
The only thing mightier than "Mother" Lena Mae Perry’s electrifying voice is her faith. 82-year old Mother Perry has been the leader of the legendary North Carolina gospel group, The Branchettes for the past 50 years. After gracing churches all across the American South, the Branchettes will reach a final milestone of recording their first ever fully live album, a hallmark in the canon of Black Gospel groups. Mounting health concerns of long-time friend and pianist Wilbur Tharpe heighten the urgency of recording the album. Determined to complete the recording is the group's producer, Phil Cook, a white Wisconsin musician who could not be more different than Mother Perry but shares her deep love for gospel music. With the declining health of aging members of The Branchettes, this album may be their last chance to capture the energy, power, and faith that has made their music so captivating for decades.
- Year2021
- Runtime74 minutes
- LanguageEnglish
- CountryUSA
- PremiereLouisiana
- DirectorD.L. Anderson, Matt Durning
- ProducerLena C. Williams, Leslie Raymond, Phil Cook, Mikel Barton
- CinematographerD.L. Anderson, Matt Durning
- EditorD.L. Anderson, Matt Durning

The only thing mightier than "Mother" Lena Mae Perry’s electrifying voice is her faith. 82-year old Mother Perry has been the leader of the legendary North Carolina gospel group, The Branchettes for the past 50 years. After gracing churches all across the American South, the Branchettes will reach a final milestone of recording their first ever fully live album, a hallmark in the canon of Black Gospel groups. Mounting health concerns of long-time friend and pianist Wilbur Tharpe heighten the urgency of recording the album. Determined to complete the recording is the group's producer, Phil Cook, a white Wisconsin musician who could not be more different than Mother Perry but shares her deep love for gospel music. With the declining health of aging members of The Branchettes, this album may be their last chance to capture the energy, power, and faith that has made their music so captivating for decades.
- Year2021
- Runtime74 minutes
- LanguageEnglish
- CountryUSA
- PremiereLouisiana
- DirectorD.L. Anderson, Matt Durning
- ProducerLena C. Williams, Leslie Raymond, Phil Cook, Mikel Barton
- CinematographerD.L. Anderson, Matt Durning
- EditorD.L. Anderson, Matt Durning