Urban contemporary gospel (sometimes marketed as "Black gospel" to help potential buyers distinguish it from other forms of Christian music, such as contemporary Christian music or Christian rock and Southern gospel) is a subgenre of Gospel music. Secular urban music singers, including Brandy and Mario Winans, have released or appeared on urban-styled gospel singles. Gospel music is a musical genre characterized by dominant vocals (often with strong use of harmony) referencing lyrics of a religious nature, particularly Christian. ... Brandy Rayana Norwood (born February 11, 1979), known professionally as Brandy, is an American actress and Grammy Award-winning singer. ... Mario Winans is an R&B and gospel music producer, writer, and singer. ...

A spiritual is a African-American song, usually with a religious text. ... Blues is a vocal and instrumental form of music based on the use of the blue notes and a repetitive pattern that most often follows a twelve-bar structure. ... A hymn is a type of song, usually religious, specifically written for the purpose of praise, adoration or prayer, and typically addressed to a god or other religiously significant figure. ... Alternative meaning: Nineteenth Century (periodical) (18th century — 19th century — 20th century — more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 19th century was that century which lasted from 1801-1900 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar. ... A musical instrument is a device constructed or modified with the purpose of making music. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... This does not cite any references or sources. ... For other uses, see Soul music (disambiguation). ... Rhythm and blues (also known as R&B or RnB) is a popular music genre combining jazz, gospel, and blues influences — first performed by African American artists. ... For other uses, see Soul music (disambiguation). ... Jubilee quartets were popular African-American religious musical groups in the first half of the twentieth century. ... Jubilee quartets were popular African-American religious musical groups in the first half of the twentieth century. ... A spiritual is a African-American song, usually with a religious text. ...

Origins (1920s – 1940s)

What most people would identify today as 'gospel' began very differently 85 years ago. The gospel music that Thomas A. Dorsey, Sallie Martin, Dr. Mattie Moss Clark, Willie Mae Ford Smith and other pioneers popularized had its roots in the more freewheeling forms of religious devotion of 'Sanctified' or 'Holiness' churches — sometimes called 'holy rollers' by other denominations — who encouraged individual church members to 'testify', speaking or singing spontaneously about their faith and experience of the Holy Ghost and "Getting Happy", sometimes while dancing in celebration. In the 1920s Sanctified artists, such as Arizona Dranes, many of whom were also traveling preachers, started making records in a style that melded traditional religious themes with barrelhouse, blues and boogie-woogie techniques and brought jazz instruments, such as drums and horns, into the church. It is also important to note that gospel music is not just a form of music. It is an intricate part of the religious experience for many churchgoers. Come on Mama, Do That Dance Georgia Tom Dorsey Yazoo 1041 For the big band trombonist and bandleader, see Tommy Dorsey. ... Sallie Martin (1895-1988) was a gospel singer nicknamed the mother of gospel music for her efforts to popularize the songs of Thomas A. Dorsey and her influence on other artists. ... Dr. Mattie Moss-Clark - Legendary singer, composer, director, and founder of the Clark Conservatory of Music in Detroit, Michigan. ... Willie Mae Ford (1904 – 1994), also known as Mother Willie Mae Ford Smith, was a gospel singer based in St. ... Holiness is the state of being holy, that is, set apart for the worship or service of God or gods. ... The Holy Spirit, from the Christian viewpoint, while related to Gods will, is not Gods will personified. ... Get Happy is a term used in the African American Gospel Music tradition, that refers to the experience of receiving the Holy Spirit during a Church service, usually involving ecstatic singing, or during prayer, or spontaneously. ... The 1920s is a decade that is sometimes referred to as the Jazz Age or the Roaring Twenties, usually applied to America. ... Arizona Dranes (1905hi (?) – 1960 (?)) was one of the first gospel artists to bring the Sanctified musical styles of Holiness churches religious music to the public in her records for Okeh and performances in the 1920s. ... A bar or saloon. ... Blues is a vocal and instrumental form of music based on the use of the blue notes and a repetitive pattern that most often follows a twelve-bar structure. ... Boogie-woogie is a style of piano-based blues that became very popular in the late 1930s and early 1940s, and was extended from piano, to three pianos at once, guitar, big band, and country and western music, and even gospel. ... Jazz is a musical art form that originated in New Orleans, Louisiana, United States around the start of the 20th century. ...

