Ten O'Clock News

[Reporter] 'As testimony to her way with a song, Shirley Caesar has five Grammy Awards and three gold albums. When she's not making concert appearances she pastors a church, runs an outreach mission for the under-privileged, and is a newly elected member of Durham, North Carolina's city council.' [Shirley Caesar] 'I see myself as a down to earth singer serving an up to date God. I see myself, as far as a political aspect, I see myself as a concerned citizen I see myself as a humanitarian because I have a ministry. It's an outreach ministry where we reach into the community and we help the downtrodden, the destitute, the broke and the busted. I take 50 % of my earnings and I put it back into the community. The Bible said give the 10 % but I think that, I feel that, when I give more, that I'll be blessed more.' [Singing] [Reporter] 'Her messages from her musical pulpit are simple.' [Shirley Caesar] 'All of us,

the richest one in the world- everybody- at some time or other have suffered brokenness, broken friendship, broken bodies, broken bones, broken relationships. So my message is love, to reach out and let somebody knows that with love regardless of where you are, whatever the circumstances, whatever crisis you may be involved with, there's a Christ for every crisis.' [Reporter] 'That unconditional encouragement is for you, me, and the likes of fallen PTL Minister Jim Baker, too.' [Shirley Caesar] 'They give the airlines the right to overbook. All of them overbook. I think that they should have given him a chance to pay back whatever money that he owed. You know. Fine him if they want to fine him. But I just don't think they ought to send him to jail. He's not a criminal. I don't know about anybody dancing up and down these aisles before. But I'm going to dance,

christen these aisles tonight. Special honor tonight to Brother Michael, big man, I honor you tonight. God bless you. When I came downstairs at the hotel he came to pick me up. He thought he was picking up a real old lady. My birthday is next Friday and I will be... I also want to honor...' [Cheering] [Reporter] 'She'll be 50 years old and was invited this week to bring her ministry to Harvard's Memorial Church. The place will probably never be the same.' [Shirley Caesar sings] [Shirley Caesar] 'I'm a traditional singer with

a contemporary flavor. And the reason I said flavor was because of the fact I don't want to get so far behind, lag so far behind that the Wynans and all of the others they just want to leave. Of course I'm in the glee club. I'll be here when they come and I'll be here when they go because of the fact this is my roots.' [Reporter] 'She's considering an even wider ministry sometime in the future.' [Shirley Caesar] 'Really what I'd like to do is go to school and really get a lot of knowledge of city government and things of that nature. Maybe, who knows? Maybe one day run for mayor.' [Reporter] 'Until then, Gospel's first chair is fitting her just fine.' [Shirley Caesar singing] [Shirley Caesar singing]

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