Blind Boys of Alabama

What Blind Boys of Alabama does

Blind Boys of Alabama is a privately held gospel-Americana vocal ensemble founded in 1944 at the Alabama Institute for the Negro Deaf and Blind, originally performing as the Happy Land Jubilee Singers. The group operates as a performing-arts business with five current members, led by 91-year-old Jimmy Carter following the 2018 death of founding member Clarence Fountain. Its core products are studio albums, collaborative recordings, live concert performances, branded merchandise, and a published band history; the 2024 Grammy-winning album 'Echoes of the South' and the 2024 Hachette Books publication 'Spirit of the Century' are the most recent commercial releases.

Revenue is generated across four streams: album and music sales (digital streaming on Spotify/Apple Music, physical CD/LP via Portmerch), live performances and tours across North America, Europe, Australia, and Asia, merchandise sales, and publishing/licensing. The group's go-to-market is event-driven, built around headline performances at Carnegie Hall, Ryman Auditorium, Newport Folk Festival, JazzFest, Cambridge Folk Festival, and PBS tapings, supported by earned media (TODAY Show, NPR, Paste, Billboard).

The business operates with a diversified distribution stack: Single Lock Records handles label release, Amazon Music has served as exclusive digital partner for prior releases, and two booking agencies cover non-overlapping geographic territories (Mint Talent Group for North America/Australia/Asia; The Kurland Agency for Europe/South America/Central America/Africa). Management is provided by 72 Music Management and Blind Ambition Mgt., Ltd. The group's competitive position rests on an 80+ year catalog, six Grammy Awards, a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award (2009), and Gospel Music Hall of Fame induction.

Name

Blind Boys of Alabama

Legal name

Blind Boys of Alabama

Website

https://blindboys.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1944

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Blind Boys of Alabama is a privately held gospel-Americana vocal ensemble, founded in 1944, that sells recorded music, tours internationally, and licenses its catalog to gospel and Americana fans, roots-music collectors, and festival audiences.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Live Gospel and Americana Music Performances

NAICS

Musical Groups and Artists (71113), Record Production and Distribution (51225)

SIC

Phonograph Records & Prerecorded Audio Tapes & Disks (3652)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYMPAIAHAC

Session Musicians & Vocalists

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Music & Audio (Recording, Publishing, Streaming)/Music Production Services (Studios, Producers, Session Musicians)

Keywords

• Gospel music performances
• Live concert touring
• Studio album recordings
• Americana music ensemble
• Branded merchandise sales

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Album and Music Sales: Revenue from album sales through digital platforms (Spotify, Apple Music), physical CD/LP releases, and merchandise store. Albums include 'Echoes of the South', 'Almost Home', 'Work to Do' collaboration with Marc Cohn, and catalog titles.
2. Live Performances and Tours: Revenue from concert tickets and live performances at festivals, theaters, and venues across North America, Europe, Australia, and Asia. The group tours extensively with booking agents covering different regions.
3. Merchandise: Sale of branded merchandise including apparel, accessories, and music products through the official merch store (Portmerch).
4. Publishing and Licensing: Revenue from book sales of 'Spirit of the Century' published by Hachette Books, which tells the official story of the band.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Blind Boys of Alabama are a Grammy Award-winning gospel and Americana vocal ensemble that records and releases studio albums, performs live concerts and festival appearances, and sells branded merchandise including apparel, books, and recorded music (CDs/DVDs). Founded in 1939 at the Talladega Institute for the Deaf and Blind, the group has sustained a touring and recording career across more than eight decades.

Product overview

Blind Boys of Alabama is a six-time GRAMMY-winning gospel-Americana group offering a portfolio of music products including studio albums, collaborative projects, live recordings, holiday albums, and published books. Their core offerings include studio albums such as 'Echoes of the South' (2024 GRAMMY winner), 'Spirit Of The Century' (2001), 'Higher Ground' (2002), and 'Go Tell It On The Mountain' (2003 Christmas album). They produce collaborative albums with artists like Ben Harper ('There Will Be Light'), Marc Cohn ('Work to Do'), and Amadou & Mariam ('Bamako to Birmingham'). The group also offers video products (DVDs), merchandise (via portmerch store), and published the official book 'Spirit of the Century'. Their music is distributed through Single Lock Records, Amazon Music, and various streaming platforms.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Echoes of the South (2024 Grammy-winning album)
• Almost Home (2017 album)
• Work to Do (2019 album, with Marc Cohn)

Quantifiable outcome

• Six GRAMMY Awards including 2024 Best Roots Gospel Album
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered major, core and minor.