Dorsey, who had once composed for and played piano behind blues giants Tampa Red, Ma Rainey and Bessie Smith, worked hard to develop this new music, organizing an annual convention for gospel artists, touring with Martin to sell sheet music and gradually overcoming the resistance of more conservative churches to what many of them considered sinful, worldly music. Combining the sixteen bar structure and blues modes and rhythms with religious lyrics, Dorsey's compositions opened up possibilities for innovative singers such as Sister Rosetta Tharpe to apply their very individual talents to his songs, while inspiring church members to 'shout' — either to call out catch phrases or to add musical lines of their own in response to the singers. Blues is a vocal and instrumental form of music based on the use of the blue notes and a repetitive pattern that most often follows a twelve-bar structure. ... Tampa Red (1904-1981), born Hudson Woodbridge, was an influential American musician. ... Gertrude Malissa Nix Pridgett Rainey, better known as Ma Rainey (September, 1882 – December 22, 1939), was one of the earliest known professional blues singers and one of the first generation of such singers to record. ... This article includes a list of works cited or a list of external links, but its sources remain unclear because it lacks in-text citations. ... Sister Rosetta Tharpe (March 20, 1915 - October 9, 1973) was a gospel artist who attained great popularity in the 1930s and 1940s with a unique mixture of Holiness vocals and jazzy guitar accompaniment. ...

This looser style affected other black religious musical styles as well. The most popular groups in the 1930s were male quartets or small groups such as The Golden Gate Quartet, who sang, usually unaccompanied, in jubilee style, mixing careful harmonies, melodious singing, playful syncopation and sophisticated arrangements to produce a fresh, experimental style far removed from the more somber hymn-singing. These groups also absorbed popular sounds from pop groups such as The Mills Brothers and produced songs that mixed conventional religious themes, humor and social and political commentary. They began to show more and more influence from gospel as they incorporated the new music into their repertoire. The Golden Gate Quartet is the most successful of all of the African-American gospel music groups who sang in the jubilee quartet style. ... Jubilee quartets were popular African-American religious musical groups in the first half of the twentieth century. ... The Mills Brothers were an American jazz and pop vocal group of the 20th century. ...

Golden age (1940s – 1950s)

The new gospel music composed by Dorsey and others proved very important among quartets, who began turning in a new direction. Groups such as the Dixie Hummingbirds, Pilgrim Travelers, Soul Stirrers, Swan Silvertones, Sensational Nightingales and Five Blind Boys of Mississippi introduced even more stylistic freedom to the close harmonies of jubilee style, adding ad libs and using repeated short phrases in the background to maintain a rhythmic base for the innovations of the lead singers. Individual singers also stood out more as jubilee turned to "hard gospel" and as soloists began to shout more and more, often in falsettos anchored by a prominent bass. Quartet singers combined both individual virtuoso performances and innovative harmonic and rhythmic invention — what Ira Tucker Sr. and Paul Owens of the Hummingbirds called "trickeration" — that amplified both the emotional and musical intensity of their songs. The Dixie Hummingbirds is one of the most influential groups in gospel music, spanning more than 75 years from the jubilee quartet style of the 1920s, through the hard gospel quartet style of Gospels golden age in the 1940s and 1950s, to the eclectic pop-tinged songs of the... The Pilgrim Travelers were a gospel group popular in the late 1940s and early 1950s. ... One of the most popular and influential gospel groups of the 20th century, The Soul Stirrers were pioneers in the development of the quartet style of gospel and, without intending it, in the creation of soul music, the secular music that owed much to gospel. ... The Swan Sivertones were a gospel group that achieved great popularity in the 1940s and 1950s while led by Claude Jeter, who formed the group in 1938 as the Four Harmony Kings while working as a coal miner in West Virginia. ... The Sensational Nightingales is a gospel music quartet that reached its peak of popularity in the 1950s, when it featured Julius Cheeks, the quintessential hard gospel shouter, as its lead singer. ... The Five Blind Boys of Mississippi was one of the most popular and influential post-war gospel quartets. ... See AdLib for the computer sound card manufacturer. ... Paul Owens (July 27, 1924 - October 17, 2002) was one of the foremost artists in African-American gospel music, performing with the Dixie Hummingbirds, the Swan Silvertones, and the Sensational Nightingales. ...

