Shirley Gray Green, 54 is the lead singer and handle bass parts, while Elizabeth Gray Raybon, 41 sings high soprano. Mary Gray, 38 sings the alto part, and Naomi Gray Pruitt, 35 is second soprano. They sing mostly gospel music, plus a few contemporary numbers.

 Three of them were children when their 4-year old sister Martha died in 1974 after being struck by a car, but they have plenty of memories.

 Coffee table songs
"We used to stand up on our parents' coffee table and sing," Mary recalled. "Martha used to sing a song called 'I'm Hold On and I Won't Let Go of My Faith.'"

Shirley said that was Martha's favorite song "and it left a big impact on us." Martha would have turned 34, August 2, which is also Mary's birthday, and her sisters remembers her at their love banquet called, "Lord, We Want To Go Higher."

Shirley started out singing in a group with their five brothers and other relatives. "We sang together for about 20 years as the Followers of Jesus, and after Martha's death the girls came to me and asked why they couldn't sing, too," Shirley said. So they started organizing their own group.

The Followers slowed down after most of the brothers were called into the ministry, and the Gray Sisters "really took off," Shirley said. Through the years they've had invitations to sing all over the Shoals and Tennessee Valley, as well as Tupelo, Corinth, Nashville, Chicago, Cincinnati, Kentucky, and Georgia. They're hoping for a van donation to make those trips easier.

On road trips, they take along a variety of matching outfits and shoes in a rainbow of colors. "Of course, we don't all fit in all the ones we've had through the years," said Shirley. They often get their shoes mixed up and recall plenty of other light moments.

Hairpieces, bumblebees
"Once we were singing while going down the aisle and Mary's hairpiece fell off," said Naomi. "She didn't realize it, and the rest of us just watched and wondered who should pick it up. It's been great to be able to laugh in the flesh while singing in the spirit and help others to make it through the day with a song."

Elizabeth recalled a time when they all were too tired to drive, so they pulled into a Burger King parking lot for a nap. When they woke, they were already late for their program. Another time, she said, "A bumblebee landed on the pastor while we were singing, and Shirley started swatting at the bee. Finally the pastor, who didn't see the bee, said to Samuel Green, 'Your wife is hitting me.'" 

The sisters are members of Bethlehem Primitive Baptist Church in Hillsboro, where Green is pastor and where they celebrate their Yearly Anniversary the Third Sunday in August at 3:00 P. M. Elizabeth is the associate minister there and is also married to a preacher; Mary and Shirley are working on degrees at Calhoun Community College; Naomi is a dental assistant.

 Their parents, the Rev. and Mrs. Elijah Gray Jr. of Decatur, gave all but Shirley biblical names.

 Sharing talents 
The sisters are happy their parents and 96-year-old grandmother, Lillie Mae Wiggins of Decatur, can see them still sharing their talents as they have encouraged them to do since childhood.

"Our first program was a Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church in Florence, where our father was pastor, in August of 1974," Mary recalled. In the years since, they regularly entertain in nursing homes, as well as at churches, and special programs. Everywhere they sing, someone in the audience invites them to do another performance. Their motto: "If the phone ring, we will surely sing."

"We cut our first CD, What Love Does the Father Have For Me, in 1999 and donated them to convalescent homes and jailhouses," Shirley said. Now they have two more, "Send It on Down" and He's So Real," and they're working on a fourth. They won an award for their a cappella singing in Huntsville, Alabama.

A blessing 
"Our group is just a blessing and it keeps us close," said Mary. "Each of us can tell when the others are getting weak, and we know how to lift each other up."

They are working to pass their closeness along to the next generations, Mary said. With the help of a friend, Shavoria Mason, they divided their offspring by age into tow singing groups, "The Melodic Voices" and "God's Little Heavenly Voices."