Because each style has its own formatting nuances that evolve over time and not all information is available for every reference entry or article, Encyclopedia.com cannot guarantee each citation it generates. Family (1) Spouse Jackson, Mahalia, fervent American gospel singer; b. . Jacksons father, like many blacks in the segregated south, held several jobs; he was a longshoreman, a barber, and a preacher at a small church. She began singing in church as a child in New Orleans, then moved to Chicago as an adolescent and joined Chicago's first gospel group, the Johnson Singers. //. One of her most rewarding concerts took place in Israel, where she sang before an audience of Jews, Muslims, and Christians. Jackson, Jesse, Make a Joyful Noise Unto the Lord!, G.K. Hall, 1974. In 1950 she became the first gospel singer to perform at New York's Carnegie Hall, and in 1958 the first to sing at the Newport Jazz Festival. Mahalia also appeared in the movies Imitation of Life, St. Louis Blues, The Best Man and I Remember Chicago. She recounted in her autobiography how she reacted to the jubilant audience. The gospel legend's soulful voice both comforted and galvanized African Americans during the Civil Rights. She grew up in a Pitt Street shack and started singing at 4 years old in the Mount Moriah Baptist Church. Videos J. Cornell and V. Mays, M. J.: Queen of Gospel Song (Champaign, III., 1974); K. McDearmon, M., Gospel Singer (N.Y., 1976); J. Jackson, Make a Joyful Noise unto the Lord! ). Typically used for form or error message returns. Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography. Then she began to sing to supplement her income. During her career, she appeared in such films as St. Louis Blues (1958), Imitation of Life (1959) and Jazz on a Summer's Day (1958), sang "Precious Lord, Take My Hand" at the funeral of Dr. King, and recorded with Duke Ellington. Christian Century magazine reported that at the funeral, which was attended by over six thousand fans, singer Ella Fitzgerald described Jackson as one of our greatest ambassadors of love this wonderful woman who only comes once in a lifetime.. In the northern city, to which thousands of southern blacks had migrated after the Civil War to escape segregation, she earned a living by washing white people's clothes for a dollar a day. She had her own gospel program on the CBS television network in 1954. But Jacksons close relatives disapproved of the blues, a music indigenous to southern black culture, saying it was decadent and claiming that the only acceptable songs for pious Christians were the gospels of the church. Learn more about how we serve you. Her concerts and recordings gained worldwide recognition for African-American religious music. Encyclopedia.com. She started singing as a child at Mount Moriah Baptist Church and went on to become one of the most revered gospel figures in the United States. We had several Mahalia Jackson albums, but the one I remember most was her Christmas album. Richard B. Latner The singer, born 26 October 1911 in New Orleans, is widely regarded as one of the most influential. ", At 16, with only an eighth grade education but a strong ambition to become a nurse, Jackson went to Chicago to live with her Aunt Hannah. Se non vuoi che noi e i nostri partner utilizziamo i cookie e i dati personali per questi scopi aggiuntivi, clicca su "Rifiuta tutto". But it was in her music that she found her spirit most eloquently expressed. Jacksons continuing popularity led to a series of posthumous record releases and awards. Some of which are essential while others help us to improve our services and generate revenue to cover our costs. Mahalia was always helping others, but this young boy felt as though he should be her son. Jackson ultimately became equally popular overseas and performed for royalty and adoring fans throughout France, England, Denmark, and Germany. . Mahalia Jackson. New Grove Dictionary of American Music. Mahalia Jackson is heralded as one of the most influential singers of the 20th century. Three days later in her home town of New Orleans, the scene repeated itself with thousands paying tribute, this time at the great hall of Rivergate Convention Center. Jackson, the wife of Sigmond Galloway, played a crucial role in the growth and dissemination of gospel . She wrote in her autobiography, Movin On Up : I feel God heard me and wanted me to devote my life to his songs and that is why he suffered my prayers to be answeredso that nothing would distract me from being a gospel singer.. She answered, Well, honey, maybe they tried drink and they tried psychoanalysis and now theyre going to try to rejoice with me a bit. Jackson ultimately became equally popular overseas and performed for royalty and adoring fans throughout France, England, Denmark, and Germany. She recorded upwards of 30 albums, so her discography includes hundreds of songs. But in the blues, it's all despair; when you're done singing, you're still lonely and sorrowful.