At the same time that quartet groups were reaching their zenith in the 1940s and 1950s, a number of women singers were achieving stardom. Some, such as Mahalia Jackson and Bessie Griffin, were primarily soloists, while others, such as Clara Ward, The Caravans, The Davis Sisters and Dorothy Love Coates, sang in small groups. While some groups, such as The Ward Singers, employed the sort of theatrics and daring group dynamics that male quartet groups used, for the most part women gospel singers relied instead on overpowering technique and dramatic personal witness to establish themselves. This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... This does not cite any references or sources. ... Mahalia Jackson (October 26, 1911[1] – January 27, 1972) was an American gospel singer, widely regarded as the best in the history of the genre. ... Bessie Griffin (July 6, 1922 – April 10, 1989) was a gospel singer who performed briefly with Queen of Gospel Albertina Walker & The Caravans in 1953 but spent most of her career as a solo artist. ... Clara Ward (April 21, 1924 - January 16, 1973)[1] was a gospel artist who achieved great success, both artistic and commercial, in the 1940s and 1950s as leader of The Famous Ward Singers. ... The Caravans was a female gospel group popular during the 1950s and 1960s that launched the careers of a number of artists, including: Queen of Gospel Albertina Walker, Bessie Griffin, Cassietta George, The Great Narrator Dorothy Norwood, Inez Andrews and First Lady of Gospel Shirley Caesar. ... The Davis Sisters was a gospel group founded by Ruth (Baby Sis) Davis and featuring her sisters Thelma, Audrey and Alfreda. ... Dorothy Love Coates (January 30, 1928-April 9, 2002) rose to stardom in the 1950s as a member of The Original Gospel Harmonettes, a gospel group from Birmingham, Alabama. ...

Roberta Martin in Chicago stood apart from other women gospel singers in many respects. She led groups that featured both men and women singers, employed an understated style that did not stress individual virtuosity, and sponsored a number of individual artists, such as James Cleveland, who went on to change the face of gospel in the decades that followed. Roberta Martin (February 12, 1907-January 18, 1969) was an influential gospel artist who helped launch the careers of many other gospel artists through her group The Roberta Martin Singers. ... Flag Seal Nickname: The Windy City Motto: Urbs In Horto (Latin: City in a Garden), I Will Location Location in Chicagoland and northern Illinois Coordinates , Government Country State Counties United States Illinois Cook, DuPage Mayor Richard M. Daley (D) Geographical characteristics Area     City 606. ... James Cleveland (December 5, 1932 - February 9, 1991) was a gospel singer, arranger, composer and, most significantly, the driving force behind the creation of the modern gospel sound, bringing the stylistic daring of hard gospel and jazz and pop music influences to arrangements for mass choirs. ...

Gospel's influences

Gospel artists, who had been influenced by pop music trends for years, had a major influence on early rhythm and blues artists, particularly the "bird groups" such as the Orioles, the Ravens and the Flamingos, who applied gospel quartets' a cappella techniques to pop songs in the late 1940s and throughout the 1950s. Individual gospel artists, such as Sam Cooke, and secular artists who borrowed heavily from gospel, such as Ray Charles, James Brown, and James Booker, had an even greater impact later in the 1950s, helping to create soul music by bringing even more gospel to rhythm and blues. Rhythm and blues (also known as R&B or RnB) is a popular music genre combining jazz, gospel, and blues influences — first performed by African American artists. ... The Orioles were an American R&B and doo-wop group, one of the earliest such vocal bands. ... The Ravens were an R&B vocal group. ... The Flamingos 1957-1961: clockwise from top right: Terry Johnson, Nate Nelson, Zeke Carey, Tommy Hunt, Paul Wilson, Jake Carey. ... A cappella music is vocal music or singing without instrumental accompaniment, or a piece intended to be performed in this way. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... This does not cite any references or sources. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Ray Charles was the stage name of Ray Charles Robinson (September 23, 1930 – June 10, 2004). ... James Brown, known variously as: Soul Brother Number One, the Godfather of Soul, Mr. ... James Booker on cover of Aves 69031 James Carroll Booker III (December 17, 1939 – November 8, 1983) was an eccentric and flamboyant piano player and singer from New Orleans, Louisiana. ... This does not cite any references or sources. ... For other uses, see Soul music (disambiguation). ...

