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Voices of praise that shaped black gospel music

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For generations, gospel music has been a significant source of strength and resilience for Black Americans, sustaining them through their deepest struggles. Since slavery, spiritual songs and hymns have provided a way of survival, offering hope, faith, and a shared sense of purpose. On this foundation is built a legacy of Black Gospel artists, continuing the tradition of music that uplifts and strengthens our communities in times of difficulty and triumph.

The wealthy history of black gospel music

Black gospel music whose roots return to slavery when enslaved people sang call-and-response songs equivalent to “Roll, Jordan, Roll” and “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot.” These early folk songs were as much about spirituality as they were about providing comfort and community in a shared fight for freedom. At the turn of the twentieth century, instruments were introduced to black gospel music, a major advance since enslaved people were often ban on the use of certain instruments.

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Black composer and musician Thomas A. Dorseyhe became a highly influential figure in black gospel music from the Twenties and Thirties. He earned the title “Father of Gospel Music” for writing over 1,000 hymns, including classics equivalent to “Peace in the Valley” and “Take My Hand, Precious Lord.”

Eventually, black gospel music began to tackle a more modern sound with artists equivalent to Andrae Crouch and The Clark Sisters, who introduced the subgenre of contemporary urban gospel. Over the centuries, black gospel music has evolved into what it’s today: a various genre that tells the story of a faith that has been passed down from generation to generation.

Notable Black Gospel Music Artists and Their Contributions

Gospel music is what it’s today because of the countless black artists who handcrafted the genre.

Mahalia Jackson

Mahalia Jackson she is one of the matriarchs of gospel music. Born into poverty in New Orleans in 1911, Jackson began singing in churches and funerals before attracting widespread attention together with her 1947 song “Move on Up a Little Higher,” which became a success in 1948. She brought gospel blues to the masses, crooning versions of “Take My Hand, Precious Lord” and “How I Got Over” to crowds world wide. She also raised her voice in support of the civil rights movement, becoming a private friend of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and acting at the March on Washington. Her contralto voice was enhanced with heavy vibrato. Jackson moved expressively on stage and was known for her ability to evoke strong emotions within the audience, often while becoming almost emotional herself.

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April 5, 1961: American gospel singer Mahalia Jackson (1911 – 1972) rehearsing for a European tour in London. (Photo: Douglas Miller/Keystone/Getty Images)

CeCe Winans

Talking about CeCe Winans without BeBe Winans seems a bit sacrilegious, but she deserves flowers because she is one of essentially the most famous and successful black gospel singers of all time. CeCe Winans’ solo gospel profession yielded hits equivalent to “Well Alright,” “Pray” and “Goodness of God.” Her first solo album, “Alone in His Presence”, was released in 1995 and went double platinum, topping the gospel charts ten times. Winans followed this up in 1999 with the hugely successful album “Alabaster Box” on her own WellSpring Gospel label. Winans’ wealthy tone and incredible vocal control have remained consistent through the ages. In late October 2024, he’ll release More Than This, a widely praised contemporary gospel album that combines old and latest classics.

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – JULY 15: Aretha Franklin Icon Award winner CeCe Winans poses within the press room in the course of the thirty eighth Annual Stellar Gospel Music Awards at Orleans Arena on July 15, 2023 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo: Gabe Ginsberg/Getty Images)

Kirk Franklin

Congregation favorite Kirk Franklin has been a mainstay within the church and charts because the early Nineteen Nineties. His first band was “The Family”, which included his friends and neighbors, and in 1993 he released “Kirk Franklin & The Family”. The album went platinum and remained on the gospel music charts for several years after its release. Franklin created many hits that expanded his appeal to a wider audience, including “Stomp” and “I Smile”. Fans comprehend it’s not Kirk Franklin making that joyful sound. His true talent lies less in his own vocal abilities and more in his divine talent for bringing out the wealthy, united voices of his choirs.

