The Gerald R. Ford Presidential Foundation and Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library and Museum welcomed Reverend Robert Jones, Sr on Thursday, February 1. President Gerald R. Ford has been recognized as being a voice of moderation and healing in a time of national upheaval. There have been many times in our history when our differences have been moderated through music. From President Lincoln’s “Let The Band Play Dixie” through President Obama’s singing of “Amazing Grace”, leadership has often used music to heal the wounds of conflict. Reverence Robert Jones performed songs and told stories of many of America’s most iconic songs of healing.
Rev. Robert Jones, Sr.
Storyteller and Musician
Rev. Robert Jones, Sr. is an inspirational storyteller and musician celebrating the history, humor, and power of American Roots music. His deep love for traditional African American and American traditional music is shared in live performances that interweave timeless stories with original and traditional songs. For more than twenty-five years Robert has entertained and educated audiences of all ages in schools, colleges, libraries, union halls, prisons, churches and civil rights organizations. At the heart of his message is the belief that our cultural diversity tells a story that should celebrate, not just tolerate. Acclaimed photographer James Fraher writes about Robert: “Perhaps the world’s most highly educated blues musician, an ordained minister, a longtime DJ, and a living encyclopedia of blues history, the Reverend Robert Jones is comfortable among juke joint loud talkers, fancy-hatted church ladies, and PhDs alike."
Rev. Robert Jones makes his home in Detroit while performing throughout the United States, Canada, and Europe. An award-winning multi-instrumentalist, he is accomplished at guitar, harmonica, mandolin, banjo, and fiddle. He has recorded six albums of original and traditional songs. Robert is the former host of the award-winning radio programs “Blues from the Lowlands” and “Deep River” broadcast on Detroit Public Radio’s WDET-FM Detroit. And he has taught at music history courses at Wayne State University in Detroit. As an ordained minister and a Baptist pastor, he has an unwavering faith in the cultural importance of sacred and traditional American roots music. In addition to his solo performances, he often collaborates musically with his wife, Sister Bernice Jones.
When
February 1, 2024
