46-405: The Staple Singers were an American gospel , soul , and R&B singing group. Roebuck "Pops" Staples (December 28, 1914 – December 19, 2000), the patriarch of the family, formed the group with his children Cleotha (April 11, 1934 – February 21, 2013), Pervis (November 18, 1935 – May 6, 2021), and Mavis (b. July 10, 1939). Yvonne (October 23, 1937 – April 10, 2018) replaced her brother when he
92-688: A Celtic flair, and is popular in countries such as Ireland. British black gospel refers to Gospel music of the African diaspora produced in the United Kingdom. According to Yale University music professor Willie Ruff, the singing of psalms in Scottish Gaelic by Presbyterians of the Scottish Hebrides evolved from " lining out "—where one person sang a solo and others followed—into the call and response of gospel music of
138-554: A Martin Luther King sermon in the track "MLK Song". Yvonne Staples died on April 10, 2018, at the age of 80. Pervis Staples died suddenly in his home in Dolton, Illinois, on May 6, 2021, at the age of 85, leaving Mavis as the band's last surviving member. The 2015 documentary film Mavis! recounts the history of The Staple Singers and follows Mavis Staples 's solo career after Pops Staples's death. Directed by Jessica Edwards ,
184-427: A decade. Mavis Staples has continued to carry on the family tradition and continues to add her vocal talents to both the projects of other artists and her own solo ventures. In 2022, she released Carry Me Home , a collaboration with Levon Helm , recorded at Helm's Midnight Ramble in 2011. She appeared at Glastonbury in 2015 and 2019, and her 2016 album Livin' on a High Note includes a simple acoustic version of
230-683: A fact that was commemorated in Albert E. Brumley 's 1937 song, "Turn Your Radio On" (which is still being published in gospel song books). (In 1972, a recording of " Turn Your Radio On " by the Lewis Family was nominated for Gospel Song of the Year .) The Soul Stirrers introduced R.H. Harris, Sam Cooke, and Johnnie Taylor. Sensational Nightingales , Swan Silvertones, the Soul Stirrers, The Blind Boys of Alabama, Five Blind Boys of Mississippi and
276-443: A few, began recording music that had this positive Christian country flair. These mainstream artists have now become award winners in this genre. Some proponents of "standard" hymns generally dislike gospel music of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, believing that it emphasizes emotion over doctrine. For example, Patrick and Sydnor complain that commercial success led to a proliferation of such music, and "deterioration, even in
322-496: A form of musical devotion worldwide. Southern afroamerican gospel groups used all–male, tenor – lead – baritone – bass quartets. Sensational Nightingales , the Soul Stirrers, Swan Silvertones and the Dixie Hummingbirds were famous gospel groups. Christian country music , sometimes referred to as country gospel music, is a subgenre of gospel music with a country flair. Celtic gospel music infuses gospel music with
368-523: A more funk and soul direction. "For most of this decade, Roebuck Staples—born December 28, 1914, about One Year & two weeks after Frank Sinatra —has been the oldest performer with direct access to the hit parade by some twenty-five years, so here's your chance to mind your elders. It's Mavis 's lowdown, occasionally undefined growl that dominates, of course; you should hear how secular she gets with an O. V. Wright blues that got buried on The Staple Swingers . But Pops's unassuming moralism sets
414-416: A number of quotations similar to the complaints of Patrick and Sydnor. However, he also provided this quotation: "Gospel hymnody has the distinction of being America's most typical contribution to Christian song. As such, it is valid in its inspiration and in its employment." Today, with historical distance, there is a greater acceptance of such gospel songs into official denominational hymnals. For example,
460-495: A songbook entitled Gospel Songs. A Choice Collection of Hymns and Tunes . It was used to describe a new style of church music, songs that were easy to grasp and more easily singable than the traditional church hymns , which came out of the mass revival movement starting with Dwight L. Moody , whose musician was Ira D. Sankey , as well as the Holiness – Pentecostal movement. Prior to the meeting of Moody and Sankey in 1870, there
506-405: A standard which to begin with was not high, resulted." They went on to say, "there is no doubt that a deterioration in taste follows the use of this type of hymn and tune; it fosters an attachment to the trivial and sensational which dulls and often destroys sense of the dignity and beauty which best befit the song that is used in the service of God." Gold reviewed the issue in 1958, and collected
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#1732783078947552-564: Is a subgenre of gospel music with a country flair, is also known as inspirational country. Webb Pierce, the Oak Ridge Boys and Granpa Jones recorded Christian country music records. Christian country over the years has progressed into a mainstream country sound with inspirational or positive country lyrics. In the mid–1990s, Christian country hit its highest popularity. This popularity was such that mainstream artists like Larry Gatlin , Charlie Daniels and Barbara Mandrell , just to name
