Country and gospel singer and Odessa native Rudy Gatlin is returning to the Permian Basin this weekend to host a free prayer vigil and concert to show support for people of Odessa, Ukraine.
The event will take place from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday at the MCM Grande Hotel and Fundome, 6201 E. Business 20 in Odessa.
The prayer vigil and concert are free thanks to support from John Bushman and ICA. The MCM Grande Hotel and Fundome’s parent company ICA is donating the event venue and logistics.
Gatlin is a former Odessan who hit it big with The Gatlin Brothers and his own solo work.
“Rudy is a very good Christian guy and we sure appreciate it,” CEO of ICA John Bushman said. “This is complimentary for everybody. We’re not going to charge.”
The First Baptist Church choir is also slated to participate.
“It’s open to anybody and everybody, particularly anybody that believes in God,” Bushman said. “We have open arms.”
For over 65 years, Gatlin has performed alongside his brothers Larry Gatlin and Steve Gatlin who make up the band “The Gatlin Brothers.”
All three brothers hail from Odessa and are graduates of Odessa High School. They’ve returned to the Permian Basin numerous times to perform including during the Ector County Independent School District 100th Celebration last October before the Odessa High-Permian football game.
“It feels so good to me to hear an entertainer of national and international accords and stand up and witness Christ and not want a dime for anything and to actually do stuff, other than talk about it or go off and instead talk about God almighty,” Bushman said. “That is very heart-warming to be able to share and to host this thing from a venue standpoint and have that kind of guy in Odessa.”
If you go
>> What: Odessa Prayers for Ukraine Vigil.
>> Where: MCM Grande Hotel and Fundome (6201 E. Business 20).
>> When: 5 p.m. March 26.
>> Price of admission: Free.
