When Bobby Jones Gospel signs off on BET this Sunday, it will have made history as the network’s longest running original series.
In an age of television when shows come and go, Dr. Jones has been able to do the seemingly impossible – create an enriching, entertaining gospel music series and sustain it for 35 years. Dr. Jones was giving the world gospel music before many of his fans were even born, but the time has come for the man and the groundbreaking series to finally say goodbye.
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“It’s like you’re losing your baby,” Jones tells Guideposts.org about the ending of the show. “It’s definitely bittersweet.”
Jones was manning a local radio show in Nashville when he first got the call about working with BET on a televised gospel program in 1976. A teacher at Tennessee State University at the time, he had spent the previous five years working at a station that let him spotlight gospel music. The network took notice and offered Jones what is sometimes referred to as the Bobby Jones Gospel Hour. Gospel music was rarely played on the radio much less on the small screen. Jones had no idea what to expect but he knew what he wanted to focus on.
“I didn’t come from a musician’s position because I was not that,” he explains. “I had two major objectives: the cultural aspect and the spiritual aspect of presenting the music.”
Jones’ show quickly became a platform for budding musicians to showcase their talent – in fact, many big names in the gospel music world can trace their beginnings to his show: Kirk Franklin, Yolanda Adams, they all began on Jones’ stage, but he was happy to give everyone, no matter their celebrity, the opportunity to sing in front of his audience.
“I knew there were a lot of artists out there that didn’t get the recognition so I would always look for the no-names,” Jones says. “That’s what really made the show. We were able to get ordinary, gospel singers from the church, from the choirs and present them.”
Earlier this year, Jones announced he would be retiring and ending the show. His loyal fans greeted the news by launching online petitions trying to persuade BET to keep the show on the air and inviting him to visit cities on a kind of “farewell tour.”
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“I felt I had done what I needed to do and I wanted the show to go out on top,” Jones says of the decision. “[But] I do feel guilty about leaving. I feel so terrible that [the fans] are so hurt.”
Jones hopes viewers will enjoy the show’s finale, set to air this weekend – one the beloved host says will be memorable.
“Look for a lot of emotions and some special performances,” he teases of the finale episode. “It’s going to be wonderful.”
Though the series may be ending, Jones has plans to work with BET to do some holiday specials throughout the year. He says he’s proud of what the network and the series have been able to accomplish and intends for the show’s legacy and the music to live on.
“We brought a lot of spirituality into homes of people who had never witnessed gospel music before,” Jones says. “We brought people healing, inspiration, happiness … We didn’t just do gospel singing, we opened the doors.”
The finale episode of Bobby Jones Gospel airs Sunday, July 31st at 9 a.m.
