R.I.P. Lucille Barbee

The Golden Era Gospel Blog received word earlier today that Sister Lucille Barbee of Nashville, TN has passed on. It was further verified on the obitiuaries page of "The Tennessean", which can be found here:
Lucille Barbee's Obituary

Sister Barbee passed away on September 21, 2009. Sister Barbee made her first recordings in 1952 as a solo artist and began recording with Rev. Morgan Babb and the Radio Four in 1953. Sister Barbee continued to record into the 1960s with labels such as Nashboro, Tennessee, and Republic. After her recording career, Sister was a DJ with WVOL-AM in Nashville. Most recently, she hosted the "Lucille Barbee and the Gospel Train Program" on Sunday mornings.

In 2009, we have seen that a lot of the old soldiers who toiled up and down the gospel highway during the golden era are going on home. This year alone, singers such as Madame Marie Knight, Eugene Smith (The Roberta Martin Singers), Mildred Howard (The Gospel Harmonettes), and historian Horace Clarence Boyer (The Boyer Brothers) have gone on to their rest. Many of them are only getting the recognition they rightly deserved only in death. For those traiblazers who are still with us today, let us try to honor them while they are still here. As The Consolers said in the 1950s, "give me my flowers while I yet live." So, lets give them their flowers while they yet live.

Here is a video presentation I posted of a recording of Sister Barbee singing with the Radio Four dating from 1960.
Sister Lucille Barbee and the Radio Four, "Let The Church Roll On" (1960)

UPDATE:
Here is information regarding the service for Sister Barbee.
Family visitation Saturday, September 26, 2009 from 10 a.m. - 11 a.m., Mt. Calvary Missionary Baptist Church, 2448 Herman St., funeral to follow with Minister LaSundra Jones officiating; Pastor Tina Reed, Eulogist; Pastor Percy J. Clark, Pastor. Interment Greenwood "Main" Cemetery. HENRY LOUIS SMITH FUNERAL DIRECTORS, 1503 Buchanan St., (615) 244-5044; Henry L. Smith and Edward C. Hatch, Directors.
You may leave condolences at her online obituary by clicking HERE.

Welcome to the Golden Era Gospel Blog

Greetings!

Welcome to the Golden Era Gospel Blog. If you've found yourself here, you probably have an interest in black gospel music from the time period known as the Golden Era, which is roughly 1945-1965. This period produced many of the most hard working, charismatic, showstopping singers and groups in the genre including The Soul Stirrers, The Mighty Clouds of Joy, Madame Edna Gallmon Cooke, Mahalia Jackson, Clara Ward and the Ward Singers, James Cleveland, The Caravans, The Roberta Martin Singers, Professor Alex Bradford, and The Davis Sisters. That's just a small list of the singers and groups from that era. The intention of this blog is to educate people on this often neglected subject. In the near future, I hope to have interviews, news, videos, and other pertinent information posted to this blog.