by Tom Martin
With his performance over, JR Hubbard lingered in the back of the auditorium, enraptured by the musicians on stage. A bandmate’s tap on the shoulder startled him back into the moment. His shyness made him “forget” about the autograph session. But after three insistent reminders from band members, JR reluctantly made his way to the lobby. It would be a life-changing inconvenience.
It was the summer of 1993. JR lived in Washington, DC. Prior to this road trip, he could not have found Kilmarnock on a map. But as a member of “The Gospel Angels” revival band, JR felt obligated to greet the fans and autograph the group’s new CD, “In Jesus’ Name.”
He wasn’t even supposed to be there. Five years had passed since JR last played with the Gospel Angels. He had left the group to explore R&B music, but they called, needing a bass player for a revival tour. Unable to refuse, JR soon found himself in rural Virginia.
To one member of the audience, that Saturday had been exhausting. Grace worked all morning and then babysat all afternoon. Still, she had tickets to the “Gospel Explosion” revival concert, and she was going to use them. One of her hobbies was collecting autographs….
