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Evangelist DeLois Winslett-Young

Robert Blair, The Fantastic Violinaires

Darian from Catawba, SC

Lisa from Tallahassee, FL

Angela from New York, NY

I would just like to say to the entire group, I love your music.  But Ms. Ronica sings in a way that sends chills all over me, because she sings from her heart.  I don’t know her but I can feel her in her songs.  “Lord It’s in Your Hands”, this is the most wonderful song I have ever heard.  It’s always played for different situations in my life.  I always cry when I listen to it.  And “Is God Satisfied With Me?”, Ms Ronica, My husband, my children, well my entire family would like to say keep feeding souls with that gift of yours.  And to Tony, it’s wonderful to know you are singing with your mom.  My son and I sing together sometimes, but never as good as you all.  I live in Bainbridge, GA, and if you are ever this way, please put out posters, etc.

Doris Hawkins from Bainbridge, GA

The one overriding wish from listening to this album is that you would love to see the group live in concert. There's no doubt the atmosphere would crackle and the hairs on your neck would stand up. This is an experienced, tight outfit who serve up a vibrant mixture of typical gospel rhythms and harmonies, from the slow burning "Die Easy" to the opening stomper "Walk In The Light".

 by Norman Smith

“We Need More Love” Album Review  

 Like blues, gospel is generally thought to have had its golden period in the post WWII period, from the late forties to the fifties, and like blues I'm sure most of our readers feel that the excitement often encountered on hearing gospel music from those times is rarely found in later, and especially contemporary, recordings. Again like blues, every now and then there is the exception to prove the rule, this is one of them.

A family concern, the four basic members of the group are manager Robert Bowers, daughter Ronica and son Roderick, and Ronica's son, Tony. Lead vocals come from Tony and (mainly) Ronica, Robert plays lead guitar, Roderick plays bass guitar and Tony supplies the drums and keyboard sounds. Tony, Roderick and Ronica supply background and group vocals, giving the team a 'quartet' styling.

Born in Georgia in 1941, Robert moved to North Carolina in the early sixties and joined a popular Cleveland gospel group, 'The Sensational Soul Seekers', as their guitarist, remaining with them until 1985 when he left to form The Mighty Blazing Stars. The real blazing star is however Ronica, the electrifying lead singer for the group, and known as 'The Hardest Working Woman in Gospel'. A popular up and coming gospel group, Ronica and the Mighty Blazing Stars have apparently gained attention in the modern gospel world by adding a contemporary feel to their usually powerful and traditional Gospel sound. Wish I could have heard earlier stuff!

'Walk' is in typical quartet style, while I can see that the modern, almost soul-like treatment for 'We Need Love' makes for its apparent commercial success. 'Die Easy' is a slowie, but 'God Is Using Me' is for me the standout track on the album, a heavy beat gradually builds up the tension to almost fever pitch, Ronica's every syllable emphasizing the increased passion, simply wonderful. Things quieten down a little for the next few numbers, although 'Home' has an admittedly passionate vocal from Tony, almost a deep soul sound. 'Lord', Sunshine' and 'Can't Say' are modern gospel, but still done with enough passion and feeling to make them interesting, 'Feel' is another track that, like 'God Is Using Me', builds up a good head of steam by the end and for the final number, 'Devil', it's back to slow gospel, again Ronica's sliding voice is strong and full of feeling.

On this evidence, the Mighty Blazing Stars are a superb guitar and organ driven gospel group, with that old-time hardcore and traditional quartet sound, Ronica's powerful lead vocals making for an exciting issue. Music samples are available at www.2rabo.com.

Byron Foulger, Blues & Rhythm (UK), August 2005

"We Need More Love" Album Review

The Blazing Stars are a family group built around a core of father Robert, son Roderick, daughter Ronica, her son Tony, plus one other member, Craig Johnson.

I first became aware of them about six years ago through an excellent live album. I enjoyed that, and this new studio album, whilst understandably lacking the excitement of the former, is another good one, compensating for the studio 'restrictions' by some nice extended vocal improvisations.

'Walk In The Light' opens the album in extended and exciting handclapping fashion before the mid-tempo title song eases the pace a little with Tony's gritty vocals to the fore. The album features a number of soulful tracks, from the strutting 'God Is Using Me' with its well-honed interaction between Ronica and the others, through the beautifully harmonized 'Lord It's In Your Hands' to the melodic 'Feel Like Going On'.

I enjoyed both 'Sunshine' and the medium-paced 'Can't Say Something Good', but Ronica's vocals really stand out on the waltz-time 'Die Easy', as do Tony's on 'Home Beyond The Sky'. As for the closing 'Devil Won't Leave Me Alone', even though it has a slightly more modern mien, their Sound rarely loses the old gospel quartet feel.

Overall, quite a strong modern quartet album, and in carrying on a noble tradition, they deserve support and are well worth a listen.

Seamus McGarvey, Juke Blues (UK), Summer 2005