The Blind Boys of Alabama

Friday, September 13, 2013 | 8:00 pm

Saturday, September 14, 2013 | 8:00 pm

Founded at the Alabama Institute for the Negro Blind in 1939, The Blind Boys of Alabama performed for over 40 years on the gospel circuit before they broke through to worldwide acclaim in 1985, appearing in Lee Breuer’s ground-breaking The Gospel at Colonus. Six Grammy Awards later, their soul-stirring live shows remain the stuff of legend — as Ben Harper says, “they are the pyramids of gospel music; the birthplace of sacred soul.”

Now, these Gospel Music Hall of Famers kick off Duke Performances’ new season with a rare two-night engagement in a venue tailor-made for their voices. At the Hayti Heritage Center, a historic former AME church, The Blind Boys of Alabama will celebrate both their proud tradition and their bold new project set for release just two weeks after the concert: an album, I’ll Find a Way, produced by Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon with music direction from Megafaun’s Phil Cook.