On September 24th, Numero Group will release I Shall Wear A Crown, a five-album box set that unearths the complete musical output of Pastor T.L. Barrett and his 45-piece Youth For Christ Choir. The project delivers the definitive tribute to Pastor Barrett, a living legend whose overlooked impact has not only transformed the sound of gospel music, but revolutionized his South Side Chicago community. If you’re unfamiliar with Barrett’s 50-year career, there is his surprising bond with another South Side stalwart: Barack Obama.
Pastor Barrett has long continued the Black church’s tradition of political participation. He’s prioritized voter registration as a main avenue for change by inviting local candidates to come speak to his congregation since the early 1970s. His dedication to the electoral process remains resolute to this day — so it was only right that during the 2008 presidential race, Barrett opened his doors for Obama to speak. Years later, the two are bound by their shared community. More recently, Obama extended condolences to Barrett in a time of profound grief:
“My youngest daughter was murdered,” Barrett explained to Vanity Fair. “And on the day of her funeral, Barack Obama called me, while I was in the pulpit, and he expressed his condolences. He was the front-running candidate at that time, so I counted that very special.”
Obama and Barrett’s connection has been immortalized on screen: In Barry, the Netflix biopic on Obama’s life, Barrett’s track “Nobody Knows” appears in both the film’s trailer and final sequence. In Crip Camp, the documentary on disability rights activism executive produced by Barack and Michelle, Barrett’s signature soul jam, “Like A Ship,” soundtracked the trailer and end credits.
“We chose [“Nobody Knows”] for the feeling,” says Barry director Vikram Gandhi. “But when we did research on Pastor Barrett it all added up. The spirit of the South Side of Chicago is embodied in this.”
Photo courtesy of Shorefire
