Woman recalls experience at Graham's 1973 Raleigh visit

RALEIGH, NC (WTVD) -- Sherry Alexander Lee had been 21 years old for just barely a month when she attended Billy Graham's 1973 crusade at Carter Stadium in Raleigh. The Raleigh native told ABC11 she attended with two of her friends.

Nearly 45 years later, she still remembers the feeling she had that day.

Speaking in front of a packed stadium, "(Graham) told everybody to accept the Lord," she said. When she made the decision during altar call to follow the Lord, many people went onto the football field.

"I didn't go down there," she confessed. "I was afraid my girlfriends were going to leave me."

Lee is often reminded of that day each time she steps into Carter-Finley Stadium and especially even more so when she's sitting in the same section as she did when she was 21.

"If I were to go into Carter-Finley now, and they didn't have anything going on ... I would have flashbacks to that night when he was there," she said.

One of Lee's friends had the chance to meet Graham.

"This was when teenage girls were crazy about The Beatles," Lee explained. "She didn't tell me what they talked about. She said, 'He was so handsome. He was just so handsome. Beautiful hair! He was just so handsome!"

At the time and even now, Lee draws a blank when wondering how to respond to that statement.

Decades later, Lee still recalls how Graham made her feel that night in Raleigh: "He touched me in a way that charismatic people would touch other people. And I was just drawn to him."

Wednesday morning after he passed away, Lee had one final wish: "I hope he gives my mom and dad a hug when he gets (to heaven)."