Fannie Flagg - Standing in the Rainbow

The banquet that night was a splendid affair. Doc and Dorothy and all the other druggists and their wives were decked out in their finest formal attire. When Doc went up to receive his award, amid much applause, he looked so handsome and distinguished in his tux with his silver hair glistening in the spotlight that after he came back to the table Dorothy whispered to him, "I'm married to the best-looking man here."

He laughed and whispered back, "You're just saying that because you're stuck with me." Later, after all the other awards had been given out, the emcee for the evening came out and read what Norvel Float had hastily jotted down on a service napkin backstage: "I hope you all enjoyed your dinner and congratulations to all the winners. And now, on with the show. Tonight we are lucky enough to have with us, all the way from Sand Mountain, Alabama, the famous Oatman Family Gospel Singers… and here they are, straight from their successful appearance on WRCC's Yellow Label Table Syrup Gospel Hour to sing some of your good old southern gospel favorites."

At this point the curtain opened, revealing the five Oatmans, a mother and father, two boys, and a girl. The mother, seated at the piano, a two-hundred-pound woman with white skin, her jet-black hair in a bun, without makeup, and wearing a homemade lavender dress, suddenly and without warning attacked the unsuspecting piano and took off from there, one chubby hand banging out the rhythm while the other banged out something else. The small upright seemed to be jumping up and down, fighting for its life, as she pumped away at the foot pedals.

And again without warning the large older man, the two younger men, all in matching suits, and the young girl who had been standing motionless sang out at the top of their lungs, "HAVE YOU HEARD THE GOOD NEWS?"

There was not a person in the room that could not help but hear the good news. Minnie Oatman would see to that. Hers was the strongest voice in the group, a deep whiskey tenor so powerful it was said she could knock the paint off the back wall when she really let go. Those that did not care for her voice simply said she was loud. Over the next half hour the group ripped right on through "Glory, Glory, Clear the Road," "Every Time I Feel the Spirit," "Mansion on the Hill," "Tell Mother I'll Be There," "Some Glad Day," and "When I Reach That City."

As they sang away, the pharmacists and their wives, particularly those from New York, Boston, and Philadelphia, sat in the audience, stunned, while most of the southerners nodded and smiled and tapped their feet.

But the Oatman clan seemed completely oblivious to the audience one way or the other and continued on with rousing renditions of "Hang On, It Won't Be Long Now," "What a Day That Will Be," "I'm Climbing Higher and Higher," and ended with a song that Minnie proudly informed them she had just written that very morning while sitting in the hotel coffee shop having breakfast. She said, "It's called "Can't Wait to Get to Heaven'… hope you like it," and threw her head back and proceeded to sing out with full-throated joy.

I'll climb up those crystal stairs

And run down that ivory hall

Right up to that throne of gold

Because I know Sweet King Jesus

Will be waiting for me there.

Oh I'll know Him when I see Him

I'd know Him anywhere.

His wounds have turned to rubies.

Where thorns once did dwell

Diamonds now sparkle in his hair.

Can't wait to get to Heaven

Oh I'll be so happy there

To leave all this pain and sorrow.

All my struggles will be lifted

No more earthly burdens to bare.

Can't wait to run up those crystal stairs

And down that ivory hall

Can't wait to shout… Hallelujah!

At last my trials are over cause

Sweet King Jesus will be there!

When she hit the final E-flat at the end of the song and held it, many people in the room heard the ice in their glasses crack. Some singers sing at the top of a note, some at the bottom, but Minnie Oatman had perfect pitch and always hit the note dead center with the accuracy of a silver bullet. More than a few in the audience still had a ringing in their ears long after the curtain closed.

It had been a lively show, to say the least. When it was over Doc commented to the man next to him, "I'll say this for them: I never saw folks look more forward to dying in all my life." But Dorothy had thoroughly enjoyed the show. She had heard gospel music before but she had certainly never heard it sung like this. What the Oatmans may have lacked in polish and style they certainly made up for in enthusiasm.

She and Doc were not particularly fans of gospel but she knew that a lot of her listening audience out on the farms loved it. While most of the other banquet attendees began stumbling out of the room in a daze, headed for the bar, not really sure what they had seen and heard, Dorothy headed backstage to find the Oatmans and compliment them on their performance. When she finally found her way backstage they were still packing up their sound equipment. She walked over and introduced herself to Minme Oatman and told her how she had so enjoyed their singing and said if they were ever in the vicinity of Elmwood Springs, Missouri, she would love to have them on her radio show. Minnie, who had worked up quite a sweat, was dabbing her face with a big white handkerchief. She said, "Well, bless your heart," then turned and called out, "Ferris, ain't we doing a revival somewhere in Missouri this year… or is it Arkansas? Look it up in the book. This nice lady wants us on her radio show."

She apologized to Dorothy. "We hit so many places, honey, I can't keep up."

Ferris Oatman, who weighed a hundred pounds more than his wife, struggled to pull a long thin black book from his inside coat pocket. After he looked through it he said, "We're booked at the Highway 78 Church of Christ outside of Ash Hill, Missouri, first week in July."

Minnie turned to Dorothy. "Is that anywheres near you, honey?"

Dorothy said, "Yes, I know Ash Hill; it's not that far away from us. I'll be happy to have somebody come and pick you up and bring you back. Where will you be staying?"

Minnie laughed. "Oh Lord, honey, we never know till we get there. We stay with whoever can put us up. The church usually finds us a place. There's six of us including Floydhe's out in the car waiting, he don't work banquets, just churches and revivals, so if you know of a family willing to put one or two of us up for a week, let us know. You don't happen to have an extra bed or sofa, do you? "

Dorothy was put on the spot because the woman had just agreed to appear on her radio show. She glanced over at the young girl in the group, who looked to be about fifteen or sixteen, and said, "Ahh… well, as a matter of fact, Mrs. Oatman, we have a girl just about your daughter's age and I'm sure she would be just tickled pink to have her stay with us."

Minnie looked up to the ceiling and sang out, "PRAISE JESUS!" and looked back at Dorothy and said, "I tell you, Mrs. Smith, the Lord just drops good people right in our path every day." She sang out again in a loud voice, "THANK YOU, SWEET JESUS!" Dorothy was a little taken aback at this display and quickly added, "But now, Mrs. Oatman, just so you know, we're not members of the Church of Christ and I don't know if that matters but…" Minnie waved her hand and dismissed the idea.

"Oh honey, that don't matter a whit just as long as you're Christian and don't drink alcohol or smoke or gamble." Before Dorothy could say anything one way or another Minnie yelled, "Ferris, we already got one placed in Ash Hill," and then turned back to Dorothy. "That's real kind of you, and of all of us, she's the leas test trouble, hardly eats a thing, you won't even know she's there." She waved the long white handkerchief at her daughter. "Betty Raye, come over here. This nice lady wants you to stay with her when we're over there in Missouri."