62nd Annual GRAMMY Awards - GRAMMY Premiere Ceremony
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – JANUARY 26: Kirk Franklin, winner of Best Gospel Performance/Song and Best Gospel Album, backstage in the course of the 62nd Annual GRAMMY Awards Opening Ceremony on the Microsoft Theater on January 26, 2020 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Charley Gallay/Getty Images for The Recording Academy)

Kierra Sheard

Kierra Sheard made her gospel singing debut on the age of 9 on her mother’s album “Finally Karen” (referring to Karen Clark-Sheard of the Clark Sisters). So while the younger Sheard can have had a bonus early on, she has a voice all her own, which she uses on songs like “You Don’t Know,” “Why Me?” and “Something has to break.” Sheard, a mezzo-soprano, serves up delicious R&B grooves and riffs. In addition to music, Sheard also boasts acting, playing a mother on Lifetime’s “The Clark Sisters: The First Ladies of Gospel.”

37th Annual Stellar Gospel Music Awards - Arrival
ATLANTA, GEORGIA – JULY 16: Kierra Sheard-Kelly attends the thirty seventh Annual Stellar Gospel Music Awards on the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Center on July 16, 2022 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo: Marcus Ingram/Getty Images)

Whitney Houston in “The Preacher’s Wife”

The 1996 comedy-drama The Preacher’s Wife was a light-hearted story a few church and a wedding on the brink, and an angel sent to save lots of them. Whitney Houston gave it her all within the film after which blessed us again for the soundtrack. Her performance of “I Believe in You and Me” was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance. “Joy” was an original work by then-new gospel artist Kirk Franklin and the Georgia Mass Choir. At the time, Houston was a longtime artist, and “The Preacher’s Wife” is one of them best selling gospel albums of all time, and Houston gained recognition for her raw and real vocals.

Whitney Houston performs on stage in the course of the 2009 American Music Awards on the Nokia Theater LA Live in November 2009 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo: Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)

Black gospel artists span a range of genres. You can hear it almost each time you alter the radio station (or shuffle it on Spotify).

Cross-species collaboration that crossed boundaries

Nicki Minaj’s verse on a gospel song doesn’t sound likely, but Minaj appeared on “I’m Getting Ready” with Tasha Cobbs Leonard in 2017. Some criticized Leonard’s collaboration with Minaj, but Leonard stood his ground: saying“This is not a task given to me by a man. This is the task God has given me.”

People may act like controversial collaborations are something latest, but Salt-N-Pepa’s Kirk Franklin and Cheryl “Salt” James had some people in church dizzy in 1997 once they released “Stomp”.

The roots of gospel R&B, soul and hip-hop

The reach of gospel music extends beyond the church doors and into almost every other genre.

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Gospel’s influence on R&B is sort of profound, considering many artists equivalent to Sam Cooke and Aretha Franklin got their start singing in church. Similarly, gospel music was in some ways the predecessor of soul music, with the 2 types of music often sharing common lyrical structures, rhythms, and melodies (from Heaven). Hip-hop can be not resistant to gospel influences. Kirk Franklin was an enormous hip-hop OG within the ’90s, and artists like Lecrae and Tedashii carry that spirit today.

Honors and recognition for gospel legends

Some of essentially the most successful artists of all time are black gospel artists. Kirk Franklin is nineteen Grammys to his name, and CeCe Winans currently holds the record together with her for essentially the most Grammy Awards awarded to a gospel artist 15 trophies. The Dove Award is taken into account the equivalent of a Grammy in gospel music, and black artists equivalent to Lecrae, Jonathan McReynolds and Ricky Dillard are only a couple of contemporaries who’ve received awards for his or her work within the genre.

The continuing influence of Black Gospel artists

From church pews to concert halls, Black Gospel artists proceed to encourage and uplift through their timeless contributions to music. Their legacy, rooted in faith and resilience, will proceed to shape the soundtrack of our lives for generations to come back.

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This article was originally published on : thegrio.com

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Tyler Perry praises Angie Stone at the funeral: “I’m angry with the way she was treated”

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Mogul Film and Television Tyler Perry paid tribute to the singer R&B Angie Stone on Friday, telling the church church at Word of Faith Cathedral in Austll, Ga. That he was “bad” from how she was treated in the music industry.

“I am angry with the way she was treated,” said Perry, who said that only recently he realized the challenges that the stones faced in recovering the money resulting from her label. “Thinking that this woman has been operating for all these years … All these years, all these songs, all the money that was due to her. Where is it? This is bad. “

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Stone, who died on March 1 at the age of 63 after his involvement in a automotive accident in Alabama, had previously had common In social media on January 2, that after greater than 40 years in the industry she didn’t receive license payments from her former label, Universal Music Group. “They will have to give me money,” said Stone, who said that she had only recently learned about her financial situation after asking amongst medical problems. Ironically, the night stone was killed, traveled from the concert in Montgomery.

