[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 156 (2010), Part 8]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 11341]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




 SALUTING ELDER GOLDWIRE McLENDON, PHILADELPHIA'S PREMIER GOSPEL SINGER

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                           HON. CHAKA FATTAH

                            of pennsylvania

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, June 22, 2010

  Mr. FATTAH. Madam Speaker, an incredibly talented Gospel singer from 
Philadelphia has been sharing his gift with a national audience through 
``Sunday Best,'' the BET network's closely watched gospel singing 
competition.
  The results were announced this Sunday, and our own Elder Goldwire 
McLendon was selected as runner-up to a young lady from Florida, 
LeAndria Johnson. Elder McLendon's many, many fans in Philadelphia and 
across the nation may be mildly disappointed, but they are immensely 
proud of the man, his powerful voice and his faith.
  Annette John-Hall, a talented writer for the Philadelphia Inquirer, 
captured the drama and the impact of this remarkable man and his quest, 
in her column in today's newspaper. I share her column and extend my 
congratulations to this Philadelphia Gospel superstar.

            [From the Philadelphia Inquirer, June 22, 2010]

           At 79, Elder McLendon Shares the Gift of His Voice

                         (By Annette John-Hall)

       All you have to do is watch the audience react to Elder 
     Goldwire McLendon every time he sings to understand the 
     profound impact he has.
       People get choked up. Some weep outright. Heck, just 
     watching him perform on YouTube puts a lump in your throat.
       See, McLendon sings gospel. And he has for, oh, 70 years, 
     ever since he was 9 and singing in Sunday school in 
     Jacksonville, Fla., his hometown.
       He has sung in prisons, in concert halls, and at his own 
     place of worship, Mount Olive Baptist Church in Philadelphia, 
     where he has ministered for 40 years.
       But it wasn't until McLendon decided to audition for Sunday 
     Best, BET's gospel singing competition, that the whole nation 
     understood just how remarkable his gift was.
       At 79, McLendon was easily the oldest contestant by at 
     least 30 years. And yes, he'd sometimes forget the lyrics.
       But his life experience came through whenever he hit the 
     stage. After a typically moving performance early in the 
     competition, judge Tina Campbell of Mary Mary, the gospel 
     sister duo, told McLendon: ``You got a standing ovation from 
     God. He's all over you.''
       Outsinging a field of 20, McLendon made it all the way to 
     Sunday's finals before losing to 27-year-old powerhouse 
     LeAndria Johnson.
       But it didn't matter. What matters is that now, in the 
     winter of his life, McLendon's season is finally here.


                             Gift from God

       Call it what you want. Wisdom. Talent. Showmanship.
       McLendon chooses to credit his gift and the effect it has 
     to a higher power.
       ``The Lord set me up and used me,'' he said before 
     performing in concert with other Sunday Best contestants at 
     New Covenant Church of Philadelphia Saturday.
       He almost didn't allow himself to be used.
       ``Do you know how old I am?'' he'd ask his children when 
     they'd urge him to audition.
       Never comfortable in a crowd, McLendon could easily have 
     taken one look at the hundreds of hopefuls at the Convention 
     Center audition on that cold March morning and said, ``I 
     don't want to be bothered with all of those people,'' says 
     his daughter-in-law, Karen McLendon, 56. But she says he 
     stuck it out because of ``the prodding from the Lord.''
       Possessing a silky smooth tenor reminiscent of Sam Cooke, 
     with a smidgen of James Cleveland's thunder thrown in, 
     McLendon sang as a soloist in the Savettes Choral Ensemble 
     and the Brockington Choral Ensemble in the '60s and '70s. He 
     was ordained as a minister in 1978 and pastored St. James 
     Holy Church in Tennille, Ga., for 16 years before reuniting 
     with his family--five children, 15 grands and 14 great-
     grands--in Philly.
       They all sing, but Pops, as his family lovingly calls him, 
     is arguably the best.
       There's just something about him.


                          National recognition

       ``Not only is he anointed, but his [life] experience has to 
     do with his being anointed,'' says Orlando Wright, who placed 
     third in the competition. ``All these years, he's been 
     faithful--not perfect--but faithful, and God has to honor 
     that.''
       McLendon is enjoying a national recognition he had never 
     known before. He's in the midst of a 40-city tour featuring 
     Sunday Best contestants, where he's the headliner. He gets 
     fan mail every day from viewers inspired to go back to church 
     or pursue a passion late in life because of him.
       McLendon's only regret is that Ruth, his wife of 59 years, 
     is in the final stages of Alzheimer's disease and cannot 
     enjoy his season with him. He has cared for her since 2003.
       ``Beautiful high soprano,'' he says of his wife's voice. 
     ``She wrote music, and we used to harmonize all the time. . . 
     . I'm trying to control myself talking about her.''
       Still, despite personal heartache, there's much to enjoy--
     and be thankful for.
       ``It ain't over,'' he says, ``till God says it's over.''

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