he asked me how would I like… In fact, he, I think they put me on a little record or something. It’s been a long time.

Robert Stone:

You did make a recording, huh?

Katie Jackson:

I can’t even remember now, Katie.

Robert Stone:

You don’t remember the name of the song?

Katie Jackson:

I don’t remember. He asked how would I like to go on the radio? And I said, “Are you talking about me? Radio, I can’t even talk good.” And he said, “Yes.” And he told me to come down and he had an interview and everything. He said, “You talk good enough, yeah.”

Robert Stone:

That’s great.

Katie Jackson:

I would get my records and things that I would play like on a Sunday morning. And people would call in and, oh my goodness.

Robert Stone:

Who were some of the artists that you liked to play back then?

Katie Jackson:

The singers were, back in that time, was the famous Davis Sisters, out of Philadelphia, do you remember?

Robert Stone:

Yeah, yeah. Willie Eason talks about them a lot.

Katie Jackson:

Oh my Lord. Let me see, a little short lady, her name was Edna Gallmon Cooke. She was very popular during that time. And let’s see, who else? The Dixie Hummingbirds.

Robert Stone:

Oh man.

Katie Jackson:

The Dixie Hummingbirds. And I’ll tell you another group who were very popular at that time. They were husband and wife, who were the Consolers.

Robert Stone:

Right. We have been talking to Sullivan Pugh. His wife has died, Iola, she passed.

Katie Jackson:

Sister Pugh passed?

Robert Stone:

Yeah, about three years ago. But Sullivan.

Katie Jackson:

For real.

Robert Stone:

Yeah. He’s doing quite well, but she passed.

Katie Jackson:

Oh my God.

Robert Stone:

Yeah, yeah, I’d say about three or four years ago. Three years ago.

Katie Jackson:

Well they were very popular during those years.

Robert Stone:

They were popular for a long time.

Katie Jackson:

Oh, they were good. They were real anointed singers.

Robert Stone:

Yeah. Well, we’ve been working on a documentary video also. Right after we did the recording, that same week we went South and did some video. We did a video to service down at Glenn Lee’s church down in Perrine. And also videoed Aubrey Ghent, Aubrey and Lori, and Willie Eason and Sullivan Pugh.

Katie Jackson:

Oh, okay.

Robert Stone:

So he’s still around and still really rattling the rafters.

Katie Jackson:

Playing guitar?

Robert Stone:

Yeah. Yeah. And see he and Willie go way back.

Katie Jackson:

Okay.

Robert Stone:

But did you know, were you aware of Willie Eason, did you run into him?

Katie Jackson:

If I ran into to Willie Eason, it wasn’t that long, I can’t even remember what he looks like really.

Robert Stone:

Okay. I was just curious, because he traveled up and down the east coast.

Katie Jackson:

My mind goes back to a bishop-

Robert Stone:

How’s that?

Katie Jackson:

My mind goes back to a bishop by the name of Bishop, J. R. Lockley.

Robert Stone:

Right.

Katie Jackson:

And I think he used to work, play for him.

Robert Stone:

He did, yeah, when he was a teenager.

Katie Jackson:

Okay. So it’s somewhere, if I would see him walk up now, I wouldn’t know him, but I remember the name.

Robert Stone:

Well, you may see him over at Crescent City.

Katie Jackson:

Oh, okay.

Robert Stone:

I think he’s going to come by.

Katie Jackson:

Oh, okay.

Robert Stone:

Yeah. He’s 75 now.

Katie Jackson:

Is he really?

Robert Stone:

Yeah.

Katie Jackson:

Oh my goodness.

Robert Stone:

He’s still full of it. He lives right over in St. Petersburg.

Katie Jackson:

Does he?

Robert Stone:

Yeah. Yeah.

Katie Jackson:

Well, let me ask this, how is your wife?

Robert Stone:

She’s fine. She’s fine.

Katie Jackson:

That’s good.

Robert Stone:

And she sends her best to you.

Katie Jackson:

Praise God.

