Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

The Deloach Family welcomes the community to a free singing sponsored by Clanton merchants at 6 p.m. on June 23 at Heritage Hall, off Highway 31 in Coopers near Verbena.

Along with The Deloach Family, lined up to perform that night are the Mike Lowery Trio, Mike Knight and Les Deavers.

Michael Mims, bassist for The Deloach Family, said the merchant singing has been a tradition for approximately 30 years, often hosting the event at the Chilton County Courthouse, and one year even featured Joanne Cash, Johnny Cash’s sister.

The singing will feature a variety of genres, such as gospel and bluegrass.

“We’re giving the people a free gospel singing, like we used to have at church on Sundays,” Mims said. “When I grew up here in Clanton, we went from church to church to church every Sunday to a different outdoor singing. And they’ve kind of got away from that — they’ve quit. So, we’re tying to bring it back.”

Mims said the event will offer a time of fellowship, which was the basis for such events held years ago.

“It used to be a good fellowship thing, where you got to go and check out another church and got to see what their preacher had to say, and then you’d go check out another church next weekend and got to see what their preacher had to say,” he said. “It was a big fellowship thing back in the day.”

A love offering will be collected at the event, a portion of which will be donated for charity.

“We always pick something to give a little bit to,” Mims said.

Another singing will be held around November.