598-400: Is a traditional genre of Christian music and a cornerstone of Christian media . The creation, performance, significance, and even the definition of gospel music varies according to culture and social context. Gospel music is composed and performed for many purposes, including aesthetic pleasure, religious or ceremonial purposes, and as an entertainment product for the marketplace. Gospel music
644-429: Is characterized by dominant vocals and strong use of harmony with Christian lyrics. Gospel music can be traced to the early 17th century. Hymns and sacred songs were often performed in a call and response fashion, heavily influenced by ancestral African music. Most of the churches relied on hand–clapping and foot–stomping as rhythmic accompaniment. Most of the singing was done a cappella . The first published use of
690-823: Is the most well–known form, often seen in Black churches, non–Black Pentecostal and evangelical churches, and in entertainment spaces across the country and world. It originates from the Southeastern United States ("the South"), where most Black Americans lived prior to the Great Migration . This music was highly influenced by the hymnody of the spirituals and of Watts and, later, the musical style and vision of Dorsey. Whereas northern Black churches did not at first welcome Dorsey's music (having become accustomed to their own more Eurocentric flavorings), after
736-501: The Anglican Church . Starting out as lyrics only, it took decades for standardized tunes to be added to them. Although not directly connected with African–American gospel music, they were adopted by African–Americans as well as white Americans, and Newton's connection with the abolition movement provided cross–fertilization. The first published use of the term "Gospel song" probably appeared in 1874 when Philip Bliss released
782-594: The Billboard Hot 100. Both hits sold over one million copies and were each awarded a gold disc by the Recording Industry Association of America . The song's theme of self-empowerment had universal appeal, released in the period immediately following the intense American civil rights movement of the 1960s. In 1972, " I'll Take You There " topped both Billboard charts. In 1973, " If You're Ready (Come Go With Me) " reached number 9 on
828-655: The Gospel Music Workshop of America , a Black gospel outlet. Late 20th–century musicians such as Elvis Presley , Jerry Lee Lewis , and the Blackwood Brothers were also known for their gospel influences and recordings. Urban contemporary gospel emerged in the late 1960s and early 70s with Edwin Hawkis Singers highly popular "Oh Happy Day" which is still performed worldwide in the 2000s. Artists such as James Cleveland, Aretha Franklin,
874-655: The United Methodist Church made this acceptance explicit in The Faith We Sing , a 2000 supplement to the official denominational hymnal. In the preface, the editors say, "Experience has shown that some older treasures were missed when the current hymnals were compiled." Heavy Makes You Happy (Sha-Na-Boom-Boom) Too Many Requests If you report this error to the Wikimedia System Administrators, please include
920-406: The 1920s greatly increased the audience for gospel music, and James D. Vaughan used radio as an integral part of his business model, which also included traveling quartets to publicize the gospel music books he published several times a year. Virgil O. Stamps and Jesse R. Baxter studied Vaughan's business model and by the late 1920s were running heavy competition for Vaughan. The 1920s also saw
966-470: The 1960s. It has evolved over the years into a popular form of music across the United States and overseas, especially among baby boomers and those living in the South. Like other forms of music the creation, performance, significance, and even the definition of southern gospel varies according to culture and social context. Christian country music , sometimes referred to as country gospel music,
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#17327830789471012-445: The 70s and 80s, Urban Contemporary gospel is the most common form of recorded gospel music today. It relies heavily on rhythms and instrumentation common in the secular music of the contemporary era (often including the use of electronic beats), while still incorporating the themes and heritage of the traditional Black gospel genre. Kirk Franklin is the foremost (and by far the bestselling) individual in this genre, while Andrae Crouch,
1058-568: The American South. Another theory notes foundations in the works of Isaac Watts and others. Moreover, the genre arose during a time when literacy was not a guarantee, utilizing a great deal of repetition (which, unlike more traditional hymns, allowed those who could not read the opportunity to participate). Perhaps the most famous gospel–based hymns were composed in the 1760s and 1770s by English writers John Newton (" Amazing Grace ") and Augustus Toplady ("Rock of Ages"), members of
1104-594: The Clark Sisters , Mary Mary , and Yolanda Adams are also very popular and noteworthy. British black gospel refers to gospel music of the African diaspora in the UK. It is also often referred to as "UK gospel". The distinctive sound is heavily influenced by UK street culture with many artists from the African and Caribbean majority black churches in the UK. The genre has gained recognition in various awards such as
