Gospel
From Blues to Blue Suede Shoes
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Lucie E. Campbell (1885-1963), about 1940
Photo courtesy of Pink Palace Museum
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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.
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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.
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33 rpm record album, The Nashville Sit-Ins Story, 1960
This record contains popular music of the Civil Rights movement. 2010.142.1
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Tennessee State Museum
505 Deaderick Street
Nashville, TN 37243-1120
505 Deaderick Street
Nashville, TN 37243-1120
FREE ADMISSION
Open: Tuesday - Saturday:
10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Sunday: 1 to 5 p.m.
Closed: Mondays and four holidays: New Year's Day, Easter, Thanksgiving, and Christmas Day.
10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Sunday: 1 to 5 p.m.
Closed: Mondays and four holidays: New Year's Day, Easter, Thanksgiving, and Christmas Day.
Tennessee State Museum
505 Deaderick Street
Nashville, TN 37243-1120
505 Deaderick Street
Nashville, TN 37243-1120
FREE ADMISSION
Open: Tuesday - Saturday:
10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Sunday: 1 to 5 p.m.
Closed: Mondays and four holidays: New Year's Day, Easter, Thanksgiving, and Christmas Day.
10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Sunday: 1 to 5 p.m.
Closed: Mondays and four holidays: New Year's Day, Easter, Thanksgiving, and Christmas Day.