Joe Paul Whitten

Joe Paul Whitten, 91, of Big Spring passed away Monday, September 20, 2021.  The family will receive friends from 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm, Friday, September 24, 2021 at Nalley-Pickle & Welch Funeral Home.  Funeral Services will be held at 10:00 am, Saturday, September 25, 2021 at First Baptist Church of Big Spring.  Interment will follow at Trinity Memorial Park.

He was born May 30, 1930 in Muskogee, OK

Joe graduated from Muskogee (Central) High School, and married Virginia Lee Worrell, also from Muskogee. Virginia died in 2002. A few years later Joe was blessed when he met Ming Suie Lee of Big Spring, TX. They were married in 2005.

Joe earned an undergraduate degree in music from West Texas State University and a Master’s Degree in Vocal Performance from Texas Tech University.

For over 30 years, Joe directed music at multiple churches throughout Texas, including in Lubbock, Pampa, Ft. Worth, Tulia, Levelland, and Big Spring.

He also taught in the Howard College Choral Department for 4 years.

Outside of church, Joe had a special calling for ministering to inmates. In 1973, he began taking his church’s youth choir on visits to Texas prisons. In 1984, he left church work and founded Joe Whitten Prison Ministries. For over 20 years, he toured the country with a choral ensemble of college-age volunteers he named “His Children”. His first wife, Virginia, also toured as part of the ministry, sharing her personal testimony. The Prison Ministry witnessed to tens of thousands of inmates in both state and federal prisons from coast to coast.

Joe’s prison ministry was one of the first to be formed in the nation and was eventually endorsed by the American Correctional Association. The Joe Whitten Prison Ministry literally opened prison doors when they were the first to be allowed to perform at the Mountain View Unit in Gatesville, TX. His group was also the first to sing and witness on Oklahoma’s death row, as well as California prisons Soledad and San Quentin. The ACA invited Joe and His Children to perform multiple times at their annual congresses, and even honored him with a volunteer award for special services to prisons, adding his name to a list of honorees that includes Andre Crouch and B.B. King. Joe and his wife appeared on well known Fort Worth evangelist Dr. Jimmy Allen’s “Life Today” television talk show to share their experiences witnessing to inmates.

For many years, Joe was a member of The Centurymen, an auditioned men’s chorus comprised of professional church musicians from across the U.S. Joe accompanied the Centurymen on several international tours, most notably to England, Scotland, Wales, Canada, and China. The China tour was filmed and was featured in the Emmy-winning NBC program “China: Walls and Bridges.” The Communist China Central Television (CCTV) also produced and broadcasted a special program of the Centurymen in concert. Joe also performed as a member of The Centurymen on their “Beautiful Star, A Celebration of Christmas” album. This album was nominated in 2000 for Best Classical Crossover Album by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (the Grammy awards).

Joe’s final public ensemble performance was with The Singing Men of West Texas, a group consisting of church music ministers and musicians that is one of the six satellite choirs of the larger Singing Men of Texas ensemble. Joe’s final performance was at the esteemed Carnegie Hall in New York City in 2018.

In 1989, Joe was the featured soloist of the First Baptist Midland Sanctuary Choir and Symphony Orchestra’s performance of Mendelssohn’s “Elijah.” Joe was very proud of this performance, and kept a video recording of it with him for the rest of his life. This performance can still be found and viewed on YouTube by searching “Joe Whitten Elijah”.

Joe was a wonderful storyteller and quite a jokester. He could always be counted on to start hijinks when he was spending time with his three equally jovial brothers. He was also an infinitely passionate and dedicated Texas Tech fan, and would have wanted everyone to remember him as such. But it is equally likely that he will be remembered for his tremendous God-given talent and glorious bass-baritone voice, which he used at every opportunity to share the Gospel and praise his Savior. Joe and his voice will be sorely missed by his family and friends.

He is survived by his wife, Ming Suie Whitten of Big Spring, TX, one son, David Whitten and his wife Marcia of Waco, TX, one daughter, Marta Prentice of Hale Center, TX, one grandson, Aaron Prentice of Lubbock, TX, a stepson, Army Colonel Steven Meek and wife Hayley of Harker Heights, TX and many cherished nieces/nephews and great nieces/nephews and great-great nieces/nephews.

Joe was preceded in death by his parents, two sisters, Loretta Rosser of Long Beach, CA and Helen Stith of Broken Arrow, OK, three brothers, Jack Whitten, Jr. of Muskogee, OK, Jerry Whitten of Pampa, TX, and Phil Whitten of Ft. Smith, AK. And his first wife, Virginia (Worrell) Whitten of Muskogee, OK.

The family suggests memorials to First Baptist Church of Big Spring,TX (earmarked for Missions or Music funds).

Arrangements are under the direction of Nalley-Pickle & Welch Funeral Home and Crematory. Online condolences may be made at www.npwelch.com