"Praise God (The Doxology)" (1968)- The Roberta Martin Singers

[Reneesaskia]

Why did Roberta Martin died so young?

[mrtheoneandonly83]

@Reneesaskia she died due to ill health.

[Reneesaskia]

@mrtheoneandonly83 Thank you for your info. It is always difficult to say if someone is blessed when he or she lives long, or if someone is blessed when he or she is called home early.

[willthebest1]

black people with soul!!!!!!!!!! nice

[direfranchement]

I am loving that dark piano introduction!!!

[jddrew1000]

Is Lucy Smith Collier still alive?

[JayEm86]

@jddrew1000, yes. She's about 82 or 84 now, but her health isn't good at all. She had a major stroke in the 1970s and had to stop playing the piano and organ, but she kept singing until a few years ago. I'm told she's now bedridden and has dementia.

[PrettyVillan]

@jddrew1000 She passed recently.

[jddrew1000]

@PrettyVillan When?

I heard she's still alive

[JayEm86]

@jddrew1000, she died September 19th. The funeral's going to be October 2nd at Woodlawn AME in Chicago.

[jddrew1000]

@JayEm86 Wow, Im sorry to hear that. So only Romance Watson and Delois Barrett Campbell are still alive.

[JayEm86]

@jddrew1000, there are a few more, lesser known Roberta Martin Singers who are still alive like Ann Yancey (she didn't record with them), Harold Johnson and Catherine Austin. I heard that Della Reese would sing with them when they'd come up to Detroit, so you can count her as a Roberta Martin Singer if you want to.

[jddrew1000]

@JayEm86 Wow that's good to know. I was just reading a comment on Harold Johnson. Catherine Austin is still alive, that's right.

Dang youre good.

[JayEm86]

@jddrew1000, oh, I almost forgot, they tell me that Louise McCord is still alive and living in Detroit.

[jddrew1000]

@JayEm86 Once again, youre good. Louise McCord is still living

[zivaray]

At this time, wasn't Roberta Martin ill. Her last recording with the group. CLASSIC MUSIC!

[JayEm86]

@zivaray, yes. Roberta had been ill for some years before this recording, in fact I think she was ill on the album before this one. She had pretty much ceased from touring with the group as well. She was able to make it into the studio one last time and died a few months after this LP was recorded. She was literally the person holding the group together. After she died, the Roberta Martin Singers tried to continue with Lucy Smith at the helm, but fizzled out by 1971.

[gailowino]

The guy singing this sounds an awful lot like Rev. James Cleveland!

[cute773]

who is the lady that narrator the song ..? I hear it on the radio all the time ..

[MKD825]

Our church sings this version (slightly more uptempo) every Sunday right after offering is collected.

[vocalvessel]

I hear my cousin Delois!

[Darneloh]

Joseph I like that pic of the RMS they look so relaxed.

[DaSourcespr06]

Loving the post! And the picture..I know who the men are, but who are the 2 ladies I wonder?

[JayEm86]

That's "Little Lucy" Smith in the front, and Gloria Griffin is in the row behind her. I thought it was odd to have a RMS photo without Roberta, but I don't think she traveled much with them by that time. Since this was a promo photo taken on a trip, she of course wouldn't be in it. Roberta had also given musical control of the group to Lucy so that's why Lucy's all front and center.

[kbolden07]

JayEm86 tell me this, on what recordings did Roberta leave the piano and Lucy leave the organ and go to the piano? I am a fan of both of their styles. I know that Lucy has a more embellished style than Roberta subdued style of playing. I know Lucy is on piano on this but, then who's on the organ? But I just would like to know some instrumental facts before I start lying to people....LOL!

[JayEm86]

According to the Hayes and Laughton, the first time that Roberta turned the piano over to Lucy during a recording session was on April 17, 1959. In 1963, Lucy took over the piano playing duties again for their live album and for all subsequent recording sessions. There are no entries for the organist for those times when Lucy was on the piano except for the 1966 session which lists Rev. W.J. Long as their organist. My educated guess for the unlisted organist would be Robert Banks.

[kbolden07]

Thanks so very much I could tell the difference in their piano playing but wasn't 100% sure.

[DaSourcespr06]

I am seeing that this was taken in Spoletto Italy, did Roberta not accompany them to the Spoleto Festival of Two Worlds? I know in every bio of her, it is mentioned, thats why I ask.

[JayEm86]

I don't believe Roberta accompanied them. I remember reading that Roberta never traveled on an airplane, and by then airplanes were the only way to travel to Europe from America.

[kbolden07]

This is a good repost, I'm in love with it.