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Feb 9, 2024 · Gospel music as we know it today remains a sacred part of Black History and continues unifying congregations worldwide. Below are 21 Black gospel artists who have significantly impacted the genre and its history over the last 50 years.
- Hezekiah Walker. Bishop Hezekiah Walker is the founder and Senior Pastor of the Love Fellowship Tabernacle church (LFC) with locations in Brooklyn, NY, Bensalem, PA, Long Island, NY, Lilburn, GA and Columbia, SC.
- Mary Mary. Sisters Erica and Tina Atkins make up the duo known to the world as Mary Mary. These ladies have won awards from BET, the Doves, the Grammys, the NAACP, Soul Train and the Stellars.
- Donald Lawrence. Grammy Award-winning producer, composer and recording artist Donald Lawrence has spent the past 20 years giving us music to love. He's been the driving force behind the Tri-City Singers (made up of singers from the Carolina cities of Charlotte, Gastonia and Spartanburg) and The Co.
- Kirk Franklin. Since 1993, the name Kirk Franklin has been synonymous with Urban Gospel music. He has won 3 Grammy Awards, 14 Doves, 33 Stellars and 3 NAACP Image Awards.
- If You See My Savior
- Go Down Moses
- Something’s Got A Hold on Me
- While The Blood Runs Warm
- Soon and Very Soon
- You Brought The Sunshine
- No Weapon
- He Lives
- If He Did It Before…Same God
- God Can/Let Go
(Thomas Dorsey, circa 1930) Another simple instrumentation with an opening piano and guitar that allows the lyrics and melody is emphasized. Dorsey is considered to be the “Father of Gospel Music” who had a hand in creating over 1,000 gospel songs.
(Golden Gate Quartet, 1941) The Golden Gate quartet found fame in arrangements of spirituals such as this with the transitional jubilee sound of the 1940s. I personally enjoyed the tempo change that occurs about two minutes into the sound from a more traditional to the quartet style the group is known for, then ending just as it began.
(James Cleveland, 1959) This was the first era of recording where I found the presence of a choir–a mainstay in gospel music. In all, this was the first era that sounded familiar and nostalgic to me– especially the call-and-response of “Holy Ghost” complete with music reminiscent of a praise break at the end. Cleveland was very large in the gospel ...
(Aretha Franklin, 1967) This rendition sung by a FOURTEEN year old Franklin was released about a decade after its recording & was a pleasant reminder that Franklin and many, many other Soul and R&B artists to follow had church upbringings and honed their vocal skills leading choirs and church solos.
(Andrae Crouch, 1976) Curating the remainder of this list was a breeze as the songs come straight from my gospel playlist. Here, we highlight Andrae Crouch–who went on bring gospel to new international heights with compositions present on the criticially-acclaimed blockbusters The Color Purple andThe Lion King as well as Madonna’s “Like a Prayer” a...
The Clark Sisters, 1981 Similarly to the Hawkins and Winans families of the time, the Clark family has held a grip on the gospel community beginning in the 1960s with their mother Mattie Moss Clarke and continuing into today with Kierra Sheard, daughter of Karen Clark Sheard. In “You Brought the Sunshine”, the family provides angelic harmonies riva...
Fred Hammond, 1996 No one said the weapon would not form, but will it prosper? No Weapon is not only my favorite song from the 1990s–but my favorite gospel song in whole as it derives from my favorite Scripture Isaiah 41: 10 which states “No weapon formed against thee shall prosper and every tongue which rises against thee in judgment shall be cond...
Kirk Franklin, 2002 At the bare minimum, you bopped your head to this. And if you’re me, it is the hypest part of my praise break. As one knows The Essential Kirk Franklinbackwards and forwards, He Lives (Awesome God) supersedes every other Kirk Franklin song to me. It was my earliest exposure to gospel music outside of the church & I refused to al...
Tye Tribbett, 2013 I would call this a nostalgic pick as I associate this song with my church youth group days. Tribbett’s energy is contagious throughout a lot of his music. Additionally, I love the musical arrangements with the rock elements added to the end of the song.
PJ Morton, 2020 Here’s one from the home team! New Orleans native & Morehouse College alum PJ Morton is the most recent Grammy recipient for Best Gospel Album–which was a beautiful work especially for gospel fans as the album features Kirk Franklin, Yolanda Adams, Mary Mary and Morton’s father Bishop Paul Morton as well as R&B fans as Morton is an ...
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Apr 28, 2020 · Grammy-nominated gospel singer Troy Sneed has died from complications with the coronavirus. He was 52.
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Dec 29, 2020 · News. Faith leaders and religion influencers who died in 2020. Losses in the religion world included people known for their contributions to preaching, civil rights or music.
OLD BLACK GOSPEL 🎶 Greatest Favorite Songs of Gospel Singers: Cece Winans, Jekalyn Carr, Tasha Cobbs
Feb 9, 2024 · Thomas A. Dorsey, the son of a southern Baptist preacher and now considered the father of gospel music, pioneered the sound by blending spirituals and traditional worship music with blues, jazz, and swing. Gospel music as we know it today remains a sacred part of Black History and continues unifying congregations worldwide.