Robert Stone:

Yeah. She won’t be here that weekend of Crescent City thing. She already had plans to visit her niece and grandnephews up in Chicago, so she’s going up there.

Katie Jackson:

Oh, okay. At least she going to get up there before it gets cold.

Robert Stone:

Yeah.

Katie Jackson:

I had a gentleman used to book me in Chicago every December, and I just couldn’t understand that cold weather.

Robert Stone:

You’re still-

Katie Jackson:

Every December.

Robert Stone:

You’re still a southerner at heart when it comes to that weather, huh?

Katie Jackson:

Oh, I just couldn’t stand it.

Robert Stone:

Oh Lord. So how about, can you, got anything to say about how you see the steel guitar, the role of that instrument in the Keith Dominion? How it’s?

Katie Jackson:

I’ll tell you what, I think everybody looks forward… In the House of God Church, Keith Dominion, they look forward to that Hawaiian guit- steel.

Robert Stone:

Mm-hmm (affirmative).

Katie Jackson:

If you don’t have no steel, I mean, we ain’t got no service.

Robert Stone:

Mm-hmm (affirmative), and some churches don’t have it. Yeah.

Katie Jackson:

It just gives you that pick up for what you need in that service. And another thing, it’s different, because most churches have like a piano, or organ, or keyboard or, that’s fine too. But that steel always look like it just tops, you know?

Robert Stone:

Mm-hmm (affirmative).

Katie Jackson:

It just gives you that different feel about the instrument.

Robert Stone:

Right. So you think it makes the House of God’s services distinctive?

Katie Jackson:

Oh, yes it does, yes.

Robert Stone:

Did you run across, cross paths with Henry Nelson a lot over the years?

Katie Jackson:

I’m getting ready to go and visit Henry Nelson.

Robert Stone:

You are? Well please tell him I said hello.

Katie Jackson:

I sure will. I went to New York in the first week in September and I asked his daughter, how was he doing? And then she said he had not been doing too good, but he was better.

Robert Stone:

Right.

Katie Jackson:

And we’re making plans to go see Henry.

Robert Stone:

Well, good. That’s good.

Katie Jackson:

I liked Henry, he could play.

Robert Stone:

Yeah, he’s a great guy.

Katie Jackson:

Like a pattern, young ones coming up saying I want to play like him, you know?

Robert Stone:

Yeah. That one tune that Darick did on the CD, the Campbell Brothers CD?

Katie Jackson:

Mm-hmm (affirmative).

Robert Stone:

That one right at the last, End of My Journey?

Katie Jackson:

Yes.

Robert Stone:

That sounds a lot like Henry Nelson.

Katie Jackson:

Yeah, you’re right.

Robert Stone:

Same sort of approach, yeah.

Katie Jackson:

Mm-hmm (affirmative).

Robert Stone:

I actually, I’m talking like I know what I talk about, but see, I didn’t meet Henry or get to record him until he was already not doing too well. And everybody tells me that I’ve never really heard him, like he was never a 100%

Katie Jackson:

He could play.

Robert Stone:

Yeah, well, he must have, because he certainly was, got around for a long time.

Katie Jackson:

Yes he did, he really did.

Robert Stone:

Yeah. Well, we’ve probably talked enough. I hope we can even talk some more when you, if you get down. I hope you do, I’m counting on it.

Katie Jackson:

I am so excited.

Robert Stone:

Yeah.

Katie Jackson:

And Bob, I certainly appreciate what you’re doing.

Robert Stone:

Well, it’s my pleasure all the way. And we’re not done yet. This might just be just the beginning. Let’s hope this record really goes.

Katie Jackson:

And I’m going to do my best wherever I am.

Robert Stone:

Yeah. Okay. Well, great. Well, nice talking to you, Katie. And I’m so glad you got your recordings.

Katie Jackson:

And thank you very much. And we going to get the money together to you.

Robert Stone:

Oh yeah.

Katie Jackson:

All right.

Robert Stone:

Alrighty, take care.

Katie Jackson:

All right. Thanks for the call.

Robert Stone:

You bet.

Katie Jackson:

Bye bye.

Robert Stone:

Bye.