“When the Roll Is Called Up Yonder”: the hymn a Sunday school teacher wrote for a missing pupil
James Milton Black, a Sunday school teacher and songwriter in Pennsylvania, wrote "When the Roll Is Called Up Yonder" in 1893 after a girl in his…
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Gospel Music
New gospel songs, albums and music videos from artists across Nigeria, Ghana, the USA, the UK and beyond.
“There Shall Be Showers of Blessing”: Daniel Whittle’s hymn of revival
"There Shall Be Showers of Blessing" was written by Daniel Webster Whittle, a former Civil War officer turned evangelist, with music by James McGranahan. Based on…
Charles Albert Tindley: the janitor-turned-pastor whose hymns shaped gospel music
Charles Albert Tindley, born in Maryland in 1851, taught himself to read, worked as a church janitor and became pastor of the same Philadelphia congregation. His…
The Soul Stirrers: the gospel quartet that made Sam Cooke a star
The Soul Stirrers, formed in Texas in the 1920s, became one of the most influential gospel quartets in America. Under R.H. Harris and then Sam Cooke,…
“Saviour, Like a Shepherd Lead Us”: the children’s hymn that became everyone’s prayer
"Saviour, Like a Shepherd Lead Us" first appeared in 1836 in a collection of hymns for children compiled by Dorothy Ann Thrupp. With William Bradbury's tune,…
“Come, Thou Almighty King”: the anonymous hymn once sung to the tune of God Save the King
"Come, Thou Almighty King" first appeared in print around 1757 without an author's name. Originally sung to the tune of "God Save the King", it later…
Aretha Franklin’s Amazing Grace: the 1972 church recording that became her best-selling album
In January 1972, Aretha Franklin returned to her gospel roots for two nights of recording at a Los Angeles church with James Cleveland and a choir.…
“Faith of Our Fathers”: Frederick Faber’s hymn for the martyrs and its journey across churches
Frederick William Faber, an Anglican priest who became Catholic in 1845, wrote "Faith of Our Fathers" in 1849 to honour English Catholics who died for their…
“Jesus, Keep Me Near the Cross”: Fanny Crosby’s prayer set to William Doane’s tune
Fanny Crosby wrote "Jesus, Keep Me Near the Cross" in 1869 to a melody by William Howard Doane. The simple prayer to stay close to the…
Sweet Hour of Prayer: the hymn credited to a blind English preacher
Sweet Hour of Prayer was first published in 1845 in the New York Observer, credited to William Walford, a blind preacher from England. With a tune…