Many of the most prominent soul artists, such as Aretha Franklin, Marvin Gaye, Wilson Pickett and Al Green, had roots in the church and gospel music and brought with them much of the vocal styles of artists such as Clara Ward and Julius Cheeks.During the 70's artist like Edwin Hawkins with the 1969 hit "O Happy Day", and Andre Crouch hit" Take me Back" were big inspirations on Gospel Music. Secular songwriters often appropriated gospel songs, such as the Pilgrim Travelers' song "I've Got A New Home", which Ray Charles turned into "Lonely Avenue", or "Stand By Me", which Ben E. King and Leiber and Stoller adapted from a well-known gospel song, or Marvin Gaye's "Can I Get A Witness", which reworks traditional gospel catchphrases. In other cases secular musicians did the opposite, attaching phrases and titles from the gospel tradition to secular songs to create soul hits such as "Come See About Me" for the Supremes and "99 1/2 Won't Do" for Wilson Pickett. Aretha Louise Franklin (born March 25, 1942) is an American soul, R&B, and gospel singer, songwriter, and pianist. ... Marvin Gaye (born Marvin Pentz Gay, Jr. ... Wilson Pickett (March 18, 1941 – January 19, 2006) was an American R&B/Rock and Roll and soul singer. ... Al Green in concert at the Chumash Casino Resort in Santa Ynez, California on July 27, 2006. ... Ray Charles was the stage name of Ray Charles Robinson (September 23, 1930 – June 10, 2004). ... Ben E. King (born Benjamin Earl Nelson on September 28, 1938, in Henderson, North Carolina) is an American soul and pop singer and songwriter. ... Jerry Leiber (born April 25, 1933) and Mike Stoller (born March 13, 1933) are among the most important songwriters and music producers in post-World War II popular music. ... Marvin Gaye (born Marvin Pentz Gay, Jr. ... The Supremes were a Motown all-female singing group. ... Wilson Pickett (March 18, 1941 – January 19, 2006) was an American R&B/Rock and Roll and soul singer. ...

Notable Artists

• Kirk Franklin
• Deitrick Haddon
• Mary Mary
• J Moss
• Kelly Price
• Kierra "Kiki" Sheard
• Tonex
• Trin-I-Tee 5:7
• Michelle Williams
• Virtue

This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... Detroit native gospel singer/songwriter/producer Detrick Haddon rose to prominence as the leader of Detrick Haddon & Voices Of Unity. ... Mary Mary is a gospel duo of sisters Erica and Tina Atkins. ... J. Moss is a Detroit-based songwriter and record producer. ... Kelly Price on the cover of her 2003 album Priceless Kelly Price (born April 4, 1973 in Queens, New York) is a Grammy Award-nominated American R&B and soul singer, the flagship female artist on the Def Soul label. ... Kierra Kiki Sheard (June 20, 1987 - ) is a Grammy Award-nominated American gospel recording artist. ... Please wikify (format) this article or section as suggested in the Guide to layout and the Manual of Style. ... Michelle Williams (born Tenitra Michelle Williams on July 23, 1980) is a Grammy Award-winning American R&B/Gospel singer, songwriter, dancer, and actress, who was a background singer for Monica, who then rose to fame as one a member of the successful musical group Destinys Child, the world... Virtue is a popular Gospel music group. ...

External links

• An archive of gospel lyrics to urban contemporary gospel

See also