The History of Gospel In Detroit The Evolution of the Good News Put to Music

The History of Gospel In Detroit

The Evolution of the

“Good News”

Put to Music

Me

• Editor, DetroitGospel.com• Launched February 2004• 20,000 visitors/month• 8,000 email subscribers• In 2006,

NewYorkGospel.com and ChicagoGospel.com

The Roots of Gospel

• “Good News”• Varied Roots• West African

rhythms• Call and response• New England

hymn tradition

Spirituals

West African Folk Songs

New EnglandChorale Traditions

ChicagoBluesJazz

Gospel

Negro Spirituals

• Hymns• “Field Hollers”• Protest Songs like

“Wade In The Water”

The Fisk Jubilee Singers• 1st to publicly

perform the songs of slaves

• Toured the U.S. and Europe to initially skeptical, but ultimately receptive audiences

• Came to Detroit in 1882

The Birth of Gospel

• 1930’s – Thomas Dorsey• “Father of Gospel Music”• “Take My Hand Precious

Lord”• Chose Detroit as one of

the 1st places to establish gospel choruses

Early Gospel Superstars

• James Cleveland• Rev. C. L. Franklin• Aretha Franklin• Della Reese• Mattie Moss Clark

The Birth of Contemporary Gospel

• “Oh Happy Day” – Edwin Hawkins

• “The Question Is” – The Winans

• “You Brought The Sunshine” – The Clark Sisters

• “Nobody But Jesus” – Thomas Whitfield

Detroit Gospel Today

• Fred Hammond• The Winans• CeCe Winans• BeBe Winans• The Clark

Sisters• Byron Cage• J Moss

• Kierra “Kiki” Sheard

• Deitrick Haddon

• Marvin Sapp• BeBe Winans• Cedric Dent of

Take 6• Evelyn

Turrentine-Agee

The Future• Legacies

Continue• Indies

(Independent Artists)

• Big Sponsors/Big Money

• The Internet• Further

Segmentation of genres

Gospel Rap/ Holy Hip Hop

TraditionalContemporaryUrban

ContemporaryCCM InspirationalNew TraditionalNeo Soul GospelPraise & Worship

Places to Find Gospel In Detroit• International Gospel Music Hall of Fame

& Museum• God’s World• Churches• Radio• TV• Cable: Gospel Music Channel• …and last, but not least…

Places to Find Gospel In Detroit

Fred Hammond

“This Is The Day”