I've been home for a few months, but the Chicago Gospel Tour continues!
Here's a photo (courtesy of Bob Marovich) of Mahalia Jackson's first Chicago house, located at 3250 S. Prairie.
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
The Chicago Gospel Tour continues! Somewhat....
I've been home for a few months, but the Chicago Gospel Tour continues!
Here's a photo (courtesy of Bob Marovich) of Mahalia Jackson's first Chicago house, located at 3250 S. Prairie.
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
Nominate The Golden Era Gospel Blog for the 2010 Black Weblogs Award!
On June 1, 2010, nominations began for the 2010 Black Weblog Awards. The Black Weblog Awards started in 2005 as a way to honor and showcase Black bloggers and their blogs, both of which have generally been overlooked by mainstream Internet awards. Submissions for nominations can be sent in through July 25, 2010. Finalists will be announced on August 1, 2010, and voting for finalists will end on August 31, 2010. The winners will be announced on September 1, 2010.
Of the 35 categories listed, I'm certain that my blog is eligible for nomination in the following five categories.
1. Best Culture Blog
This category is for blogs which analyze and discuss Black culture and/or the African diaspora with respect to art, dance, Black history, music, and other related content.
2. Best Faith-Based Blog
This category is for blogs which feature unique religious and spiritual content from any religion or faith.
3. Best Music Blog
This category is for blogs that focus on music; blogs can provide downloadable mp3s, and may cover more than one genre of music. The majority of the blog should be about music, not satire on pop culture.
4. Best New Blog
This category is for blogs of any topic which have been started on or after September 1, 2009. (Just for the record, this blog was started on September 23, 2009.)
5. Blog to Watch
This category is for that great blog that not everyone knows about…but should! It’s undiscovered. It’s a best kept secret. (Although it won’t be anymore if they win this award!)
A reader notified me that they nominated this blog for a sixth category for Best Writing in a Blog. If you believe the material on this blog is well written based on the overall posts, you can go ahead a nominate it in the following category.
6. Best Writing in a Blog
This category is for blogs which have exceptional writing.
A blog can be nominated in more than one category, so you can nominate this blog in just one, or all six of the categories listed above. You can nominate this blog by clicking on the 2010 Black Weblogs Award icon in the upper right hand corner of this page, or by clicking on this link:
2010 Black Weblog Awards Nomination Form
It will ask you for the URL of the blog you wish to nominate, so remember, this blog's URL is http://goldeneragospel.blogspot.com/
So, why not take a few minutes and help out by nominating this blog?
Thanks!
Of the 35 categories listed, I'm certain that my blog is eligible for nomination in the following five categories.
1. Best Culture Blog
This category is for blogs which analyze and discuss Black culture and/or the African diaspora with respect to art, dance, Black history, music, and other related content.
2. Best Faith-Based Blog
This category is for blogs which feature unique religious and spiritual content from any religion or faith.
3. Best Music Blog
This category is for blogs that focus on music; blogs can provide downloadable mp3s, and may cover more than one genre of music. The majority of the blog should be about music, not satire on pop culture.
4. Best New Blog
This category is for blogs of any topic which have been started on or after September 1, 2009. (Just for the record, this blog was started on September 23, 2009.)
5. Blog to Watch
This category is for that great blog that not everyone knows about…but should! It’s undiscovered. It’s a best kept secret. (Although it won’t be anymore if they win this award!)
A reader notified me that they nominated this blog for a sixth category for Best Writing in a Blog. If you believe the material on this blog is well written based on the overall posts, you can go ahead a nominate it in the following category.
6. Best Writing in a Blog
This category is for blogs which have exceptional writing.
A blog can be nominated in more than one category, so you can nominate this blog in just one, or all six of the categories listed above. You can nominate this blog by clicking on the 2010 Black Weblogs Award icon in the upper right hand corner of this page, or by clicking on this link:
2010 Black Weblog Awards Nomination Form
It will ask you for the URL of the blog you wish to nominate, so remember, this blog's URL is http://goldeneragospel.blogspot.com/
So, why not take a few minutes and help out by nominating this blog?
Thanks!
