A Personal Tribute to Dottie Rambo

Today my heart is very sad. One of my greatest mentors, my childhood idol, and a General in the Army of God has fought a good fight. She finished her course. She definitely kept the faith—strong faith. Now she is 'Teaching Angels how to sing.' Dottie Rambo is living out every single, solitary song, 3000+, that she wrote. Her 'Mansion is sitting next door to Jesus,' and she finally crossed over that, 'One More River.' These songs and many more like them are what shaped me in my teen-age years. While everyone else was sitting around listening to the latest pop and rock chart-busters, me and my sisters had our ears glued to the stereo listening to Buck, Dottie and Reba Rambo. I will never forget seeing this incredible lady, 'Live' and in person.

It was in an auditorium in Pembroke, North Carolina. She was at home that night with her fellow Native Americans, and even said, 'I feel so much at home, I'm going to pull my shoes off." The crowd went wild as she began to walk around shoeless, her and Reba, shouting and singing, "When I'm down, When I'm down and out, and my heart is filled with fear and doubt, then I lift up my head, and He lifts up my heart and my burdens just all roll away. Roll em' all away Lord. Roll em' all away Lord."

It was a dream come true. Mind you, I was sitting in the nose-bleed section, but I had binoculars. We were all sharing them. What a thrill. What an opportunity to see the 'Queen' herself—powerful, anointed, and to me, bigger-than-life. Please understand that when I was growing up in my old farmhouse, baby of twelve, I didn't just sing Dottie Rambo music. I WAS Dottie Rambo. I wore my hair like her, we all did. I made the same tones that she made with her words when she sang certain songs. And of course, there was the guitar. I had to learn to play the guitar so that I could actually look the part. Every album that came out, me and my family were the ones that were the first to get it in our church. That meant we were the ones that claimed first dibs' on the latest and greatest Rambo music so that no one else could sing it in our local church. Those became 'our songs.'

What an incredible impact she and Reba played in my life as a role-model. If they could do what they were doing—singing, loving Jesus, traveling—then I could do it, even as a twelve-year old. I felt a connection to that, because that was what me and my family were doing. We were not 'The Rambo's,' but we were certainly singing their songs and everywhere we went people identified with Dottie Rambo music. It was what helped to shape my understanding of singing and being on big stages. I could do it because 'I was Dottie Rambo.' And not only that, it was actually 'cool' to do it because of the genre of music that they were producing was so fresh, cutting-edge, and as in those days, 'hip'.

I will miss you Dottie. I love you and thank you for the 'impartation' that you gave to me. Because of you and your sacrifices, it has paved the way for many singers, songwriters and musicians. You have touched us like noone has ever touched us before. Now, I am living that song. Now as you have gone on before us, 'Tears will never stain the streets of that city, no wreaths of death, on my mansion door. Tear-drops aren't welcome beyond the gates of glory, and the heart will never break anymore."

To God be the glory great things He has done,

Judy Jacobs Tuttle

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