Wednesday, August 30, 2006

Mozelle Patterson's Gospel Showcase


I must admit that it's not too often that I tune in to Atlanta Interfaith Broadcasting (AIB) on Comcast Channel 5. But a week ago Saturday, I had a truly religious experience while channel surfing.

The girls handed me the remote (this almost never happens), and I scanned up and down the band, but then I abruptly stopped when I reached Channel 5. A woman who appeared to be in her seventies or eighties, dressed in a light pink suit and seated in front of an arrangement of white lilies, was hosting her own gospel video program entitled "Mozelle Patterson's Gospel Showcase.” It had started at 10:00 PM, and by the time I tuned in, there were still about twenty minutes left to go.

Mozelle featured videos going all the way back to 1983. Some of the acts had been taped at live concerts, and others were early, low-budget MTV type recordings that featured prominent gospel artists of the time. But what really made the show was Mozelle's delivery. In a tone of voice which could convince the earth to spin in reverse, she preceded each video with a bit of background on the artists, then interleaved the videos themselves with home-grown commercials for local businesses such as salons, garages, and even funeral homes. She sprinkled in more common-sense, down-to-earth advice in twenty minutes than Dr. Phil could probably issue in a week. Mozelle left you feeling like you were listening to an old friend.

Yes, it's true that I haven't been a big viewer of AIB, but now I have a reason. Mozelle is on Sundays at 3:30 AM and Saturdays at 10:00 PM. I can't wait for next week's installment.