[Chicago Slices raw: Watermelon Vendor, Rutledge Sisters]

Raw footage for "Chicago Slices," a series documenting life in and around Chicago. This video features a watermelon vendor working out of the back of a truck on Madison Street on the West Side of Chicago. This is followed by a visit to a small storefront church where the Rutledge sisters, two young girls, sing Gospel music with incredible talent and spirit. They are accompanied by a pianist and drummer and a few tambourine players in the audience. The girls are interviewed, as well.

00:00Copy video clip URL Driving in the car and footsteps.

01:13Copy video clip URL A boy does a short rap in front of the camera. Producer Tom Weinberg talks with him and two other kids in front of the watermelon truck. This is followed by footage of selling watermelons out of the truck. A shirtless man in jeans named Ray smokes a cigarette and assists customers who stop by to shop. He is accompanied by Dino, who also helps the customers out.

10:10Copy video clip URL Weinberg asks Ray to talk about what he’s doing there. He seems reluctant to talk at first, but then starts to answer questions. He excuses himself to go help a customer. A lady named Dicey Lucas waits in line and raves about the watermelon, and says that the watermelon man is a nice guy, too.

15:57Copy video clip URL Weinberg starts to resume his conversation with Ray, the vendor. Dicey and her friend get a pocket knife and cut the watermelon up and pass out a few slices.

22:40Copy video clip URL Cut to storefront church where the Rutledge Sisters, a pair of young girls, sing Gospel music. Another young girl plays the drum set, and a man plays a keyboard to accompany them. The girls demonstrate amazing talent and composure as they sing song after song.

40:16Copy video clip URL Beverly Rutledge, mother of the girls, introduces them and then they introduce themselves as Charlotte, age 13 and Denise, age 11. They say they’ve been singing since they were two. They talk about how they started out singing in the church but then have branched out to other venues. Weinberg also speaks with their father, who credits their natural talent and God for the gift they’ve been given and the drive to cultivate it.

45:10Copy video clip URL Weinberg goes back to the girls and asks them to name some famous people who started out in Gospel. They say that they’re going to sing at the Gospel Fest in the upcoming week. He asks them what singing makes them feel. Denise says that she feels happy, but otherwise the girls are pretty quiet and shy.

47:05Copy video clip URL Cut to outside the church, and walking in the door to the sound of Gospel music. Video and audio intermittently go in and out

49:23Copy video clip URL End of tape.