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Those who have observed Jessy’s performance at a Homecoming concert are now shouting “Amen” to the above description. Perhaps even heaven’s angels are dancing now that Jessy is among them. And we who mourn his homegoing will still be tapping our toes as we hear those familiar songs. Was there ever a performer who could generate more enthusiasm? He should be remembered as “the cheerleader of gospel music.”
Jessy’s exuberance was not limited to cheerleading. During the lifetime of a career that spanned upwards of five decades, he wrote more than 200 songs, many of them gospel classics such as “I Love to Praise His Name” and “He’s the Best Thing to Happen to Me.” He was perhaps best known for his 1993 hit, “I Am Redeemed”—a song that impacted audiences worldwide and held a top-10 position on the gospel charts for over five years. His personality was nothing short of “magnetic.” He was born a leaders’ leader. I remember the first time he was included in a Homecoming recording at the Gaither studios in Indiana. My husband, Bob MacKenzie, was a producer of gospel records, and we were both guest observers. Jessy didn’t have personal acquaintance with most of the other singers, and he took his assigned seat quietly. Most of the music was recorded without printed copy; everyone just “sang along, makin’ harmony” with Bill as the somewhat “relaxed” conductor, the stage band setting the pace.
Jessy was paying rapt attention as he blended in with the nearly hundred other voices. With each sequential song, I noticed he became more animated and comfortable. After lunch, when the musicians and singers returned to the studio for the afternoon session, I noticed he was what I would describe as “loosened up”—walking about, shaking hands, complimenting the soloists of the morning session. Then as he took his place again in the “choir,” he revved things up by starting a peppy gospel oldie, during which he conducted the entrance of the separate parts and “literally danced the chorus until everyone was reassembled and on their feet moving. Jessy Dixon meets Gaither world! And everyone was movin’ and lovin’ it!
Dixon had begun studying music at the age of 5, and his original aspiration was to become a classical pianist. However, since early childhood, he knew he wanted to use his gifts and talents in the church.
He was catapulted into a broader gospel scene after being discovered by gospel music legend, James Cleveland, but remained dedicated to his desire of sharing that gospel he heard about as a youth.
For the past 16 years, Dixon had been a cherished feature on Gaither television programs and concert tours. His unbridled enthusiasm for sharing the gospel and the boundless energy he brought to the stage made him an instant favorite to all who knew and loved him, both in the United States and in Europe, where he traveled often.
In addition to his accomplishments in the realm of gospel, Dixon also enjoyed success in other genres of music. He was well known for his collaboration and friendship with Paul Simon, with whom he toured for eight years and was a contributor on several of Simon’s albums. Over the course of his career in gospel music, Dixon received several Dove award nominations for his work, seven Grammy nominations, garnered five gold records and was a 2008 Christian Music Hall of Fame inductee. He also wrote numerous songs for artists including Cher, Natalie Cole, Amy Grant and Diana Ross. In addition to singing and songwriting, Dixon played keyboard with Earth, Wind and Fire and with guitarist Phillip Upchurch, as well as piano for gospel legend Mahalia Jackson.
Despite international recognition and acclaim, Dixon stated that the greatest joy of his life was to “bask in the love of the One whom this gospel music is all about!”
Bill Gaither remembers Jessy in these words: “Jessy was an exceptional talent, but I believe his greatest gift, hands down, was his ability to bring all kinds of people together. Through his music and his life, Jessy had a natural way of serving as a bridge between people of all races and all walks of life. His spirit and his voice will be sorely missed.”
(Jessy with his
Homecoming
friends:
Rory and
Melody Rigdon,
Melody and Benjy
Gaither and Reggie
and Ladye Love
Smith)
