Gospel. The word derives from the Old English godspell, a translation of Greek “evangeline,” meaning good news. According to the Bible, Jesus and his disciples declared the gospel, essentially glad tidings concerning salvation and the kingdom of God. In present day, that gospel is still being told by disciples in the church, in religious schools, on evangelical street corners and in gospel music.
According to those disciples, the gospel music message is to be applied in daily life, not only during the Christmas season. The soul of gospel music reaches back to when African Americans were first brought to this land and were forced to work the plantations.
Back then, on occasional Sundays, groups of slaves would respond to the calls of the visiting preachers’ songs. Later, they’d sing those gospel songs and set the Bible stories they had learned to rhythms while they were working the fields.
Recently, movie watchers heard some of these songs in the film “Harriet.” In one scene, Harriet Tubman, a diminutive Maryland freedom fighter, sang from a ship on a river. A number of Union Army gunboats floated behind her as she sang:
“Wade in the water,
Wade in the water, children
Wade in the water,
God’s gonna trouble the water”
Earlier, Harriet snuck onto a plantation and learned about the positions of rebel soldiers and Confederate ammunition up river. She told her slave informants to be ready when the gunboats returned on their way back down river to Beaufort, S.C.
In the film’s moving, slow-motion scene, dozens of slaves came running, racing to the river when they heard that spiritual song.
It’s also said that Tubman often sang low outside of slave cabins when she ventured south to free slaves still in bondage:
“Good news, the chariot’s coming,
Good news, the chariot’s coming
Good news, the chariot’s coming,
An’ I don’t want it to leave me behind.”
After the Civil War, Black “jubilee” groups were formed in Black colleges. These groups employed singing with four-part harmony.
One of the earliest and certainly the most successful of these groups was the Fisk University Jubilee singers, which, at one time, was composed of a nine-member choral ensemble one sang Negro spirituals. During student vacations, they would travel across the country to sing the old songs at meetings on behalf of the school.
Fisk University opened in Nashville in 1866 as the first American university to offer a liberal arts education to “young men and women irrespective of color.” But five years after it’s opening, the school was in financial trouble.
George L. White, Fisk treasurer and music professor, created the ensemble and took it on tour to earn money for the University. Many of the buildings on the campus of Fisk were “sung up” by the jubilee singers through their regular fund-raising campaigns.
It was White who coined the “Jubilee Singers” name, a biblical reference to the year of jubilee in the Book of Leviticus.
In 1872, President Ulysses S. Grant invited the Fisk Jubilee Singers to perform at the White House. Today, the a cappella ensemble performs at venues across the country.
A successful jazz and blues musician, Thomas A. Dorsey (1899 – 1993) became known as the “Father of the Gospel Movement.” In 1928, he suffered a nervous breakdown which took two years of recuperation. During that time, he stopped playing blues music and became a gospel musician instead.
In 1932, Dorsey assembled a choir at Pilgrim Baptist Church in Chicago, where he served as choir director. He also established a publishing house to publish the gospel music of Black composers and was largely responsible for the spread of gospel music during that time. Dorsey wrote the songs “Precious Lord” and “Peace in the Valley,” which have become classics.
James Cleveland’s grandmother attended Dorsey’s church and was a member of his choir. Cleveland, a noted gospel music star, had no choice but to attend the choir rehearsals with his grandmother. Bored at first, Cleveland soon developed the “if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em” attitude and sang along with the choir. Dorsey noticed his singing voice and wrote a song for him, which launched his career.
Cleveland went to New York, where he became minister of music at Faith Temple Church of God in Christ. Then he moved to Philadelphia and formed “The Gospelaires.” Upon moving to Detroit, he became second assistant pastor at Prayer Tabernacle and the “Voices of Tabernacle” group was born.
Eventually, Cleveland relocated to Los Angeles, where he founded the Cornerstone Baptist Church. Once, when Cleveland was nearing the end of a recording contract with Savoy Recording, he needed to complete one more session. Cleveland decided to use the Angelic Choir of the First Baptist Church of Nutley, N.J. The successful LP, “This Sunday in Person,” was the first live gospel recording session ever.
Cleveland’s “Peace Be Still,” a 1963 LP, became the first gospel album in history to sell more than 50,000 units..