“There is a difference between the performance because you want and the performance because you have to,” said Tyler Perry. “I am tired of vision, how we fight and go through things, I work hard and do not benefit from what we were supposed to draw.”

The Creator of the “Madei Family Meeting” and “Beauty in black” added: “You must be careful when you start treating people badly, especially God’s children, because the Bible says:” Do not touch my anointed and don’t do my prophet. “

Although Perry admitted that he didn’t know the stone, in addition to others, sharing that he often saw her at concert events, he called the soul singer a “prophet”, adding: “she prophesied and preached her own vagina.”

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Perry remembered the text of Stone’s hit “No More Rain (” In This Cloud “), saying to the congregation:” He says: “My sun came and I am flashy. There is no more rain in this cloud. “He continued:” The beauty of what she was talking about is when the cloud no longer has tears, it disperses. Disappeared. But if you listen to this song again, there is a part that I want you to really listen. She said: “What is occurring. What goes up must fall. The stuff you come back to you. “

Media tycoon praised Angie Stone for somebody who “sold kindness … (i) joy to people … sold people and her voice.” He summed up his comments: “God bless you, Angie, my heart, my soul, is with you. I am so glad that there is no more rain in your cloud. “

(Tagstransate) Angie Stone

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Coco Gauff’s Mometown Roots Power New Balance’s latest tennis shoe – Essence

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Coco Gauff's Mometown Roots Power New Balance's latest tennis shoe

Melbourne, Australia – January 19: Coco Gaufff from the United States celebrates victory within the match with Belind Bencic from Switzerland within the match within the fourth round of ladies’s singles through the eighth day of the Australian Open 2025 in Melbourne Park on January 19, 2025 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo of Fred Lee/Getty Images)

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The words “tennis” and “availability” had a protracted -term complex relationship. We took a glance, watching the story for the legacy of Serena and Venus Williams. It showed us that behind the splendor of central courts and trophies ceremonies (which Coco Gauff has lots), there may be a sport that many think financially. It is that this reality that makes the latest cooperation between New Balance and the Coco Gauff tennis star is especially noteworthy.

Today, New Balance and Gauff presented Delray Coco, a tennis shoe that pays tribute to her hometown of Florida, while coping with wider questions on who can play this sport. Available from March 13 for $ 110, shoes stand out in the marketplace, where tennis footwear often proves much higher prices.

“I am incredibly proud of launching the new Delray Coco, because this is the opportunity to expand access to people interested in playing the game and will have a positive impact on culture for the upcoming generations,” said Gaufff within the commercial. “Delray Beach helped to cause my tennis journey, so it is special for me to tell the story of this community, which influenced exactly why I love this sport.”

Coco Gauff's Mometown Roots Power New Balance's latest tennis shoe

Technically, Delray Coco provides what you may expect from ready -made footwear for competition. It has a nylon stability plate, a light-weight fuel sole for convenience and a durable rubber outer sole designed for prolonged game on various manor surfaces. The low project includes the aesthetics of tennis and basketball from the 90s, reflecting Gauff’s appeal.

“Our hope with Delray Coco is to emphasize access to sport for everyone. For Coco, a lot means that everyone who wants to play tennis should be able to choose a rocket and play, “said Evan Zeder, head of Tennis sports marketing at New Balance. “Delray Coco represents her constant commitment to promoting this integration in sport, starting from her own yard.”

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This yard – especially Pompey Park in Delray Beach – just isn’t only referred to marketing materials, but serves as a spot of premiere. New Balance and Gauff organize an event there with a campaign film show, after which a discussion with Gauff, her grandmother and inventive collaborator Joe Robinson (professionally referred to as Joe Freshgoods) about sports availability and the influence of the community.

New Balance also doesn’t end with one version of the shoe. Throughout the yr, they drop latest Delray Coco colours, releasing them together with the Gauff’s higher CG2 model. Coordinated editions mean that recreation players can take Gauff’s style, no matter their skill level. And even though it may not seem lots, it is kind of serious. Both Gauff and New Balance be sure that everyone feels on, no matter where they’re on a tennis journey.