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Alberta Bradford (1942-2010)
The month-long lull in reporting golden era gospel related news on this blog has ended, although the ending has come with sadness. Another legend has gone on home to Glory. Alberta Bradford, pianist for The Alex Bradford Singers and Stars of Faith, singer, stage actress, minister of music, and widow of gospel legend Professor Alex Bradford passed away on Friday, May 21, 2010. Homegoing services will be held on Friday, May 28, 2010 at Jones Tabernacle Baptist Church. 2100 W. Baltimore Ave., Baltimore, MD. Visitation/viewing will be from 9-11am, and the Homegoing service will begin at 11AM.
Here is a tribute to Mrs. Bradford created by Dwayne "Rowoches" Lightsey.
Monday, May 24, 2010
Hey! Where are the updates?
By: Joseph Middleton
After the numerous posts I made in April (a blog record), it would probably appear to you that this blog has taken a vacation! That would be wishful thinking. I guess you can say that I'm on hiatus. Things seem to be pretty quiet for now on the Golden Era Gospel front compared to the whirlwind we had in April. As usual, I do hope to have some things of interest to post in the near future.
On the other hand, others are doing some things of interest. For example, if you remember my Chicago Gospel Landmarks tour, my tour guide and friend of the blog, Bob Marovich, embarked on a similar tour this month in none other than the Crescent City itself, The Big Easy. New Orleans, that is. Bob was able to see the (now gentrified) neighborhood in which Mahalia Jackson grew up, and took some photos. So turn on your favorite Mahalia songs and take a look at his pictures.
Mahalia Jackson's Neighborhood in New Orleans
After the numerous posts I made in April (a blog record), it would probably appear to you that this blog has taken a vacation! That would be wishful thinking. I guess you can say that I'm on hiatus. Things seem to be pretty quiet for now on the Golden Era Gospel front compared to the whirlwind we had in April. As usual, I do hope to have some things of interest to post in the near future.
On the other hand, others are doing some things of interest. For example, if you remember my Chicago Gospel Landmarks tour, my tour guide and friend of the blog, Bob Marovich, embarked on a similar tour this month in none other than the Crescent City itself, The Big Easy. New Orleans, that is. Bob was able to see the (now gentrified) neighborhood in which Mahalia Jackson grew up, and took some photos. So turn on your favorite Mahalia songs and take a look at his pictures.
Mahalia Jackson's Neighborhood in New Orleans
Friday, April 30, 2010
A Chicago Golden Era Gospel Tour!
By: Joseph Middleton
In early April 2010, I was blessed with a trip to Chicago. While there, I knew I just had to go to some of the old landmarks (pun intended) of Golden Era Gospel. After all, Chicago is where traditional black gospel music got its start, and continues to be a hotbed for gospel artists today. I was so glad when Chicago based Gospel Historian, Bob Marovich of The Black Gospel Blog took me and my family on a great tour of Chicago's gospel landmarks, as well as other prominent landmarks such as the site of Chess Records, Greektown and Harpo Studios just to name a few. Here are a few photos from Bob's superb gospel tour!
Note: If you are having problems viewing the photos as-is, please click on them to get a better view.
This is a sad sight to behold, the gutted skeleton of the fire ravaged Pilgrim Baptist Church. For decades, Thomas A. Dorsey was the musical director at this church.
This is the home in which Roberta Martin lived during the 1940s. It was in this house that she married Rev. James Austin. Rev. Austin was also the father of Lucy Matthews Collier, aka: Little Lucy Smith. Lucy joined The Roberta Martin Singers in 1949 and served not only as a soprano vocalist, but as an organist on most of their recordings from 1949 to 1962, and took over Roberta's duties as pianist and musical director from 1963 to 1970 (though Lucy was playing the piano in recording sessions as early as 1959).
This was Roberta Martin's home located in Hyde Park. She lived there from the 1950s until her death in 1969. It was (and still is) a grand home.
The First Church of Deliverance is particularly important for a few reasons. In the 1930s, it was the first church to introduce the now ubiquitous Hammond B3 organ to gospel music, and in 1934 became the second black church to have a radio broadcast, which still airs to this day.
Mt. Pisgah was where Roberta Martin served as the musical director. After her death, Lucy Collier and Willie Webb took over the position. Mt. Pisgah was also where Rev. James Cleveland recorded an album in 1981 with the Chicago GWMA Mass Choir, and reunited members of The Caravans and The Roberta Martin Singers to record a few tracks and go down "old school boulevard".
