The Blind Boys of Alabama: a gospel group that began at a school for the blind in 1939
The Blind Boys of Alabama formed in 1939 at the Alabama Institute for the Negro Deaf and Blind in Talladega. Rooted in the jubilee and hard…
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Grammy
Israel Houghton: the worship leader who blended gospel, rock and Latin sounds
Israel Houghton, leader of the group Israel and New Breed, became one of the most influential worship leaders of the 2000s, mixing gospel, rock, funk and…
Hezekiah Walker: the Brooklyn choir leader behind “Every Praise”
Hezekiah Walker, a pastor and choir leader from Brooklyn, has led the Love Fellowship Choir since the 1980s. His 2013 single "Every Praise" became one of…
Donnie McClurkin: “We Fall Down”, “Stand” and a life of testimony
Donnie McClurkin, a gospel singer from New York, became one of the best-known gospel voices of the late 1990s and 2000s with songs such as "Stand"…
The Clark Sisters: the Detroit family whose “Sunshine” crossed from church to club
The Clark Sisters, formed in Detroit by their mother Mattie Moss Clark, released "You Brought the Sunshine" in 1981. The song, arranged by Twinkie Clark, crossed…
Yolanda Adams and “Open My Heart”: the Houston teacher who took gospel to R&B radio
Yolanda Adams was a Houston schoolteacher and model before becoming a gospel singer. Her 1999 album Mountain High... Valley Low and its single "Open My Heart"…
Shirley Caesar: the Durham evangelist who became the First Lady of Gospel
Shirley Caesar, born in Durham, North Carolina, in 1938, joined the Caravans in 1958 and went on to a solo career as a singer and evangelist.…
A church choir recorded “Oh Happy Day” for a fundraising album. It became a worldwide pop hit
In 1967, Edwin Hawkins arranged an old hymn for a youth choir album recorded in a church in Berkeley, California. "Oh Happy Day" reached the top…
Three Grammys in one night, 15 in her career: CeCe Winans and Believe For It
At the 2022 Grammy Awards, CeCe Winans won three of the four gospel and Christian categories, including Best Gospel Album for Believe For It. It took…
“Break Every Chain” was already a church song when Tasha Cobbs recorded it. Her version won a Grammy
Tasha Cobbs Leonard's live recording of "Break Every Chain" became one of the defining gospel songs of the 2010s and won her a Grammy. The song…