Customer Reviews

A Song for the World: The Amazing Story of the Colwell Brothers and Herb Allen: Musical Diplomats

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For those of us who have had the honor to be alumni of UP WITH PEOPLE (or those who were part of the numerous Sing-Outs throughout the world), The Colwell Brothers and Herbie Allen are legends. They have collaborated on hundreds of songs that will live forever in our memories. I have admired these men for decades, but beyond their involvement with UWP, I knew little about their life stories. This incredible book provides their backgrounds that few of us knew. Paul, Ralph, Steve and Ted Colwell (along with their "adopted sibling Herb Allen) have toured the world with their music... and in doing so, influenced the lives and cultures of everyone in our global community. The book is easy and exciting reading, and loaded with many pictures. Theirs is an incredible story that should appeal to EVERYONE, not just those of us who were in UP WITH PEOPLE! Author Frank McGee (himself an alumni of the program from early on) has done a remarkable job capturing the lives of these incredlbe musicians, whom I have hero-worshipped forever. This books is a must!

Paul, Steve and Ralph Colwell, and Herb Allen had a dream. They believed they could change the world through their music. Even though Ralph hadn't yet graduated from high school when their journey began, the brothers took off on a world tour that would bring them to places they could have never dreamed of visiting over the course of the next several years.

Some of their more memorable visits included spending a year in the Congo during the time the country became independent. They also visited Russia at the end of the Cold War, China after the Cultural Revolution ended, and many other unique stops along the way. In each place they visited, they met with world leaders and sang their message of peace as part of the movement called Moral Re-Armament.

Frank McGee takes the reader on the journey along with the Colwells and Herb Allen, sharing pictures and memorabilia as well as first-hand accounts of their experiences. The reader shares in their joy and excitement at the positive receptions they received wherever they went. One can't help but feel a sense of awe at the way these men dedicated their lives to sharing their message of hope at a time when the world very much needed it.

Muse Review Mark: Great Read

Reviewer: Alice Berger, Muse Reviews

Reviewed by Richard R. Blake for Reader Views (7/07)

Award-winning author Frank McGee has compiled this remarkable story of "A Song for the World" from hundreds of letters, documents and scores of interviews. This is the story of the Colwell Brothers and Herb Allen, musical diplomats to the world.

The book details the careers of these men, which spans a period of over fifty years. As entertainers, and song writers they demonstrated courage, commitment and vision leaving behind the comforts of home, promising careers, and budding romances to introduce a new concept for changing the world through the power of music. They touched the lives of millions of people, worldwide, with their songs. Their songs are written in dozens of languages and dialects.

The format of the book is eye-catching in design with hundred of photos, giving detailed descriptions of the location, the events or persons. The text includes important side bars for emphasis of important details. Each chapter contains a song, poem or composition written by one of the men.

I personally enjoyed the "The Amazing Music History Quiz" at the end of the book which highlights some of the early audacious adventures of the Colwell Brothers and Herb Allen. I also appreciated the complete index and bibliography included.

Working with "Up with the People" the team traveled six continents. They faced the dusty roads of India, the revolution in the Congo, the strife in Ireland, and the closed door of China. They presented a message of hope and peace. The "Up with the People" team produced the half-time show for four Super Bowls, viewed by over 90,000 million people on television.

"Up with the People" worked with 20,000 cast members from over 60 countries over a period of forty years. They performed in Munich, Madrid, Watts, Carnegie Hall, the Hollywood Bowl, Moscow, Beijing, and numerous other important locations and national and international events.

Direct quotes from Herb Allen, Paul, Ralph, and Steve Colwell reveal the depth of their dedication, and sacrifice to the cause of peace. The book is a tribute to these four men and the cause for which they dedicated their lives.

Frank McGee's writing is crisp and descriptive. The book has a natural flow which includes historical events, musical diplomacy, and examples of organizational leadership.

McGee's writing is informative, interesting, and compelling. "A Song for the World" is a book for anyone who wants to impact change in today's world.

Received book free of charge

In the immediate decades of the post-World War 2 era, the US presented a message of hope and equality, in its long struggle with the Soviets. To some extent, the message was hypocritical, given the racial inequalities with the US. But if you read this book, you can see some of the best of American society, exemplified in the Colwells and Herb Allen.

At the simplest level, it is their biographies, spanning many years of world travel and singing. But at a deeper level, it is impressive how they reached out, to all these peoples, across a globe, with their music. Long before multiculturalism and racial equality was broadly accepted inside the US, they practised and preached it.