Frank 'n Joe - forty years!

In the early 1990s (while my family lived in Devine, southwest of S.A.) I began to be acquainted with "Frank 'n Joe". And now that I'm residing here in San Antonio I've gotten well-familiar with this gospel-singing team, a father-son duet. Daddy Frank -- isn't there a country song about him, and "Sister played the ringin' tambourine" and deaf Mama and so forth? -- sings lead while son Joe plays piano (or keyboard) and sings harmony.

The Ramirez father-and-son team celebrated forty years of gospel-singing ministry Saturday nite, at their home church, First Mexican Fundamental Baptist Church in the southeast quadrant of this city. Since I so greatly enjoy their singing, whether they sing in English or in Spanish, I wasn't about to let the church's long name scare me away! Actually, the church was quite nice. It was packed, every pew filled and several folding chairs too.

Well, the concert was a true blessing! Four or five artists or groups sang, three songs each, before Frank 'n Joe took the stage. They were all powerful, but the best was the last, a young soloist lady who is Frank's granddaughter and Joe's niece. Ooh! did she have a golden voice! I began to contemplate what it might be like to make the Ramirez duet a trio.

There was a slide show of photos of the Frank 'n Joe team in ministry over those forty years. Considering that forty years ago was in the midst of the colorful polyesther era, the guys' garb in the early years looked almost quaint or amusing! But it wasn't the look, it is the SOUND that makes them so special. And the guys sounded as gr-r-r-reat as always when they sang a couple of gospel songs live, in Spanish and also in English!

I pray that our dear Lord Jesus grant Frank 'n Joe many more years of music ministry to His glory and the blessing of others!