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TIMELINE
Performers of Gospel Music and Their Techniques: Solo 1
We begin with characteristics and performance practices among solo singers of gospel music. To cover the numerous soloists would go well beyond the scope and length of this lesson. Therefore, the following table highlights a few of the most prominent ones and their contribution to gospel music during this time. Soloists are listed alphabetically in the table.
| PERFORMER | ACCOMPLISHMENT |
|---|---|
| Doris Akers (1923-1995) |
She was a pianist, composer, arranger, and choir director. In 1958, she co-wrote with Mahalia Jackson "Lord, Don't Move the Mountain," which sold a million copies; she also composed the now-famous song "Sweet, Sweet Spirit." That same year she formed the Gospel Sky Pilot Choir. In 2001, she was inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame. |
| Wynona Carr (1923-1976) |
She is known for performing Gospel ( "The Ball Game" in 1952) as well as rock and roll later on (such as her 1993 album Jump Jack Jump). |
| Rev. James Cleveland (1931-1991) |
He earned several gold records during the 1960s and is noted for creating the Cornerstone Institutional Baptist Church, Southern California Community Choir, and the Gospel Music Workshop of America. |
| Dorothy Love Coates (1928-2002) |
She recorded what became a popular version of "(You Can't Hurry God) He's Right On Time." She is noted for presenting Gospel dramatically and animatedly on stage and is also known for singing with a guttural and full-throated sound production such as seen in this video of "(You Can't Hurry God) He's Right on Time"  |
| James Earl Hines (1916-1960) |
He is a gospel singer and choir director. He helped to organize (along with Gwendolyn Lightner) the Echoes of Eden Choir at St. Patrick Baptist Church of Los Angeles. |
| Gwendolyn Lightner (1925-1999) |
She was a pianist, arranger, and eventual director of Voices of Victory Choir at Victory Baptist Church. She helped to organize (along with James Earl Hines) the Echoes of Eden Choir at St. Patrick Baptist Church of Los Angeles. |
| Bessie Griffin (1922-1989) |
She performed gospel music in nightclubs and churches. |
| Reynaud Lemuel Hatter (1910-2004) |
He composed the gospel favorite "We Shall Walk Through the Valley in Peace." |
| Mahalia Jackson (1911-1972) |
She is known as the Mother of Gospel; her recording of "Move On Up A Little Higher" sold over eight million copies. Her accomplishments are explored in greater depth in the section below. |
| Marie Knight (1920-2009) |
She performed and recorded with Sister Rosetta Tharpe songs such as "Precious Lord" and "Up Above My Head." She sang "Every time I Feel the Spirit" on tv. She also recorded rhyhtm and blues music such as "Tell Me Why" in 1956. |
| Roberta Martin (1907-1969) |
Founder and director of the Sallie Martin Singers. She was a composer, arranger, performer, and pianist. In 1939 she founded the Sallie Martin Studio of Music, which was a publishing firm. |
| Sallie Martin (1895-1988) |
She helped to introduce gospel music in Los Angeles beginning in the 1930s. |
| Cora Martin Moore (1927-2005) |
She was the daughter of Sallie Martin. At one point she was the director of the Echoes of Eden Choir. |
| Kenneth Morris (1917-1989) |
Kenneth Morris, director of music at First Church of Deliverance Church in Chicago, premiered the Hammond B-3 organ at the church. |
| Arthur Atlas Peters (1908-1975) |
Founder of Victory Baptist Church in Los Angeles, California, on April 2, 1943. He performed as part of The Three Sons of Thunder, including Eugene Douglas Smallwood and Earl Amos Pleasant. |
| Earl Amos Pleasant (1917-1974) |
He founded Greater New Baptist Church in Inglewood, Los Angeles, California. He performed as part of The Three Sons of Thunder, including Arthur Atlas Peters and Eugene Douglas Smallwood. |
| Willie Mae Ford Smith (1904-1994) |
She and three of her sisters sang for the National Baptist Convention in 1922. Thomas A. Dorsey, Sallie Martin, and she developed the National Convention of Gospel Choirs and Choruses. |
| Rosetta Tharpe (1921-1973) |
Also known as Sister Rosetta Tharpe. Her song "This Train" sold one million copies in 1938 and sparked interest in gospel music. She signed a record contract with Decca Records, one of the first gospel artists to do so. |
| Albertina Walker (1929-2010) |
One of The Caravans' founding members, she was known for assisting others in their gospel careers. She was offered an opportunity to perform/record solo early in her career but instead chose to sing with groups such as this live performance of "To Whom Shall I Turn" |
| Clara Ward (1924-1973) |
She recorded her composition "How I Got Over," which became a classic gospel song. In 1957 her Ward Singers were the first gospel group to perform at the Newport Jazz Festival. In 1963, she starred in Langston Hughes' Tambourines to Glory song-play. |
Precious Lord
Through the storm, through the night
Lead me on to the light
Take my hand precious Lord, lead me home
It's a Highway to Heaven
It's a highway to heaven
None can walk up there
But the pure in heart
It's a highway to heaven
Walking up the king's highway