The Black Gospel Choir and Gospel Music

Gospel music is believed to have first come out of African-American churches in the first quarter of the 20th century along with religious music composed and sung by predominately white Southern Gospel artists.The sharp division between black and white America, particularly black and white churches, kept the two apart. But the roots have grown into a mighty tree that gives praise and testimony the to grace of God.

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Fellowship Missionary Baptist Church Choir

The Fellowship Choir featuring Sister Loretta Oliver calls Chicago home, refered to by it's members as "the ship", Fellowship Missionary Baptist Church was founded by Rev. Dr. Clay Evans in 1950.
He has and is a leader in the Civil Rights Movement since 1965. He is the Founding National Board Chairman of Operation, (PUSH) and he held this position for five years. Reverend Evans has been a featured soloist on albums with the Voice Choir of the Fellowship Missionary Baptist Church and with the Voice Choir of the African American Religious Connection(AARC), winning the 1996 Stellar Award for Best Gospel Album of the Year, which included the song "I've Got a Testimony". Reverend Evans retired on December 8, 2000 as the Pastor of the Fellowship Missionary Baptist Church and now holds the title of Founder and Senior Pastor of the church.

 

 

 

Tribute to Sister Rosetta Tharpe
March 20, 1915 - October 9, 1973

Sister Tharpe was a pioneering Gospel singer, songwriter and recording artist who attained great popularity in the 1930s and 1940s with a unique mixture of spiritual lyrics and early rock accompaniment. She became the first great recording star of Gospel music in the late 1930s and also became known as the "original soul sister" of recorded music.

Willing to cross the line between sacred and secular by performing her inspirational music of 'light' in the 'darkness' of the nightclubs and concert halls with big bands behind her, her witty, idiosyncratic style also left a lasting mark on more conventional gospel artists, such as Ira Tucker, Sr., of the Dixie Hummingbirds. While she offended some conservative churchgoers with her forays into the world of pop music, she never left gospel music. A number of musicians, ranging from Elvis Presley and Jerry Lee Lewis to Isaac Hayes and Aretha Franklin, have identified her—or, more particularly, her singing, guitar playing and showmanship—as an important influence on them. Little Richard referred to the stomping, shouting Gospel music legend as his favorite singer when he was a child. Johnny Cash's daughter Rosanne similarly stated in an interview with Larry King that Tharpe was her father's favorite singer.
Tharpe's performances were curtailed by a stroke in 1970, after which she lost the use of her legs. She died in 1973 after another stroke, on the eve of a scheduled recording session. She was buried in Northwood Cemetery in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in an unmarked grave. In 2008, a concert was held to raise funds for a marker for her grave and January 11 was declared Sister Rosetta Tharpe Day in Pennsylvania.

   

Bio Credits
wikipedia.org

Photo credit: grapewrath.blogspot.com

Gospel talent competition has double benefits
Is yours that choir that moves people from the pews to their feet Sunday morning, or are you the soloist whose seven-octave voice or baritone keeps them spellbound in the sanctuary?
For $25 and the nerve, yours could be the next face on a CD cover.......

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The roots of gospel music are not well documented. Early recordings were lost. Stories behind the songs weren't written down. A book recounts the history of the beloved American art form.   NPR's Michele Norris discusses the rich history of gospel and spirituals with Robert Darden, author of People Get Ready.       Click Here:  www.npr.org

 

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