Today’s offering is another track recently brought to my
attention by Bob at Dead Wax, and one which I simply had to own. Luckily there was an
affordable copy for sale on eBay; I say ‘was’ because this little treasure is
now mine!
Issued around 1976, God is So Good and its flip Because He Lives (written by William J. Gaither) were recorded by
nine year-old Joel Stafford, a severely disabled boy from Winston-Salem, North
Carolina. Joel suffered from a rare and incurable bone disorder, osteogenesis imperfecta,
a form of brittle bone disease. This congenital condition left his body unable
to develop the collagen needed to build up his bones, and meant that he had to
have steel rods implanted in his legs.
Young Joel wanted to buy an electric wheelchair: he also
loved to sing in church with his family. “I’m going to buy myself a
wheelchair,” he told reporters from local newspaper the Statesville Record
And Landmark in September 1976. “I’m going
to take it to school so I can roll myself around.” To pay for the chair Joel
persuaded his parent, Wayne and Linda, to take him to a local recording studio
and cut his only 45.
Instrumental support was provided by local band the Starlighters. Several bands have used the same name over the years, but these fellows appear to have been led by one Bert Starr and they released their own 45 on Unique records around the same time. Issued on his own Joel Records label, he soon sold enough copies of his disc to pay the $1,500 or so for his chair.
Instrumental support was provided by local band the Starlighters. Several bands have used the same name over the years, but these fellows appear to have been led by one Bert Starr and they released their own 45 on Unique records around the same time. Issued on his own Joel Records label, he soon sold enough copies of his disc to pay the $1,500 or so for his chair.
A strong-minded young man who enjoyed attending the
Children’s Center In Winston-Salem, Joel was proud of his achievement and of
his new chair, but unfortunately before long some low-down cur stole it, and he
was forced to sell more copies of his 45 to pay for a second one. Luckily this
time around he had support from the local community, as the press cutting here
notes.
Sadly Joel appears to have passed away; his father’s
obituary (Joe Wayne Stafford died in 2003) mentions that his son predeceased
him, but no other details. Luckily he left us his single, a lasting legacy to a brave little boy
determined not to be beaten by the hand he was dealt.
Enjoy!
Download God HERE
Thanks Darryl for the supplement of info and for the Joel picture...
ReplyDeleteJoel was really a local celebrity around Winston-Salem. He made an appearance every year on the March Of Dimes Telethon. It was a 24 hour event and put together by local NBC affiliate, WXII. Joel passed away on November 28, 1985. Because the telethon had been discontinued at that point, he wasn't as well known and there was very little coverage of his death. He's buried in the Beck's Baptist Church Cemetery in Winston-Salem. The article is from the Piedmonitor. It was the company newsletter of Piedmont Airlines based in Winston-Salem. Piedmont was a big donor to local charities.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the extra info Chris
Delete