What most people would identify today as "Gospel" began very differently 85 years ago. The Gospel music that Thomas A. Dorsey, Sallie Martin, Dr. Mattie Moss Clark, Willie Mae Ford Smith and other pioneers popularized had its roots in the more freewheeling forms of religious devotion of "Sanctified" or "Holiness" churches — sometimes called "holy rollers" by other denominations — who encouraged individual church members to "testify," speaking or singing spontaneously about their faith and experience of the Holy Ghost and "Getting Happy," sometimes while dancing in celebration. In the 1920s Sanctified artists, such as Arizona Dranes, many of whom were also traveling preachers, started making records in a style that melded traditional religious themes with barrelhouse, blues and boogie-woogie techniques and brought jazz instruments, such as drums and horns, into the church. It is also important to note that gospel music is not just a form of music. It is an intricate part of the religious experience for many churchgoers.
Gospel and rhythm & blues are deeply rooted in the Sanctified church. Blues and R&B departed onto the secular world paths and then led to rock and roll. Gospel on the other hand remained on a strong spiritual path and has survived for many years. Gospel music sheds an undeniable influence on R&B and rock and roll.
Thomas Dorsey stretched the boundaries in his day to create great gospel music, choirs, and quartets. Talented vocalists have been singing these songs far beyond Dorsey's expectations. The method, dynamics and power behind the songs are different, but God's message is delivered each and every time.
Dorsey, who had once composed for and played piano behind blues giants Tampa Red, Ma Rainey and Bessie Smith, worked hard to develop this new music, organizing an annual convention for gospel artists, touring with Martin to sell sheet music and gradually overcoming the resistance of more conservative churches to what many of them considered sinful, worldly music. Combining the sixteen bar structure and blues modes and rhythms with religious lyrics, Dorsey's compositions opened up possibilities for innovative singers such as Sister Rosetta Tharpe to apply their very individual talents to his songs, while inspiring church members to "shout" — either to call out catch phrases or to add musical lines of their own in response to the singers.
This looser style affected other black religious musical styles as well. The most popular groups in the 1930s were male quartets or small groups such as The Golden Gate Quartet, who sang, usually unaccompanied, in jubilee style, mixing careful harmonies, melodious singing, playful syncopation and sophisticated arrangements to produce a fresh, experimental style far removed from the more somber hymn-singing. These groups also absorbed popular sounds from pop groups such as The Mills Brothers and produced songs that mixed conventional religious themes, humor and social and political commentary. They began to show more and more influence from gospel as they incorporated the new music into their repertoire.
In the 1930s gospel music of the civil rights movement was referred to as the Black Gospel period because this was the most prosperous era for gospel music. The message of many of the civil rights activist was supported by the message gospel music was putting forth.
Oleta Adams
Yolanda Adams
Rance Allen
Vanessa Bell Armstrong
Michael Brooks
Kim Burrell
Byron Cage
Kurt Carr
Alvin Chea
The Clark Sisters
Cheryl "Coko" Clemons
Marcus Cole
Commissioned
Andrae Crouch
Sandra Crouch
Montrell Darrett
The Davis Sisters
Cedric Dent
Thomas A. Dorsey
Kirk Franklin
Aretha Franklin
Cassietta George
Amy Grant
Al Green
Deitrick Haddon
Danniebelle Hall
Fred Hammond
Edwin Hawkins
Tramaine Hawkins
Walter Hawkins
Israel Houghton
Mahalia Jackson
Blind Willie Johnson
Mitchell Jones
John P. Kee
Joey Kibble
Karima Kibble
Mark Kibble
Dorothy Love Coates
Donald Lawrence
Heather Martin
Mary Mary
Donnie McClurkin
Claude V. McKnight III
Roberta Martin
Men of Standard
Mighty Clouds of Joy
Mississippi Mass Choir
J. Moss
William H. Murphy
Karl Reid
Ron Kenoly
Marvin Sapp
Karen Clark Sheard
Kierra "Kiki" Sheard
The Soul Stirrers
Sounds of Blackness
Richard Smallwood
The Staple Singers
Keith Staten
Candi Staton
Ruben Studdard
Take 6
Sister Rosetta Tharpe
Tonéx
Trin-i-tee 5:7
Tye Tribbett
Hezekiah Walker
Albertina Walker
Clara Ward
Mervyn Warren
Dionne Warwick
Thomas Whitfield
Marion Williams
Michelle Williams
The Winans Family
The Winans
BeBe & CeCe Winans
BeBe Winans
CeCe Winans
Mario Winans
Marvin Winans
Ron Winans
Vickie Winans
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The First Family, After the Hawkins (smile)
cedric14mike 7 months ago
I DIDN't KNOW THE WINANS opened the door for BEBE AND CECE!! i never took time to think about that... I THOUGHT it was the other way around!
Jemone4u 1 year ago
God Bless the Winans!!! I love the Winans!!
by1faith73 1 year ago
NICE
pushupful 1 year ago
God Bless the Winans! keep making uplifting music.
Mrsbrin 2 years ago
I love the Winans ministry! God has gifted them tremendously in music!
estherspirit 2 years ago 2
the winans are the best
ashleyloveshistory84 3 years ago
What a blessing. I've followed the Winans since their beginning.
estherspirit 3 years ago
i love the winans
simdrummer2 3 years ago