1150-479: The Clark Sisters, and Andraé Crouch followed them. And this pattern would repeat itself in subsequent decades, with new artists like Yolanda Adams and Kirk Franklin making increasingly more bold forays into the secular world with their musical stylings. The current sphere of Black gospel recording artists is almost exclusively of the urban contemporary bent. Also of note is the rise of Christian (or gospel) rap/hip–hop , which has gained increasing popularity since
1196-647: The Dixie Hummingbirds were popular in afroamerican gospel fans. In 1964, the Gospel Music Association was established, which in turn began the Dove Awards (in 1969) and the Gospel Music Hall of Fame (in 1972). Both of the latter two groups began primarily for Southern gospel performers, but in the late 1970s, began including artists of other subgenres, which brought in many Black artists. Also in 1969, James Cleveland established
1242-583: The GEM (Gospel Entertainment Music) Awards, MOBO Awards , Urban Music Awards and has its own Official Christian & Gospel Albums Chart . Southern gospel music comes from the Southeastern United States and is similar in sound to Christian country music, but it sometimes known as "quartet music" for its traditional "four men and a piano" set up. The genre, while remaining predominantly White, began to integrate Black gospel stylings in
1288-501: The Hot 100 and number one on the R&;B chart. After Stax's 1975 bankruptcy, The Staple Singers signed to Curtis Mayfield 's label, Curtom Records , and released " Let's Do It Again ", produced by Mayfield; the song became their second number-one pop hit in the U.S., and the album was also successful. In 1976, they collaborated with The Band for their film The Last Waltz , performing on
1334-610: The Southern migrants' new churches became more popular, so did gospel music, gospel choirs, and the general trend toward exclusive use of this music in Black churches. Dorsey, Whitney Houston, Mahalia Jackson, the Mississippi Mass Choir , and the Georgia Mass Choir are but a few notable examples. Developing out of the fusion of traditional Black gospel with the styles of secular Black music popular in
1380-522: The Staple Singers signed to Stax Records and released two albums with Steve Cropper — Soul Folk in Action and We'll Get Over , Pervis returning for them. After Cropper left Stax, Al Bell produced their recordings, conducting the rhythm sessions at the famed Muscle Shoals Sound Studio and cutting the overdubs himself with engineer/musician Terry Manning at Memphis's Ardent Studios , moving in
1426-569: The best–known popular music variant. The styles emerged from the African-American music and American folk music traditions and have evolved in various ways over the years, continuing to form the basis of Black church worship even today. It has also come to be used in churches of various other cultural traditions (especially within Pentecostalism ) and, via the gospel choir phenomenon spearheaded by Thomas Dorsey , has become
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1472-624: The days of the Gospel Gangstaz and The Cross Movement . Often considered a subgenre of urban contemporary gospel, Christian rap has become dominated in present times by artists from Reach Records , who have seen perhaps the most commercial success of any artists in the gospel genre; Lecrae (the label's founder and preeminent artist) has charted in the top 10 of on the Billboard 200 three times, with his 2014 album "Anomaly" debuting at No. 1. See also: Traditional Black gospel music
1518-772: The film premiered at the 2015 South by Southwest Film Festival and was broadcast by HBO in February 2016. The Staple Singers were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1999 and the Gospel Music Hall of Fame in 2018. They were also honored with a marker on the Mississippi Blues Trail in Drew, Mississippi. In 2005, the group was awarded the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award . Source: Gospel music Gospel music
1564-494: The first great gospel recording artist. The first person to introduce ragtime to gospel (and the first to play piano on a gospel recording) was Arizona Dranes . The 1930s saw the rise of Black gospel quartets such as the Five Blind Boys of Mississippi and the Five Blind Boys of Alabama . In addition to these high–profile quartets, there were many Black gospel musicians performing in the 1920s and 30s, usually playing
1610-725: The guitar and singing in the streets of Southern cities. In the 1930s, in Chicago, Thomas A. Dorsey turned to gospel music, establishing a publishing house. It has been said that 1930 was the year traditional black gospel music began, as the National Baptist Convention first publicly endorsed the music at its 1930 meeting. Dorsey was responsible for developing the musical careers of many African–American artists, such as Mahalia Jackson (best known for her rendition of his " Precious Lord, Take My Hand "). Meanwhile, radio continued to develop an audience for gospel music,
1656-574: The marketing of gospel records by groups such as the Carter Family . The Pentecostal movement quickly made inroads with churches not attuned to the Europeanized Black church music that had become popular over the years since Emancipation. These congregations readily adopted and contributed to the gospel music publications of the early 20th century. Sister Rosetta Tharpe , pioneer of rock and roll , soon emerged from this tradition as
