ATLANTA - The medley of praise and worship tunes Jarvis Wilson played on Facebook Live on Sunday was so moving, you didn't even miss the absence of a choir.
“It was exciting for me and motivating for me,” Jarvis told FOX 5’s Portia Bruner.
It was just one talented musician playing his organ for the first time during his recovery from COVID-19. While his daughter recorded the performance, Wilson wore a mask since he's still in quarantine following his release from Atlanta Medical Center in late April. The response from friends and strangers--overwhelming.
“People said they were blessed. People said they were glad to hear me play again and I was glad to hear me play again,” said the 59-year-old Atlanta native.
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Musician give thanks for recovery
An Atlanta musician who has recovered from COVID-19 shares his gifts to say thank you
Thousands of people have shared the post since Wilson shared his testimony about recovering from the virus that left him with double pneumonia and on a ventilator for three weeks.
“The weakness, the shortness of breath, the g.i. issues. It was just like the whole world came crashing down on you. I remember them putting me under and then, I guess it was three weeks later, I heard a nurse say,’ Jarvis, wake up, wake up. You made it through. I'm going to take this ventilator out of you, and I want you to start breathing. You hear me?” Wilson recalled.
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Wilson is an accomplished musician who's worked for several churches across Atlanta over the years. He currently serves as the music minister at West Hunter Street Baptist Church and has played at conferences and church workshops for decades. Still, there is one thing he's always wanted--a college degree in Church Music. He said not even his battle with COVID-19 will get in the way. Morris Brown College president Dr. Kevin James told FOX 5 Wilson is on track to graduate this Spring in a ceremony that will have to wait until the Fall because of the Coronavirus Pandemic. Meantime, he will continue to play and urge others to keep the faith in the hardest of times.
“I know God was taking care of me and I felt God's presence there with me and I heard a still voice say you're gonna be fine, you’re going to be fine,” said Wilson.