It was a beautiful sunny day at the San Francisco Giants’ Oracle Park. Inside, The Glide Ensemble gathered at the players’ batting cages. The volunteer choir warmed up differently than the professional athletes who typically gather there. They chatted, sang and prayed that their voices would honor a legend and support those who were grieving.
When the Ensemble walked through the dugout to field, each singer carefully stepped over the crisp chalk lines that typically signal a game is about to begin. Andra Day was the first to sing at the sound check. Without make-up or vanity, she sang her hit song “Rise Up” while the Giant’s audio-visual team ensured that the sound system would carry her voice throughout the stadium.
Next the Ensemble rehearsed their songs and ensured that they could harmonize in rhythm without interference from the echo of their voices in the stadium’s speakers.
After the sound check, the Ensemble gathered in the green room, where they chatted and shared traditional stadium snacks. As they waited backstage for the Celebration of Life for Willie Mays to begin, baseball legends, politicians and fans began to gather in the stands and on the field.
Barry Bonds and Spike Lee were chatting when the Glide Ensemble returned to the field and opened the event with two songs. Fire fighters danced and sang along with the Ensemble as they performed. Glide Ensemble Director, Vernon Bush, and Dennis Hersey sang solos. And more than one celebrity was observed filming and photographing the choir.
The event was the second time this year that the Glide Ensemble performed on the field at Oracle Park. A few months earlier, the Ensemble performed at the Giants’ African American Heritage Night where fans were given a Willie Mays Birmingham Black Barons bobblehead.
The iconic #24 is a legendary batter, who hit a record breaking 660 home runs. Willie’s numbers could have been even higher, but he took two years off from baseball to serve in the Army during the Korean War. After he retired from baseball, Willie continued to support San Francisco and GLIDE and caring for underprivileged youth through his Say Hey Foundation.
Our dearly departed, Rev. Cecil Williams had a relationship both with Willie Mays and the San Francisco Giants. One of the biggest events with both Cecil and Willie, was the SNACK concert organized by Bill Graham to raise funds for sports programs in the San Francisco School District. Carlos Santana, Joan Baez, Jerry Garcia and Bob Dylan were a few of the performers at the legendary concert.
The Celebration of Life for Willie Mays was Janice Maxine Reid’s first time playing on the field for the San Francisco Giants. An iconic Bay Area musician who is a regular part of Glide Memorial Church’s Sunday Celebrations, Janice’s rendition of Ave Maria is often a highlight of the holiday season. Janice’s spirited piano playing and singing was featured on the Jumbotron, a recognition she attributed to her many years teaching drama to students.
After the Ensemble’s performance, elected officials, celebrities and sports legends addressed the crowd of thousands. Janice recorded each guest on her cellphone camera so she could preserve the memories unfolding in front of her. You can view Janice’s recording of Pres Bill Clinton here.
“[Chelsea] went with me to Glide, the church, and then here to the ballgame,” remarked President Bill Clinton. He planned to sit with Willie Mays and watch a Giants game, but it was rained out. Instead, the group was joined by Barry Bonds and had a three-hour conversation about baseball which made the former president feel like “a kid in a candy store.”
You can view the archival video of President Bill Clinton’s April 16, 2000 visit to Glide below.
Throughout the star-studded event, many of icons of Giants baseball recalled that Willie was famous for signing every table he sat at, including the dining room tables at houses where he stopped by for dinner. The Giants asked all the speakers at the event to sign a card table in honor of this beloved quirk.
Willie’s joyful spirit is depicted in the photo to the right, from the GLIDE archive. Careful observers of the photo, taken in the GLIDE dining room, will notice that Willie has drawn plays and signed the table where he was sitting. Willie left his mark on the world with his legendary sportsmanship. At GLIDE he also left his mark with a sharpie.
Sitting in fancy seats behind the Giant’s dugout, Janice watched the legends of baseball that shaped her life. Janice cheered the loudest for the players who helped advance civil rights and break color barriers. As she exited the stadium, Janice was heard exclaiming: “This made my whole year!”