“the sisters seize and hold the spotlight”
“Unconditionally guaranteed to please.”
“Ranking with the most potent roof-raising, pew shaking music ever created.”
“They’re Nashville gospel royalty”
With great sadness, The McCrary Sisters confirm the passing of Deborah McCrary on June 1, 2022. Beautiful, strong, loving and caring, Deborah was a light in the McCrary family and the world. We were all blessed by her gifts, including singing and songwriting.
A warrior, Deborah fought through challenges, including a severe stroke in 2013, and another in recent weeks that led to her passing. She worked as a nurse for many years, and performed with Elvis Presley, Ray Stevens, Isaac Hayes, and many others over the years, in addition to singing with her sisters. Ann, Alfreda and Regina grieve this loss alongside Deborah's daughter Latoya, her grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and the rest of the McCrary family.
Please keep The McCrarys in your thoughts and prayers in this difficult time.
SONGS OF ENCOURAGEMENT
During the pandemic, we’ve all weathered a lot of challenges. Challenges of loss, grief, stress, worry. Arguments, debates, differences of opinions, reckonings. Decisions, commitments, recommitments, and striving for hope.
In the midst of these times, in the McCrary family, we pray and we sing. We console one another. We stand by one another. We draw close to God, to family, to friends, to community, and we hold one another from a distance when we can’t be together.
In 2021, we released a single - our recording of Amazing Grace - because in that time people really needed to cling to the grace of God.
“As bad as things are, I believe He’s still merciful and we need to hold on and lean on His grace.” - Ann McCrary
Since releasing that song, our family has experienced painful loss - the passings of our brother Sam Jr. and then our dear sister Deborah, who many of you knew and loved in our years singing and touring together.
“I’m holding on, and I miss my sister Deborah more then words can say right now! Her voice and presence shall be greatly missed. Deborah was so funny, I’m so honored, and blessed that God let me have her for my sister. It’s an awesome feeling when you know someone loves you! Deborah would always say that it’s was a blessing to be able to sing with her sisters, and I feel the same.” - Alfreda McCrary
They say music heals.
In the coming months, we will release singles we think are particularly fitting with these times. We feel them in our hearts, and hope you feel them in yours, too. These are some of the final recordings we have with our sister Deborah. It meant a lot to us to record them, and we hope by sharing them others will find encouragement in them, too.
JULY 29, 2022 - Shake It Off is a song about seeing beyond the immediate challenge and knowing the big picture. We go through so much, we think it is the end. The song aims to encourage people to see that there is always a way out and a way through. You can’t get through if you are carrying all these weights and heavy things on you. Those things will pull you down. You have to keep pushing through.
“I wrote the song Shake It Off on a Sunday. I’d just left church, and was on the interstate driving home feeling good. Someone cut me off and flipped me the bird. And I thought, “I have to shake it off.” Sometimes we get off balance. I realize one of my weaknesses is road rage. I have to catch myself. I have to shake that off. It can happen anytime. You try to be nice to somebody and they get all arrogant and rude, you have to take the upper road.” - Regina McCrary
SEPTEMBER 2, 2022 - Run on
“We are particularly moved to release this expanded family recording this year as we grieve — there were 8 of us, and everybody sang,” the group says. “There were 8 of us, and now we’re 5. It feels especially meaningful to release a song with our brother’s voice this year.”
The McCrary Sisters (who’ve recorded or performed with the likes of Delbert McClinton, Black Keys, Sheryl Crow, Maren Morris, Eric Church, Carrie Underwood, Buddy Miller, Rosanne Cash, Margo Price, Widespread Panic and many more) continue to mourn the June 1st passing of their sister, while honoring her cherished memory.
“Her voice and presence shall be greatly missed,” Alfreda shares. “Deborah was so funny — I’m so honored and blessed that God let me have her for my sister. It’s an awesome feeling when you know someone loves you! Deborah would always say that it was a blessing to be able to sing with her sisters, and we feel the same.”