1702-460: The openness of rural churches to this type of music (in spite of its initial use in city revivals) led to the late 19th and early 20th century establishment of gospel music publishing houses such as those of Homer Rodeheaver , E. O. Excell , Charlie Tillman , and Charles Tindley . These publishers were in the market for large quantities of new music, providing an outlet for the creative work of many songwriters and composers. The advent of radio in
1748-650: The song " The Weight " (which The Staple Singers had previously covered on their first Stax album). However, they were not able to regain their momentum, releasing only occasional minor hits. The 1984 album Turning Point featured a cover of Talking Heads ' "Slippery People", which reached the Top 5 on the Dance chart. In 1994, they again performed the song " The Weight " with country music artist Marty Stuart for MCA Nashville 's Rhythm, Country and Blues compilation, somewhat re-establishing an audience. The song "Respect Yourself"
1794-610: The term "gospel song" appeared in 1874. The original gospel songs were written and composed by authors such as George F. Root , Philip Bliss , Charles H. Gabriel , William Howard Doane , and Fanny Crosby . Gospel music publishing houses emerged. The advent of radio in the 1920s greatly increased the audience for gospel music. Following World War II , gospel music moved into major auditoriums, and gospel music concerts became quite elaborate. Black and Southern gospel music are largely responsible for gospel's continued presence in contemporary Christian music , with soul music by far
1840-670: The tone and his guitar assures the flow." — The Best of the Staples Singers review in Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies (1981) The Staple Singers' first Stax hit was " Heavy Makes You Happy (Sha-Na-Boom-Boom) " in early 1971. Their late 1971 recording of " Respect Yourself ", written by Luther Ingram and Mack Rice , peaked at number two on the Billboard R&;B chart and number 12 on
1886-430: Was a mystery." The move to Epic yielded a run of albums, including the live in-church Freedom Highway album produced by Billy Sherrill ; the title track of which was a civil rights movement protest song penned by Pops Staples. It was on Epic that the Staple Singers developed a style more accessible to mainstream audiences, with "Why (Am I Treated So Bad)" and " For What It's Worth " ( Stephen Stills ) in 1967. In 1968,
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1932-740: Was an American rural/frontier history of revival and camp meeting songs, but the gospel hymn was of a different character, and it served the needs of mass revivals in the great cities. The revival movement employed popular singers and song leaders, the most famous of them being Ira D. Sankey. The original "gospel" songs were written and composed by authors such as George F. Root , Philip Bliss , Charles H. Gabriel , William Howard Doane , and Fanny Crosby . As an extension to his initial publication Gospel Songs , Philip Bliss, in collaboration with Ira D. Sankey issued no's. 1 to 6 of Gospel Hymns in 1875. Sankey and Bliss's collection can be found in many libraries today. The popularity of revival singers and
1978-416: Was an early influence on Bob Dylan , who said of it in 2015, "It was the most mysterious thing I'd ever heard ... I'd think about them even at my school desk ... Mavis looked to be about the same age as me in her picture (on the cover of "Uncloudy Day") ... Her singing just knocked me out ... And Mavis was a great singer—deep and mysterious. And even at the young age, I felt that life itself
2024-646: Was at the Mount Zion Church, Chicago, where Roebuck's brother, the Rev. Chester Staples, was pastor. They signed their first professional contract in 1952. During their early career, they recorded in an acoustic gospel- folk style with various labels: United Records , Vee-Jay Records (their " Uncloudy Day " and " Will the Circle Be Unbroken? " were best sellers), Checker Records , Riverside Records , and then Epic Records in 1965. "Uncloudy Day"
2070-872: Was drafted into the U.S. Army, and again in 1970. They are best known for their 1970s hits " Respect Yourself ", " I'll Take You There ", " If You're Ready (Come Go with Me) ", and " Let's Do It Again ". While the family name is Staples, the group used "Staple" commercially. First child to Roebuck "Pops" Staples and his wife Oceola Staples, Cleotha was born in Drew, Mississippi , in 1934. Two years later, Roebuck moved his family from Mississippi to Chicago . Roebuck and Oceola's children, son Pervis and daughters, Mavis and Yvonne, were born in Chicago. Roebuck worked in steel mills and meatpacking plants while his family of four children grew up. The family began appearing in Chicago-area churches in 1948. Their first public singing appearance
2116-494: Was used by Spike Lee in the soundtrack to his movie Crooklyn , made in 1994. In 1999, The Staple Singers were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame , where they performed "Respect Yourself" and "I'll Take You There". Pops Staples died of complications from a concussion suffered in December 2000. Cleotha Staples died in Chicago on February 21, 2013, at the age of 78, after suffering from Alzheimer's disease for over
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