"Shirley Ann Caesar-Williams, known professionally as Shirley Caesar (born October 13, 1938, Durham, North Carolina) is an American Gospel music singer, songwriter and recording artist whose career has spanned over six decades. A multi-award winning artist, with eleven Grammy Awards and seven Dove Awards to her credit, she was known as "First Lady of gospel music"and now the "Queen of Gospel Music" now since the death of the late Queen Albertina Walker.
Caesar first began singing and performing for family and friends. They loved her and knew she was going to be great. She first began recording in 1949, at age 11. Her professional adult 'career' began when she was 18, when she approached Albertina Walker about joining The Caravans, one of the most popular gospel groups at that time.
She sang with the legendary late Queen of Gospel Dr. Albertina Walker, Dorothy Norwood, Inez Andrews, Delores Washington and James Cleveland while in the Caravans. She recorded and performed with The Caravans from 1958 until 1966, then she began pursuing a solo career and making a name for herself in the gospel music circuit. Caesar credits Albertina Walker as her mentor and "Queen of Gospel Music". After singing with the Caravans, she started her solo career, making guest appearances on the Bobby Jones gospel show and other popular television shows.
Between 1981 and 1995, she received seven Dove Awards for Black Gospel Album of the Year for Live at the G.M.W.A., Celebration, Christmasing, Sailin‘, Live ... In Chicago, Go and Rejoice. She received two Black Gospel Song of the Year Awards for "He's Working It Out for You" and "Hold My Mule". She has performed with such performers as Patti LaBelle, Whitney Houston, Dorothy Norwood, Faith Evans, Dottie Peoples, Arnold Houston, Kim Burrell, John P. Kee, Kirk Franklin and Tonex, Tye Tribbett among others. Shirley Caesar is also an actress. She acted in Fighting Temptations with Beyonce Knowles and Cuba Gooding Jr.
Caesar was inducted into the North Carolina Music Hall of Fame in 2010."
A second service featuring the ladies today - to the left is the termite chewed cover of the record that this was actually ripped from, however some may prefer the clean one from the internet. This is a strong record featuring a 17 year old Shirley Caesar on about half the leads.
Last week we heard her in the setting of James Cleveland's music, but these two are solidly in Gospel Pop vein that Shirley seems to have pioneered. All the trappings, arrangements and instrumentation of Mowtown in a Gospel setting - part of me wants to hate it but Shirley is just so good at this, her voice soars over all that stuff and triumphs. A little corny but irresistible none the less.