Cleveland often sang with Mahalia Jackson, who was known as the “Queen of Gospel.” She was among the first spiritual performers to introduce elements of blues into her music. Her success was such, that in 1954, she began hosting her own weekly radio series on CBS, the first program of its kind to broadcast the gospel style over national airwaves.
In 1961, Jackson sang at John F. Kennedy’s Presidential Inauguration. During the 1960s, Jackson was also a confidant and supporter of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and at his funeral sang his last request, “Precious Lord.”
Critics wrote that “in Mahlia Jackson’s voice you hear the vital link between African-American church music and its worldly offspring.”
The good news of gospel music stirs the soul so, that it has inspired many others to make that link and blend spiritual and secular sounds.
Aretha Franklin was the daughter of Rev. C.L. Franklin, who preached at New Bethel Baptist Church in Detroit. She received her early training in gospel music and was inspired by family friend Mahalia Jackson, along with other notable artists, including Rev. Cleveland and gospel great Clara Ward.
Musician Ray Charles, the pioneer of soul music in the 1950s, also fused gospel with blues to create his signature sound. By secularizing certain aspects of gospel music and adding blues based lyrics, he virtually invented the soul genre.
Locally, Andrae Crouch has been a major force in giving a contemporary presence to gospel music.
He was born in Los Angeles and began playing piano for his father’s church, New Christ Memorial Church of God in Christ, at the age of 9, where he later became a pastor. Songs written by Crouch include “To God Be the Glory” and “The Blood Will Never Lose its Power.”
Crouch signed the Winans family—Marvin, Carvin, Ronald and Michael—to his Light label and produced their debut album, “Introducing the Winans,” in 1981.The group were pioneers in contemporary gospel music, paving the way for countless gospel artists, including several members of their own family, including Mom and Pop Winans, Vickie, BeBe, CeCe, Angie and Debbie.
Gospel artist Donnie McClurkins was saved at an early age by his aunt who sang background vocals with Crouch. He was also hired as an associate minister at Marvin Winan’s Perfecting Church. McClerkins’ creations include “We Fall Down” and “Stand.”
Benjamin “Bebe” Winans always knew he was born to be a singer, as his entire family was into Gospel music. In the 80s, when he and his younger sister, Priscilla Marie “Cece” Winans were asked to join the Praise the Lord Singers in North Carolina, Bebe found himself choosing between his family values and secular fame.
Jim Bakker, who hosted the PTL Club, asked his choir to sing a Christianized version of “Up Where We Belong,” from the movie “An Officer and a Gentleman,” which was made famous by the rock and blues singer Joe Cocker.
“The lyrics, well, let’s jus say they lend themselves to being bent toward Christian themes, as he sings about love lifting us up so we can be ‘far from the world below.’” Winans writes in his new book “Born for This: My Story in Music.”
“Our upbringing, as solid as it was, was rooted in legalistic Christianity,” Winans writes, noting his inner tension of being asked to sing a “worldly” song. “It was hard to let go of some of those rules, walk outside our old boundary lines and do something I knew might be looked at with judgment from family and friends back home.”
The response to the Christianized version of the song proved to b a turning point for Winans, leading to a record deal for the duo, and “Lord Lift Us Up” was nominated for a Grammy.
Gospel music has evolved over the years and continues its nod to secular rock, blues, R&B and even rap worlds. The gospel genre even developed its own award show. The Stellar Awards Gospel Music Academy awards are presented to recognize achievements in the gospel music industry.
Singer Yolanda Adams has hosted the Stellar Awards with McClurkins. Adams, herself, connected with several of R&Bs most successful producers: Keith Thomas; Jimmy Jan; and Terry Lewis to create “Open My Heart,” “The Things We Do,” and “Wherever You are.”
Bishop Noel Jones & The City of Refuge Sanctuary Choir’s “Run to the Altar” won an award for Choir of the year at the last Stellar Awards event, while Jabari Johnson’s “Day of Redemption,” grabbed the new artist of the year honors.
Jonathan McReyolds racked up eight awards, all of which were his firsts. His “Make Room” album was recorded live in Chicago. “Not Lucky, I’m Loved” was named Song of the year.
A number of prominent gospel artists will be featured in the March Stellar Awards show, which will celebrate it’s 35th year in 2020 in the city of Las Vegas.
