A Tribute to Peg McKamey Bean
It was the late 1980s when I first heard the name The McKameys. I had been a Southern Gospel fan a few years by that time, but when asked if I was familiar with them, I had to admit that I wasn’t. (I secretly wondered if my friend was confusing them with The McKeithens, another group that had some radio songs at the time.) It wasn’t long after that someone gave me some Southern Gospel cassettes, one of which was the McKamey’s live recording Gone to Meetin.’ I believe it was in 1992 that I requested (and received) Sing Praises, and my love for this group grew. Although Carol sang many of their chart-topping songs, it was often Peg’s songs that caught my attention: songs like, “The Blood Covenant,” “Between Twelve and Thirty-Three,” “I Prayed for You,” “Roll That Burden on Me,” and of course her signature song, “God on the Mountain.”
Peg was fun to watch with her larger-than-life personality, but what people appreciated the most was her genuine love for God and others. As I watched her family on stage with her, they showed her nothing but respect. That says a lot about a person in my book. Peg will be missed, but her legacy will live on. My prayers are with her family.
I don’t know if you have seen this YouTube video, but worth watching. Got to meet the McKameys a few times back when I was around 11-12, and then again in my early 20’s. We were in a camp meeting down in Georgia back around 1979-1980, and I will never forget her kicking off her shoes and jumping up and down on the platform. That was a new experience for our family. 🙂
I knew she had a stroke, but was not aware that she passed on December 26th.
https://youtu.be/a5VN-fJ4Nj8?si=owKSe-D1TKbrWdGG