gayparkerfamilyreunion

There’s one great thing about family history–it’s always moving forward and staying current, staying in the immediate moment.

Three young women in the Gay-Parker family are making their marks in music right now.

Melody “Songbird” Harper, daughter of Curtis and Mattie Harper and granddaughter of Arie Gay Artis

Angela Gay, daughter of Eunice Gay and granddaughter of Lucille Gay Blow

Brett Gay, daughter of Rudy and Rae Gay and granddaughter of Albert Gay (Bob Gay’s brother)

Check out what these young ladies are doing in the world of music in their live performances and by visiting their web sites,itunes, twitter, and facebook  pages.

Anthony “Amp” Daniels (photo by Alice Vines)

Once upon a time, if you wanted to share your music with the world, you performed at all the churches and other places that wanted you, or you produced demos. Not anymore.

Now, along with performing live and creating demos, you can reach thousands more by using social media and your own web pages.

That’s exactly what Anthony Amp Daniels has done using the resources of the Internet.

Amp is the son of Johnny Ray Daniels and Dorothy Vines Daniels and the grandson of the late Freeman Vines, Sr. and Arie Gay Vines Artis.

Check out these Internet sites that feature the music of Anthony “Amp“ Daniels.

Amp sings a duet of A Thousand Tongues with his mother Dorothy Vines Daniels, accompanied by the Vines Sisters and Family

This is one of Amp’s websites for singing and producing his solo recordings. The site provides a biography, too.

Amp sings You Make It Feel so Right.

Amp sings a duet with Atlantic Starr’s Rachel Oliver-Cobbin

Amp sings I Belong to Him, accompanied by The Vines Sisters and Family

Amp still performs with The Vines Sisters and Family, singing solos and playing keyboards. He also manages some of the next generation of singers in the family.

Rudy Gay Sr. 1968-69 at H.B. Sugg High School

In 2014, when most people think of Rudy Gay, it’s all about an NBA basketball star. Back in the 1970s, though,Rudy Gay, Sr.(the father) made hearts leap and bodies move to the beat and crooning of his voice.

Rudy Gay, Sr. is Uncle Albert Gay’s youngest child. Uncle Albert was Pa Bob Gay’s baby brother whom he helped raise after their mother Great-Grandmother Arie Gay died in 1909, two years after Uncle Albert was born.

Rudy Sr. participated in football and took part in other activities at H. B.Sugg High School, Farmville, NC, but he was especially known for his singing, and not just in the school choir but in the talent shows and anywhere on the campus that there might be some singing being done.

By the middle of the 1970s, Rudy’s singing had catapulted him into the group Ace Spectrum, which signed with Atlantic Records.

Along with being one of Ace Spectrum’s original members, Rudy sang lead on the group big hit, Don’t Send Nobody Else.

Currently, Rudy Gay Sr. has returned to singing and performing and has released new music and pictures on his website Rudy Gay Music.

Melvin Vines, #14, at H.B. Sugg in 1964
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Melvin is the son of Margie Dean Vines Joyner and the grandson of Aunt Maud Gay Vines, Bob Gay’s older sister.

This is what you need to know about Melvin Vines. He was one of the most talented basketball and football players to ever attend H.B. Sugg High School. From 1963-1966, Melvin played basketball on a level that today people would be whispering “NBA out of high school” or “One and done in college.”

Scoring 20 or 25 points game after game was normal for Melvin. He racked up those scores against Black schools named Bethel Union, Robinson Union, South Ayden, G.R. Whitfield, Conetoe,Patillo, Frink, and other schools in Martin and Beaufort Counties. Melvin was truly that good.

Playing quarterback on the Sugg football team during the 1965 season, Melvin passed for more than 18 touchdowns.

Other members of the family have played sports in high school, college, and professionally.

William Anthony Gay, son of Uncle George and Aunt Alice May, also played basketball during the 1960’s and was a member of a New York City team that won the NYC Championship in the early 1960’s.

Robert “Bob” Gay,son of Uncle Dave and Aunt Mary, played on a state championship basketball team at Farmville Central High School.

Kenny Phillips, son of Willie Phillips and Gennie Gay Phillips, played college football at Chowan and East Carolina University. Kenny was head coach at Fayetteville State University for more than a decade, and guided his teams to several CIAA division and conference championships.

In 2014, CJ Wilson, son of Amos Wilson and Doris Phillips Wilson and grandson of Willie and Gennie Gay Phillips, plays professional football for the Green Bay Packers.

Rudy Gay,son of Rudy Gay, Sr. and Rae Gay (grandson of Albert Gay, Bob Gay’s brother), plays professional basketball for the Sacramento Kings.

Yes, Melvin was back in the day playing for H.B. Sugg, a small high school in Farmville, NC. Still, and most importantly, Melvin Vines demonstrated pure athletic talent and gametime flair way back in the Black high schools days of the 1960’s.

It didn’t begin on Saturday, July 6, 2013; the Gay-Parker Family Reunion simply continued from Friday’s Fish Fry.

This year’s reunion T-shirt, worn by some of the family members, displayed a family tree, showing the first and second generations.

The family gathered at the Farmville Community Center.
Beginning at 1:00 p.m.(Maybe a few minutes later!), we were guided through a pre-dinner and post dinner program by David Gay, Jr.

The Vines Sisters opened the program with an inspired performance of “We Will Work,” a song that reigns as our family theme song.

Marion Barnes, husband of Edith Gay Barnes, introduced Farmville Town Commissioner, David Skackleford who spoke briefly to the family.

