During the 1950’s and 1960’s, there was no more famous gospel group than the Clara Ward Singers. They conquered Hollywood with the same vengeance that they used to become the best selling gospel group of the 1950’s. In the black church world, they were renowned for their million-sellers, such as “Packing Up, Getting Ready to Go” […]
The history of Mother Willie Mae Ford Smith in the gospel field is nearly mythical. Her solos at annual Baptist conventions in the 1930’s suggest that she was a spell binding performer who wrecked church houses coast to coast with her blues-inspired soprano. She was also the inventor of the sermonette. Before her, no artist […]
He was named the Father of Gospel Music and with good reason. Not only did Thomas Dorsey coin the term “gospel music”, but he wrote some of gospel’s foundational standards such as “Take My Hand, Precious Lord” and “Peace in the Valley”. Thomas Andrew Dorsey was born on July 1, 1899, in Villa Rica, […]
Wallace Best, a professor of religion at Princeton University compiled a list of the 10 best gospel songs. He says that gospel is the most “American” of American music. It is the roots of R&B and rock and perhaps the most influential genre of music there is. Coming up with a list of the best […]
