Mention Black folks and churchgoing, and regardless of your ethnic background, most people’s brains come up with a sound or an image that hovers between the highly-expressive denominations of Pentecostal and Southern Baptist. Lots of fan-waving, elaborate hat-wearing, white pantyhose, …
The Dixie Hummingbirds announce plans for their 90th anniversary celebration
The Dixie Hummingbirds are about to celebrate their 90th anniversary, and today at a press conference at the African American Museum in Philadelphia announced a yearlong celebration of live concerts, a reissue of their 2011 album, Gospel Praise Songs – …
Rest In Peace, Aretha Franklin
Since the start of our Gospel Roots of Rock and Soul project, one of statements we’ve most frequently made has been “Without gospel music there would be no Aretha Franklin.” Today we lost one of the most powerful voices in …
“Singing is part of everybody’s life”: The Studs Terkel Radio Archive on gospel music
The Studs Terkel Radio Archives is a digital collection of recordings of the iconic broadcaster’s radio interviews on Chicago classical radio station WFMT. After Terkel retired in 1997, all 5,600 of his recordings were donated to the Chicago History Museum. …
Gospel Music’s Popularity in Europe
Germany, France, and the UK may not come to mind as incubators for African American sacred music. But in fact there’s a long standing history of American Spirituals and gospel music making waves in Europe dating back to the late …
Listen to Theotis Taylor’s “new” gospel recording, Something Within Me
Based in North Carolina, the Music Maker Relief Foundation is a non-profit organization that was “founded to preserve the musical traditions of the South by directly supporting the musicians who make it, ensuring their voices will not be silenced by …
Pseudonyms and Session Men: Blurring the Boundaries between Sacred and Secular by Robert M. Marovich
In September, 1950, Mary Deloatch stepped into a New York City recording studio, strapped on her guitar and, surrounded by musicians that included pianist Devonia “Lady Dee” Williams and drummer Johnny Otis, belted out “Beer Bottle Boogie” under her stage …
Watch The Fairfield Four gospel roots live concert
On Saturday, June 9th at World Cafe Live in Philadelphia, the legendary gospel quartet The Fairfield Four performed an hour long show as part of the Gospel Roots of Rock and Soul live concert series. The Fairfield Four have existed …
Photo recap: The Fairfield Four and The Campbell Brothers Gospel Roots Concert at World Cafe Live
On Saturday, June 9th, The Fairfield Four and The Campbell Brothers performed a high energy show at World Cafe Live in Philadelphia as part of WXPN’s Gospel Roots of Rock and Soul project. Before a sold out crowd, The Fairfield …
Listen to Prince cover “Mary Don’t You Weep”
Prince has shared a solo version of his cover of the spiritual turned gospel classic, “Mary Don’t You Weep, that you can listen to above. Based on a spiritual written before the Civil War, an arrangement of the song was …