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Julia McGee |
To
say she played an active role in King Solomon Baptist Church would be an
understatement. She participated
in the choir, worked in the kitchen, became director of daycare and held the
position of church secretary. For Julia McGee, her life was the church.
Nearly
40 years later, McGee knows the church better than any other member.
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Julia McGee |
Julia Victoria Hensley McGee moved to Detroit in 1947 with her husband, Lawyer McGee, in search of jobs. McGee, who was in her early twenties at the time, found work in the post office, Sears and a theater. McGee's husband, who died in 1988, found work as a factory employee.
McGee and her husband lived in the area and raised six children – four boys and two girls. As rewarding as her work as a mother was, it was her role at her church that provided McGee with many opportunities.
In 1949, McGee and her family joined King Solomon Baptist Church, which is now located at 6125 14th St. She joined the senior choir at that time.
McGee says she was familiar with the hymns and anthems the choir was singing and wanted to participate, even though many members were older than she.
“Some of them were old enough to be my mother,” she says.
As a member of the church and choir, McGee became close with the Rev. T.S. Boone. Boone, who came to King Solomon in 1944, encouraged McGee to strengthen her voice.
According to McGee, Boone set up vocal lessons for her under the instruction of music professor Edward H. Boatner. McGee met with Boatner twice a week, and he taught her songs in German, French and Italian.
Through these lessons, Boatner discovered McGee had a very unique voice. McGee had a lyric soprano voice, meaning she was able to sing two notes higher than the C note.
Once members of the church knew the type of voice McGee had, they took every opportunity to listen to her sing.
“They would stand there and listen to me vocalize for practice before church. They said I sounded like a flute,” she says, smiling.
McGee soon became the lead soprano for the choir and continued to sing with the group for many years. The choir traveled to different churches within Detroit and became quite well-known.
During one of the choir’s performances, the owner of the opera singers of Detroit asked McGee to audition for the downtown opera. McGee was excited about the opportunity.
“Opera is my favorite kind of music,” she explains.
Despite her excitement, she was discouraged from going to the audition by a church member. Consequently, she ended up not going and never was presented with such an opportunity again.
That moment taught McGee a lesson.
“Don't listen to anyone who tells you that you can't do something,” she says.
However, McGee's involvement with the church did not stop at the choir. She became the financial secretary for the choir and, eventually, secretary for the church. In 1979, she was asked to be the director of the church’s daycare facility.
“I took one look at the children and agreed to do it,” she says.
McGee says she had the best time with the children, who ranged in age from 2 1/2 to 6 years old.
McGee served as director until 1981, when it shut down.
Currently, McGee sits on the board of trustees for the church. She also still works with children as a Sunday school teacher.
Despite having served these varied roles, however, McGee is most remembered for her voice. Her love for music continues.
“To me, music is a common language for every nationality.”
Even with her unique voice, McGee humbly says she never wanted to be seen as a showoff in any way.
“I just try to be a good Christian woman.”