“Amazing Grace” And Other Songs Black Folk Sing At Talent Shows
Written by
Veronica Wells
Published on
April 8, 2014
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Do you remember the end of the year middle school and high school talent shows? People who barely spoke in class would take the stage and display their skills. It was a time to clown folk and a time to be amazed at their level of skill. One thing we know for sure though is that if there was singing involved, you could bet your bottom dollar that at least one of these songs would be in the program.
Amazing Grace
It’s hard to boo people when they’re singing for the Lord. Perhaps this is why so many people, black, white, yellow and purple attempt to sing this old song “Amazing Grace” at every opportunity…even when they know they have no business doing so…like this woman at a funeral who clearly didn’t know any of the words and tried to compensate with shoulder shrugs, hair flips, and church giggles. Thing is, her voice wasn’t all that bad. She was still a hot mess and eventually someone had to tap her and tell her to sit on down.
If there was a guy and girl at your school who could sing, you could bet good money that they were going to perform a duet at the end of the year talent show and you could bet good money that they were going to sing R.L. and Deborah Cox’s 1998 hit, “We Can’t Be Friends.” The thing about this song is that it was everybody’s jam, so the audience will help you out if you happen to forget the lyrics.
Spend My Life With You – Eric Benet and Tamia
Unlike the “We Can’t Be Friends” song “Spend My Life With You” was usually performed by serious couples who thought they were going to get married straight out of high school. But aside from the high school auditorium stage, this song, which was number one on the Hip Hop and R&B charts when it was released, couldn’t have been any more popular at black weddings. Check out this couple singing it to one another in the video above. They’ll take you to church, complete with a couple of war cries.
Fallin’ – Alicia Keys
You remember how hot this song was when it first came out in 2001. Not only were all the embittered women belting it in their cars, the kids and adults took it to the stage. You could hear this song at many a talent show and you knew the performer was feeling herself if she included the signature “what” at the end of the number, like this woman did in the video above.
I Will Always Love You – Whitney Houston
You knew it was coming right?! Everybody and their momma has attempted to sing this song in public and not so public venues. And let’s be real, when people attempt this gigantic feat, it’s a travesty. But every once in a while, someone manages to get it right. I decided to be nice this time around and not torture you with a terrible vocal, so check out this young girl singing this song at her talent show. She does a pretty good job.
His Eye Is On The Sparrow
If you don’t sing “Amazing Grace,” then the next go-to gospel song is “His Eye Is On The Sparrow.” Ever since folks saw Lauryn Hill singing it in Sister Act 2, everyone tried to make it their own. People tend to do better with this one than they do with “Amazing Grace.” Perhaps they already know it’s not for the semi talented. Anyway, get into the Mississippi Children’s Choir singing this song back in the day featuring soloist Bryan Wilson.
Hero – Mariah Carey
Props to anyone who even considers singing a Mariah Carey song outside of the confines of their home or car. These are brave folks because we all know 9 times out of 10, their rendition of this Carey classic will sound absolutely terrible. Even people who’ve gone on to have very lucrative careers in the entertainment industry have attempted to sing a Mariah Carey song, particularly this one and floundered. If you don’t believe me, watch Rihanna sing this song at 15 years old. Sigh. We’ll just say, thankfully, her voice and grown and improved over the years.
Killing Me Softly- Roberta Flack/Lauryn Hill (The Fugees)
If you want to get some audience participation going during your performance, this is the song to perform at the talent show. Everyone, young and old, knows the words and whether you’re doing the original Roberta Flack version or the newer Fugee version, you best believe the audience will say “One time, Two time” when the song calls for it. I think people think this song is easy to sing because there are no really high notes or intense runs. But it’s so easy to fall flat or be pitchy with this one. You have to be so careful. But this also leaves a lot of room for embellishment, you just have to know when you’re going too far. This woman from Oakwood College did this song justice.
Weak – SWV
If you had a group of girl friends and y’all all could hold a note and at least two of you weren’t shy, then guess what? Y’all were singing “Weak” at the end of the year school talent show, just like the young ladies in the video above. Pay attention to the girl in the middle.
So Hard to Say Goodbye- Boyz II Men
This song was an absolute requirement at all graduations from kindergarten to senior year of high school. If someone didn’t sing it at the talent show, then you best believe the song would have been featured in the end of the year slideshow where pictures of you and your classmates flashed across the nearest television monitor. Usually it was performed by a group of dudes you probably didn’t know could sing in the first place.