This is Metropolitan Apostolic Community Church, where many gospel artists held programs. And right next door is another building of importance, which you'll see in the photo below.
If Rev. Stanley Keeble gets his wish, later this year, this building will serve as the home of the Chicago Gospel Museum
Once again, THANK YOU Bob Marovich for the tour!
In early April 2010, I was blessed with a trip to Chicago. While there, I knew I just had to go to some of the old landmarks (pun intended) of Golden Era Gospel. After all, Chicago is where traditional black gospel music got its start, and continues to be a hotbed for gospel artists today. I was so glad when Chicago based Gospel Historian, Bob Marovich of The Black Gospel Blog took me and my family on a great tour of Chicago's gospel landmarks, as well as other prominent landmarks such as the site of Chess Records, Greektown and Harpo Studios just to name a few. Here are a few photos from Bob's superb gospel tour!
Note: If you are having problems viewing the photos as-is, please click on them to get a better view.
This is a sad sight to behold, the gutted skeleton of the fire ravaged Pilgrim Baptist Church. For decades, Thomas A. Dorsey was the musical director at this church.
This is the home in which Roberta Martin lived during the 1940s. It was in this house that she married Rev. James Austin. Rev. Austin was also the father of Lucy Matthews Collier, aka: Little Lucy Smith. Lucy joined The Roberta Martin Singers in 1949 and served not only as a soprano vocalist, but as an organist on most of their recordings from 1949 to 1962, and took over Roberta's duties as pianist and musical director from 1963 to 1970 (though Lucy was playing the piano in recording sessions as early as 1959).
This was Roberta Martin's home located in Hyde Park. She lived there from the 1950s until her death in 1969. It was (and still is) a grand home.
The First Church of Deliverance is particularly important for a few reasons. In the 1930s, it was the first church to introduce the now ubiquitous Hammond B3 organ to gospel music, and in 1934 became the second black church to have a radio broadcast, which still airs to this day.
Mt. Pisgah was where Roberta Martin served as the musical director. After her death, Lucy Collier and Willie Webb took over the position. Mt. Pisgah was also where Rev. James Cleveland recorded an album in 1981 with the Chicago GWMA Mass Choir, and reunited members of The Caravans and The Roberta Martin Singers to record a few tracks and go down "old school boulevard".
This is Metropolitan Apostolic Community Church, where many gospel artists held programs. And right next door is another building of importance, which you'll see in the photo below.
If Rev. Stanley Keeble gets his wish, later this year, this building will serve as the home of the Chicago Gospel Museum
Once again, THANK YOU Bob Marovich for the tour!
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Happy Birthday to the late gospel greats, Clara Ward and Eugene Smith!
April 21st and April 22nd would have been the birthdays of Clara Ward of the Ward Singers and Eugene Smith of the Roberta Martin Singers. Clara Ward, who died in 1973 would have turned 86 on the 21st and Eugene Smith, who died slightly less than a year ago would have turned 89 on the 22nd.
So why not honor their memories by listening to a song featuring them? Here's a few videos featuring either Clara Ward or Eugene Smith.
1. Faith Moves Mountains- The Clara Ward Singers
2. Surely God is Able- The Clara Ward Singers
3. The Clara Ward Singers on The Flip Wilson Show
4. Sealed Til' The Day of Redemption- Eugene Smith with the Roberta Martin Singers
5. Since He Lightened My Heavy Load- Eugene Smith with the Roberta Martin Singers
6. Walk in Jerusalem- Eugene Smith with the Roberta Martin Singers
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
An update on "O Johneron Davis, Where Art Thou?"
You may recall my blog post on December 20, 2009 requesting information on Johneron Davis, a former member of The Caravans who unfortunately does not have much info available about her or her life. Since December 20, I have spoken with two members of The Caravans and I was able to learn a small bit of useful information. I learned that she passed away sometime in the 1970s from cancer at a relatively young age. I wasn't able to learn any more information besides that.
Well, part of my question has been answered. I'm still seeking more information such as exact birth and death dates, where she lived, if she had a family and what other groups (if any) she sang with. If you can help out with additional information, please let me know in the comments section of this posting.
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