Gospel

 

Black gospel music, recognized as a distinct style by the 1920s, traced its roots to the spiritual tradition. Pioneered by Pastor C. E. Tindley as a tool to promote hope and faith during segregation, the style was notably shaped by Lucie E. Campbell of Memphis. A respected educator and music director for the National Baptist Convention, USA, many of her songs became standards, recorded by artists from Mahalia Jackson to Johnny Cash.

By World War II, vocal groups like Nashville’s Fairfield Four and the Spirit of Memphis Quartet helped popularize gospel music. By the 1950s, the black-owned Nashboro Records, affiliated with Ernie’s Record Mart on Jefferson Street, became a major gospel producer. An exciting musical genre, the form impacted popular secular music and protest songs of the Civil Rights Movement.