Chicago Gospel Pioneers

I was always a bit dismayed at the lack of response to my rip and posting of these remarkable and rare lp's. Maybe this time around they shall fare a little better...or not....

Yes my friends it is once again Sunday morning and time for our weekly Gospel program. Today's service is brought to you by Elder Clifford and Deacon KC.

"Chicago, a gospel center for more than 50 years, thanks to the early migration of thousands of Southern blacks who turned to the church for religion, entertainment and emotional expression, has spawned and nurtured a number of great gospel singers.

``Chicago Gospel Pioneers`` features five such artists, all of them from the first generation raised on gospel: Robert Anderson, a soulful, dynamic performer who is credited with training former gospel singers Sam Cooke and Lou Rawls; Delois Barrett Campbell, known for her stellar phrasing, who reached wider audiences through her appearance in the film ``Say Amen, Somebody``; Little Lucy Smith, a singer and organist whose style combines gospel ballads with pop and light opera; Gladys Beamon Gregory, who moonlighted as a nightclub singer in the 1940s but is right at home with Baptist hymns; and Irma Gwynn, possessed of dignified but stirring contralto. All are in their 60s now, but this album, recorded in 1986 in a Chicago studio, is proof that passing years need not dim man`s spiritual vision or God-given talents."