Carlton “CD” Gay presented the welcome address.

Delois and CD

Morris Gay presented a brief account of the family history. He told the family about Dempsey Parker, who was Ma Lillie’s grandfather, along with Ma Lillie’s grandmother Viney Parker.

Everyone then had the opportunity to take photographs of the
family according to generations.

The second generation of Uncle Dave, Aunt Arie, and Uncle Rob gets photographed. Our hearts were with Aunt Erma who was ill.

The third generation Gay-Parker

The fourth generation

The fifth generation

Johnny Ray Daniels dedicated an intense performance of “All of My Help” to Bishop Robert Gay.

Peggy, Bishop Robert Gay’s second oldest daughter, introduced Bishop Gay. Bishop Gay delivered an animated sermonette about dreams, the perils and triumphs of Joseph in the Old Testament, and the importance of the family pursuing dreams.

In his sermonette, the Bishop also took the family on a journey back to the 1940’s and 1950’s to share with the family how dreams dominated Pa Bob and Ma Lillie’s lives on the sharecropper’s farm on Stantonsburg Road.

After William Anthony Gay’s grace, the family enjoyed a meal of pork barbecue, chicken, collards, green beans, corn sticks, slaw, iced tea, and cake.

Mattie Harper and Melvin Gay presented a tribute to members of the family who served or were serving in the armed services.

Aunt Arie Gay-Vines Artis, Bishop Robert Gay, and David Gay, Sr.,(Second Generation) spoke briefly to the family.

We came to eat and to mingle. Kinfolks and kinfriends arrived in the 100’s and thoroughly enjoyed succulent trout, burgers, hotdogs, grilled pig tails, and soft drinks and water.

The T-Shirts for 2013 went like hotcakes.

Twanda Gay distributes reunion shirts
And, of course, we had plenty of family conversation, too.

Check out these photos from the 2013 Reunion Fish Fry

You take some things upon yourself.  Sometimes, for instance, you take the lead in sponsoring your family reunion because you know it’s an event that must and should be celebrated.

That’s what Barbara Gay Rupert Campbell did.  She arranged several of the Gay-Parker family reunions held in Farmville and twice held the reunion at her home.

A fine speaker and communicator, Barbara enjoyed opportunities to recall the time she spent with her grandparents, uncles, aunts, and cousins. She was not a person of just a few words.

Fond of reminding everyone that she was among the oldest children of the second generation of the Gay-Parker family, Barbara could expertly identify her spot among the “elite pre-baby boomer grand children” of Bob and Lillie Gay.

Without any pressure or argument she would tell you that Uncle Willie and Aunt Gennie’s Rosa Lee, Willie(Bro), and Robert were the oldest grandchildren. Barbara(Uncle Herman and Aunt Danny Ruth oldest child) would tell you that Rosa Bell(Uncle Freeman and Aunt Arie’s oldest child) and she were the next oldest ones.  Then, almost on cue after looking over the family members at the reunion, Barbara would announce that she was the oldest grandchild in attendance.

The first member of the Gay-Parker family to graduate from college, Barbara taught English & Spanish in Virginia, California, North Carolina, and charter school programs for over 20 years, along with working in a family-owned day care and senior care center.

Check out these photos from 2010.  2010 Gay-Parker Reunion  Latina Gay Williams delivered the reunion speech-sermonette.

Sometimes it’s necessary to tell the younger generations about the old days.

That’s what Aunt Erma Dell Gay Anderson does in this youtube video.

Just say Gay-Parker Family Reunion and you’ll see Kelvin Anderson, son of Simon and Erma Dell Gay Anderson, in the crowd.  And, Kelvin will be working to make sure that the reunion  events happen as smoothly as planned.

He might be cooking fish at the fish fry, putting up the tents, picking up items from the market, or clearing away tables. He might be in the middle of the committee meeting offering suggestions for setting up the event or arranging the program,

One thing is for certain: Kelvin Anderson is truly a “sure thing” for the Gay-Parker Family Reunion.

Check out this Kelvin Anderson, Donnie Gay, and Randy Anderson short video.

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Some people are social activists; some are political activists. David “Uncle Dave” Gay is the Gay-Parker Family reunion activist.

Since the Gay-Parker Family reunions of the late 1970‘s and early 1980‘s, Uncle Dave, the youngest member of the Gay-Parker second generation, has been a hard working member and often the coordinator of the reunion planning committee.

Everybody knows one thing about Uncle Dave and the family reunion:  the fish fry, the reunion dinner, and program will take place on the first Friday evening and first Saturday in July.  Uncle Dave, the Gay-Parker Family reunion activist, will make sure of that.

Here’s a photograph from the 1980’s of Uncle Dave, Aunt Mary and 5 Children and 1 Grandchild

A recent photograph of Aunt Arie Gay VinesArtis

A recent photograph of Bishop Robert Gay

Here’s a 2001 reunion photograph of Aunt Jennie and Uncle Dave

Here’s a photograph from the 1990’s of Aunt Lu and Aunt Erma

Photograph of Morris Gay and his Mother Lucille Gay Blow

2001 reunion photograph of Bishop Willie Phillips, husband of Aunt Jennie Gay Phillips

2001 reunion photograph of Candy & William Gay, son of George Gay and Alice Hemby

2001 reunion photograph of Herman Humorris Gay, oldest son of Herman and Danny Ruth Gay

Two 4th generation sisters Crystal & Angela Gay, daughters of Eunice Gay