At the top of the day, tennis still faces current questions on diversity, representation and access, and products reminiscent of Delray Coco offer a selected contribution. While shoes price 110 USD is not going to transform right into a tennis economy, this can be a step in the best direction. Delra Coco is offered all around the world at Newalance.com and chosen retail sellers with a suggested retail price of $ 110. For more information, visit newbalance.com/tennis.

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Jennifer Hudson breaks silence a few days after she was hit in the face with basketball during the NBA match

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Jennifer Hudson opens up about her date with Common when she “knocked up” with basketball.

The Egota winner was in Madison Square Garden on March 4 with her rapper-boy. They each sat outside, watching New York Knicks play against Golden State Warriors, when the ball suddenly flew the ball towards its direction, when Knicks Miles McBride tried to save lots of him from going outside.

In the clip of March 13 published on YouTube, “Jennifer Hudson Show” Hudson told about what happened to her audience in her talk show.

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Jennifer Hudson explains what happened when she hit the face with basketball in the NBA match. (Photo: @Iamjhud/Instagram)

After confirming the ball, she actually hit her, got up and approached her audience. She said, “So I’m sitting there and then I talk suddenly. Don’t talk when you sit outside. First of all, so I look this way, and then suddenly I am like why everyone looks crazy. And then bam! “

Hudson said it happened: “So fast, true! So I am like what the hell did me? Something had to hit me. From all people to hit, did you hit Jennifer Hudson? Really?”

Then she confirmed that “the ball actually hit me” in response to still unclear people what happened.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R5M3TL9M7WA

“So I’m sitting there, and then suddenly something just hit me from blue. And I thought, “I do not know what happened”, and then suddenly people stand over me. They like “OK? Everything’s all right? And I’m like “Hold, let me only for a moment. Let me only gather my thoughts – said Hudson.

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She explained that she was hit when McBride tried to save lots of the ball. She noticed that he was crushed about the incident and “wanted to finish the whole game.” “He was like” Oh my God. I made Jennifer, Lord. And I’m like “Honey, I’m fine, go play your game,” the mother of certainly one of them continued.

As the mother of 15-year-old David Daniel Otung Jr., whom she welcomed with her former Fiancé and former WWE star David Otung, Hudson said she understood what could occur in the game, accompanying her son and his friends in basketball matches.

She and Otung Sr. They got engaged after lower than a 12 months of dates, but separated for good in 2017 after 10 years of dates.

From 2023, the star “Dreamgirls” arranged with Common, which was sitting next to her when the ball flew on her face.

Referring to the “right” actor in the next a part of her memories, Hudson said: “And my sweet love was like” Ok, is every part okay? Would you want to go away? And I’m like “I’m good, let me sit down and gather here” because the very last thing you need to do is stand up and go somewhere. No, you would like a moment. “

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But it was not a “sweetest part”, in accordance with Hudson, who then ordered the producers to throw the McBride speaking clip.

In the film he appears on the screen: “Hey, Jennifer, here is the pleasant” Deuce “McBride.” I just desired to say that I’m sorry that I got here up with you in our game last week. You know that I was in the zone, attempting to play, attempting to bring some energy, and unfortunately you were in the incorrect place at the incorrect time. I’m sorry I got something for you. We hope that we might be cool after that. I appreciate that you simply show us support and go, Knicks. “

The gift that McBride gave her was a pink bouquet of roses, which was handed over to someone from her team.

Fans replied for the incident in “Entertainment Tonight” the Instagram clip repost.

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One person said: “He does too many brahs. It was an accident. “

Another wrote: “OMG drama … next time sit in the stands. She will react. “

On her side One person said: “Good in Deuce for apologizing, making a camera and sending flowers.”

The fourth said: “These roses are beautiful.”

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Later, Hudson revealed that the dancers of the city of Knicks decided to make a spiritual tunnel when she entered the game “before it was knocked up”, identical to in the Spirit tunnel, which he creates for guests in his program. She added that she was right to participate in the All-Star game yearly in honor of the late brother Jason who would participate.

Jason Hudson is certainly one of the three relations who were killed by William Balfour, the alienated husband of Sister Jennifer, Julia, who was convicted of crimes. Jason and his mother, Darnell Donerson and her nephew, Julian King, found dead at home in Chicago in 2008.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mjoz-vtwgiw

(Tagstranslat) Common

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This article was originally published on : atlantablackstar.com
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