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Overview

Around 1968, at the close of the golden age of gospel, music approaches applied new stylistic labels to gospel such as urban contemporary gospel, holy hip-hop, hip-hop gospel, or just contemporary gospel, to name a few. Many continue to use these labels to describe gospel music from the late 1960s to the present day. As gospel music's boundaries concerning its stylistic labels continue to expand, notable differences in music characteristics and performance practices contribute to gospel music's broad appeal at this juncture.

Be ready to:

List important events and artists' accomplishments that contributed to the contemporary gospel.

Recall specific performers/composers and their songs that engendered the transition between the golden age of gospel and contemporary gospel.

Identify contemporary gospel songs that borrow music elements from secular songs, specifically how they incorporate music characteristics and performance practices similar to those found in soul, funk, and disco music.

Explain the use of many stylistic labels as applied to contemporary gospel music.

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Important Events in Contemporary Gospel

YEAR	EVENT	CONTRIBUTIONS
1967	Gospel Music Workshop of America (GMWA)	Founded by James Cleveland and Albertina Walker as a workshop to train singers, choirs, and musicians; present-day artists such as Yolanda Adams, John P. Kee, and Kirk Franklin have benefited from this organization.
1967	"Oh Happy Day"	This song is often credited for igniting the contemporary gospel era
1968	Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s Funeral	Though not a contemporary gospel artist, Mahalia Jackson by request sang Dr. King's favorite gospel song, "Take My Hand, Precious Lord" by Thomas A. Dorsey (1932).
1968	Soul Gospel	Introduced by the Recording Academy as a designation for gospel music.
1969	Gospel Music Association (GMA) Dove Awards	The ongoing awards ceremony recognizes various outstanding achievements in Christian music.
1969	NAACP Image Awards	The Image Awards ceremony recognizes the remarkable achievements of people of color in film, literature, music, and television, and those who foster social justice through creative undertakings.
1971	GMA Gospel Music Hall of Fame	Established to recognize gospel artists (non-ethnic specific) and their contributions to society
1972	Aretha Franklin recorded Amazing Grace	Franklin recorded the album in front of a live audience at New Temple Missionary Baptist Church in Watts, Los Angeles, on January 13.
1982	The Gospel Beat: Jesus-Christ by MC Sweet	First commercially released album that featured rapping in gospel music.
1985	Stellar Gospel Music Awards	The ongoing awards ceremony recognizes various outstanding achievements of African Americans in gospel music.
1985	"Bible Break"	Song by Stephen Wiley is considered the first recording of a Christian rap song. The album of the same name is known for being the first full-length album of Christian rap.
1988	Heaven by Bebe and CeCe Winans	Bebe and CeCe Winans are known for recording songs that cross over to the rhythm and blues chart, such as some songs in their album titled Heaven (1988). Heaven reached the R & B Top 10 and number 95 on the Pop Chart. This album and others ushered in the era of the category Urban Contemporary Gospel.
1993	Marion Williams	Marion Williams became the ﬁrst gospel artist to receive a grant from the MacArthur Foundation. As mentioned on their website macfound.org, "MacArthur Foundation supports creative people and effective institutions committed to building a more just, verdant, and peaceful world."
1997	"Stomp" on the album God's Property from Kirk Franklin's Nu Nation	This song experienced exceptional crossover appeal, and like Thomas A. Dorsey's music, it widened the road for other innovative approaches to Black religious music.
1998	"Move On up a Little Higher"	Composed by William H. Brewster in 1941, this song received a Grammy Hall of Fame Award.
1999	Four U.S. Postage stamps of four gospel performers	On July 15, the U.S. Postal Service issues four stamps to commemorate gospel performers Mahalia Jackson, Roberta Martin, Clara Ward, and Rosetta Tharpe.
2000	"Shackles (Praise You)" by Mary Mary	Noted as one of the songs that furthered the coexistence of religious and secular music in urban settings.
2001	BET Awards	Black Entertainment Television (BET) Awards was established at this time to recognize mainly African Americans for their achievements in acting, music, sports, and other entertainment fields
2002	Precious Lord: New Recordings of the Great Songs of Thomas A. Dorsey (1973)	Library of Congress added this album to the United States National Recording Registry
2005	Hip Hop Church Ministry	Early Hip Hop icon Kurtis Blow founded this ministry at Greater Hood Memorial AME Zion Church in Harlem, NY. Many regard this church as the first hip hop church in Harlem.
2006	Baylor's Black Gospel Music Restoration Project	This project at Baylor University digitizes Black gospel music from albums from the 1940s to 1980s. The collection is from Baylor University and will now be part of the National Museum of African American History and Culture on the National Mall in Washington, DC.
2010	Celebrate Gospel, Disneyland	First Celebrate Gospel at Disneyland, which is now in its fifth year in 2014
2014	Thomas A. Dorsey Most Notable Achievement Stellar Award	Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee receives this most notable award.

Yolanda Adams

There is a sound that comes from gospel music that doesn't come from anything else. It is a sound of peace. It is a sound of, I'm going to make it through all of this.

Mahalia Jackson

Gospel music is nothing but singing of good tidings-spreading the good news. It will last as long as any music because it is sung straight from the human heart.