gospel lyrics

In both traditions, some performers, such as Mahalia Jackson have limited themselves to appearing in religious contexts only, while others, such as Sister Rosetta Tharpe, the Golden Gate Quartet and Clara Ward, have performed gospel music in secular settings, even night clubs. Many performers, such as The Jordanaires, Al Green, and Solomon Burke have performed both secular and religious music. It is common for such performers to include gospel songs in otherwise secular performances, although the opposite almost never happens.

Gospel singer, songwriter, guitarist Sister Rosetta Tharpe was the first great star of Gospel music, surfacing on the pop music charts in 1938. She remained popular through the 1940's, continuing to hit the charts and drawing tens of thousands of fans to see her perform live in venues across the United States. She lost the support of some of her church fans, now and then, when she performed in secular venues as well, as when she recorded songs not recognized as 'Christian'. The fans she lost were somewhat forgiving, as she remained true to her faith, for the most part, throughout her recording career which spanned the remainder of her life.

Although predominantly an American phenomenon, gospel music has spread throughout the world including to Australia with choirs such as The Elementals and Jonah & The Whalers and festivals such as the Australian Gospel Music Festival. Norway is home to the popular Oslo Gospel Choir and most importantly The Ansgar Gospel Choir. Gospel is also really popular in the province of Quebec, Canada, where important gospel choirs such as Montreal Jubilation Gospel Choir and Québec Celebration Gospel Choir are famous.

Black gospel

See Black gospel

White gospel

Often called country gospel to distinguish it from black gospel, white gospel music has followed a different trajectory during the past eighty years. Some of its roots are found in the publishing work and "normal schools" of Aldine S. Kieffer and Ephraim Ruebush. It was promoted by traveling singing school teachers, southern gospel quartets, and shape note music publishing companies such as the A. J. Showalter Company (1879), the James D. Vaughan Publishing Company and the Stamps-Baxter Music and Printing Company.

the south in the first decades of the twentieth century and that created new music, in addition to the traditional hymns of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, to accompany their new forms of worship.

Some early country gospel artists, such as The Carter Family, achieved wide popularity through their recordings and radio performances in the 1920s and 1930s. Others, such as Homer Rodeheaver, George Beverly Shea or Cliff Barrows, became well-known through their association with traveling evangelists such as Billy Sunday or Billy Graham.

The city of Hartford, Arkansas was for a time known as a center of Gospel publishing, being home to the Hartford Music Company, which employed the talents of Albert E. Brumley (composer of "I'll Fly Away") and E.M. Bartlett (composer of "Victory in Jesus").

Among the best known southern gospel performers are The Statesmen Quartet, The Blackwood Brothers, the Jordanaires, J.D. Sumner and the Stamps Quartet, the Oak Ridge Boys, The Happy Goodman Family, and The Cathedrals. As in the case of black gospel, the churchgoing audience for white gospel music has not always forgiven its stars, such as the Oak Ridge Boys, who have crossed over to pop music. Other traditional groups, such as The Imperials, helped lead the development of Contemporary Christian Music. In recent years, Southern Gospel Music has experienced a resurgence of popularity due to the success of Bill and Gloria Gaither's "Homecoming" series of videos, featuring many of the legends of SGM performing together with many currently popular groups, such as The Gaither Vocal Band, The Hoppers, and Ernie Haase & Signature Sound.

The Gospel Music Association is a major group of gospel artists who maintain a hall of fame covering all aspects of gospel music. The Southern Gospel Music Association (SGMA) focuses on Southern Gospel specifically and has a physical Hall of Fame and Museum located in the Dollywood theme park at Pigeon Forge, TN.

See also

• List of gospel musicians

gospel is enjoyed by many.

External links

• PRAYZEHYMN Online
• Quebec Celebration Gospel Choir
• NuthinButGospel.com
• Christian music news and interviews with Christian/Gospel artists, by Mark Weber
• Gospel Legend: Yolanda Adams/Myspace.com Fan page
• Free Gospel MIDI Songs
• Gospel Song Lyrics - Printer-friendly Gospel Lyrics
• The Gospel Musician's Resource
• The Official Gospel Music Encyclopedia
• Torontogospel.ca - Free Gospel Music - Listen Now!
• Gospel Music blog
• Gospel Music Association web site
• Gospel Music Channel web site
• Gospel Songs Lyrics
• God's Gospel
• Listen 2 Gospel Music Online
• ChristianBlues.net - Gospel Blues
• Christian Songwriter's Network
• Music Home Page
• James D. Vaughan Publishing and School of Music
• Handbook of Texas Online: Gospel Music
• Lyrics to Christian Songs and Christian Hymns
• Gaelic-gospel link is ‘academic racism’
• Lyrics to Gospel Songs
• Black Gospel song lyrics
• - Christian Gospel Rock Music
• black gospel music
• Gospel Rap & Hip Hop
• Gospel music radio stations
• Albert Brumley, Sr., Gospel Songs
• Gospel Today
• GOSPELflava News of the Gospel Music Industry
• The Struggling Church Musician
• Gaither Homecoming website
• Southern Gospel News
• AGQC Convention and Quartet Preservation
• Black Gospel Lyrics Ministry
• Contemporary Gospel Music

Further reading

• Darden, Robert,People Get Ready: A New History of Black Gospel Music Continuum International Publishing Group, 2005, ISBN 0-826-41752-3.

• Boyer, Horace Clarence,How Sweet the Sound: The Golden Age of Gospel Elliott and Clark, 1995, ISBN 0-252-06877-7.

• Heilbut, Tony, The Gospel Sound: Good News and Bad Times Limelight Editions, 1997, ISBN 0-87910-034-6.

• Albert E Brumley & Sons, The Best of Albert E Brumley, Gospel Songs, 1966, ISBN na-paperback