• Béla FleckmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Collaborative track 'I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel to Be Free' nominated for 2022 Grammy. Released limited edition 7" single for Record Store Day. Previously worked with Béla on 'There Will Be a Light' (2004).
• Marc CohnmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 August 2019Collaborative album 'Work to Do' released August 2019. Marc Cohn, Grammy-winning singer-songwriter, joined the Blind Boys as honorary member after extensive collaborative touring. Album produced by John Leventhal.
• Mint Talent GroupcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBooking agent Michael Morris handles North America, Australia, and Asia bookings for the Blind Boys. Contact: [email protected], 312.260.0857
• The Kurland AgencycoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBooking agency handling Europe, South America, Central America, and Africa bookings for the Blind Boys. Contact: [email protected], 617.254.0007
• 72 Music ManagementcoreOthersManagement company led by Jeff DeLia handling day-to-day operations for the Blind Boys of Alabama. Contact: [email protected]
• Blind Ambition Mgt., Ltd.coreOthersManagement company led by Charles Driebe. Charles Driebe is also co-producer of the album 'Echoes of the South'. Contact: [email protected]
• Single Lock RecordscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAlabama-based independent record label that signed the Blind Boys and released 'Echoes of the South' (2023). The label name references Birmingham radio station WSGN whose show was first to welcome the Blind Boys.
• Ben HarpermajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on Grammy-winning album 'There Will Be a Light' (2004). Ben Harper wrote most tracks and guest performed. Album won Grammy for Best Traditional Soul Gospel Album.
• Taj MahalminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated on album 'Talkin' Christmas' and Taj Mahal provided quote endorsement for the book 'Spirit of the Century'. Praised the Blind Boys as 'magnificent music' with 'thundering, harmonic power'.
• Amadou & MariamminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMalian Afro-pop duo collaborated with Blind Boys on European tour and released collaborative tracks 'Bamako to Birmingham' and 'Two Cultures, One Beat' from the album 'From Bamako to Birmingham'.
• Jason IsbellminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProduced Blind Boys' contribution to 'God Don't Never Change: The Songs of Blind Willie Johnson' tribute album. Contributed slide guitar to the track 'Mother's Children Have a Hard Time'.
• Hachette BooksminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPublished the official band biography 'Spirit of the Century' written with band members, drawing from their private archive. Available for purchase on Hachette Book Group website.
• Phil CookminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated at Newport Folk Festival 2016 as part of Phil Cook's 'Southland Revue'. Also performed together at Pickathon 2018 festival.
• Yo La TengominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPerformed alongside Yo La Tengo at Bowery Ballroom during Hanukkah shows in December 2018, performing original songs and Velvet Underground cover.
• Phil Lesh & FriendsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPerformed with Phil Lesh of the Grateful Dead, Luther Dickinson, John Medeski, and others in Las Vegas in May 2019.
• Paul ThornminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerToured together in 2018 as part of the 'Mission Temple Fireworks Revival' tour, with Paul Thorn singing gospel songs featuring the Blind Boys.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Ladysmith Black Mambazo: South African male vocal group with 50+ year history and multiple Grammy Awards. Comparable as a long-running, internationally touring vocal ensemble that has collaborated with major Western artists and built a cultural-legacy brand similar to the Blind Boys' gospel heritage positioning.
• Take 6: Multi-Grammy-winning a cappella gospel group with extensive recording catalog and touring history. Comparable as a Grammy-decorated contemporary gospel ensemble with similar collaborative features and crossover appeal.
• The Staple Singers: Legendary gospel-soul family group from the Civil Rights era, also closely tied to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the same cultural-historical positioning as the Blind Boys. Direct peer in gospel heritage touring acts.
• Gaither Vocal Band: Long-running Southern gospel vocal group with extensive touring and recording career. Direct peer in the gospel touring ensemble category with comparable business model built on live performances and album sales.
• The Fairfield Four: Historic African American gospel quartet founded in the 1920s. Direct peer in the roots gospel space — same genre, similar longevity, and same touring gospel ensemble business model.
• The Fisk Jubilee Singers: Historic African American vocal ensemble founded in 1871, central to the preservation of Negro spirituals. Peer in the heritage vocal ensemble category with comparable cultural significance, though operating more as an institutional ensemble than a commercial touring act.
• Preservation Hall Jazz Band: Long-running American roots music ensemble based in New Orleans, performing continuously for decades. Closely comparable as a heritage touring ensemble with Grammy recognition, multi-generational lineup, and similar reliance on live performance and traditional American music catalog.

Emerging players

• Rhiannon Giddens: Solo artist who has collaborated with the Blind Boys and operates in the Americana/roots space with Grammy wins. Comparable as an Americana-rooted artist with similar genre positioning and collaborative orientation, though operating as a solo act rather than an ensemble.
• Dom Flemons: Roots/Americana artist and former member of the Carolina Chocolate Drops with Grammy Award recognition. Comparable as a performer rooted in Black American folk traditions with similar cultural positioning, though operating at smaller scale.

Others

• Single Lock Records: Alabama-based independent label that has released multiple Blind Boys albums. Ecosystem partner rather than competitor — comparable as a comparable indie roots/Americana label but with different business focus (label vs. performing group).

Market position

Competitive moat4 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/blindboysofalabama
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/blind-boys-of-alabama

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Blind Boys of Alabama