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”