Wednesday, April 2, 2003
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Wednesday, April 2, 2003 |
Silver Hair Ministries celebrates 10 years of performing at local nursing homeBy MICHAEL
BOYLAN
The difference between being a good person and a great person can sometimes be hard to see, especially for the person who is doing great things. Bill Stephens, better known as Mr. Bill from Fayetteville, celebrated the 10th anniversary of his Silver Hair Ministries performances on Saturday, March 21 at the LaFayette Nursing Home in Fayetteville. Friends and family got to see how much Stephens and his wife, Mary Jo, touch the lives of the residents at the nursing home and got to share in the joy of the program. The program started because Stephens was upset that old hymns were being replaced with more contemporary music in church. He enjoyed singing the old hymns and knew that other people enjoyed them as well. He had played what he describes as "hillbilly music' with friends in high school and decided to dust off his old guitar and start playing these songs. His wife gave him a karaoke machine for Christmas in 1992 and by March of 1993, Stephens decided to approach LaFayette Nursing Home to see if they might be interested in him performing his favorite old hymns for the residents. They agreed to let him perform on the fourth Saturday of that month and he has been performing at that time ever since. Many people warned him that the residents could be inattentive or grumpy and his wife worried that he might get discouraged, but over the years Stephens has found that the residents are always eager to see him and sing along with the hymns and songs they grew up with. Since its beginning, Stephens and his Silver Hair Ministries have grown. He stepped in for Sunday services at LaFayette when their regular preacher could not make it and now performs that service on a regular basis and has established other performances at area nursing homes, including Christian City Southland Nursing Home and Azalea Estates. Stephens has also brought guests to a number of the performances, including banjo players, additional vocalists, some children, and even some pets. At Saturday's performance, members of Stephens' Bible study class, which he calls "The Brigade," were in attendance and sang to the residents. Stephens, a kitchen designer by day, receives no monetary payment for his programs. All he asks for is the attention of the patients and the attending staff. He gets that and much more as the residents are often waiting and excited to see him. Some residents sing along, while others clap or keep time with the music by tapping their feet. After each song, Stephens and the audience say the phrase "and they all said, oh yeah." "If this was work, I probably wouldn't do it," said Stephens. "This is fun. I would do it full-time if I could." Stephens grew up in the sandhills of South Carolina, the son of a country preacher, and a fan of all types of music except pop and rock-and-roll. When he started the program, he had no pattern to follow. Since its inception, his equipment has become more professional and his library of songs has grown exponentially. One of the biggest crowd pleasers is when he sings some of the same gospel songs that Elvis Presley sang. He even sings "Crying in the Chapel" from time to time, but, despite the pleas of some, does not wiggle like Presley. The 10th anniversary performance featured Stephens singing "God Bless the USA," "That Silver Haired Daddy of Mine," and "It's No Secret What God Can Do," which is a favorite among the residents of LaFayette. The program closed with what Stephen considers to be the theme song of the Silver Hair Ministries, "You Are My Sunshine." "This has been a great pleasure for us," said Stephens, adding that his wife has given him tremendous support over the years. They have struck up relationships with nearly all of the residents attending the shows, holding hands and embracing after each performance. The program is mutually beneficial and Stephens plans on continuing for as long as possible. He is doing a great thing by doing something he loves and that is the definition of a great person.
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