Albert Leornes Greene, known professionally as Al Green, is an American singer, songwriter, pastor and record producer best known for recording a series of soul hit singles in the early 1970s, including "Take Me to the River", "Tired of Being Alone", "I'm Still in Love with You", "Love and Happiness", and his signature song, "Let's Stay Together". After his girlfriend died by suicide, Green became an ordained pastor and turned to gospel music. He later returned to secular music.
Andraé Edward Crouch was an American gospel singer, songwriter, arranger, record producer and pastor. Referred to as "the father of modern gospel music" by contemporary Christian and gospel music professionals, Crouch was known for his compositions "The Blood Will Never Lose Its Power", "My Tribute " and "Soon and Very Soon". He collaborated on some of his recordings with famous and popular artists such as Stevie Wonder, El DeBarge, Philip Bailey, Chaka Khan, and Sheila E., as well as the vocal group Take 6, and many popular artists covered his material, including Bob Dylan, Barbara Mandrell, Paul Simon, Elvis Presley and Little Richard. In the 1980s and 1990s, he was known as the "go-to" producer for superstars who sought a gospel choir sound in their recordings; he appeared on a number of recordings, including Michael Jackson's "Man In the Mirror", Madonna's "Like a Prayer", and "The Power", a duet between Elton John and Little Richard. Crouch was noted for his talent of incorporating contemporary secular music styles into the gospel music he grew up with. His efforts in this area helped pave the way for early American contemporary Christian music during the 1960s and 1970s.
Shirley Ann Caesar-Williams, known professionally as Shirley Caesar, is an American gospel singer. Her career began in 1951, when she signed to Federal Records at the age of 12. Throughout her seven decade career, Caesar has often been referred to as the "First Lady of Gospel Music", and "The Queen of Gospel Music". Additionally, she has won eleven Grammy Awards, fifteen Dove Awards, and fourteen Stellar Awards.
Kirk Dewayne Franklin is an American songwriter, choir director, gospel singer, and rapper. He is best known for leading urban contemporary gospel and Christian R&B ensembles such as The Family, God's Property, and One Nation Crew (1NC) among many others. He has won numerous awards, including 20 Grammy Awards. Variety dubbed Franklin as a "Reigning King of Urban Gospel", and is one of the inaugural inductees into the Black Music & Entertainment Walk of Fame.
Michael Curb is an American musician, record company executive, motorsports car owner, philanthropist, and former politician. He is also the founder and chairman of Curb Records. Curb also serves as Chairman of Word Entertainment. He was inducted into the West Coast Stock Car Hall of Fame in 2006. A Republican, Curb served as the 42nd lieutenant governor of California from 1979 to 1983. As of 2024, he is the most recent Republican to be elected to Lieutenant Governor of California.
Petra is an American music group regarded as a pioneer of the Christian rock and contemporary Christian music genres and was, for many years, regarded as the "world's most popular Christian rock band". Formed in 1972, the band took its name from the Greek word for "rock". Though it disbanded formally in 2006, incarnations have played reunion shows in the years since and released two albums in November 2010, and in November 2017. In 2013, it reformed with a new drummer, Cristian Borneo, and recorded a new song titled "Holy is Your Name", before going back on tour.
James Edward Cleveland was an American gospel singer, musician, and composer. Known as the "King of Gospel," Cleveland was a driving force behind the creation of the modern gospel sound by incorporating traditional black gospel, soul, pop, and jazz in arrangements for mass choirs.
Philip James Bailey is an American singer, songwriter and percussionist, best known as an early member and one of the two lead singers of the band Earth, Wind & Fire. Noted for his four-octave vocal range and distinctive falsetto register, Bailey was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Vocal Group Hall of Fame as a member of Earth, Wind & Fire. Bailey was also inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame for his work with the band.
Tramaine Aunzola Richardson, known professionally as Tramaine Hawkins, is an American award-winning Gospel singer whose career spans over five decades. Since beginning her career in 1966, Hawkins has won two Grammy Awards, two Doves, and 19 Stellar Awards.
Elbernita "Twinkie" Dionne Clark is an American, Grammy Award-winning gospel singer, songwriter, composer, record producer, musician, and evangelist. Clark is best known as the chief executive writer and member of the American gospel singing group the Clark Sisters. Often called the "Mother of Contemporary Gospel Music"; NPR named her one of the 50 Great Voices. Known for her use of the Hammond Organ, she is often referred to as the "Queen of the B3 Hammond Organ", and was inducted into the Hammond Hall of Fame in 2014. She is a BMI Gospel Trailblazer honoree, and is the recipient of multiple Grammy Awards.
Larnelle Steward Harris is an American gospel singer and songwriter. During his 40-plus years of ministry, Harris has recorded 18 albums, won five Grammy Awards and 11 Dove Awards, and has had several number one songs on the inspirational music charts.
Donald Andrew McClurkin Jr. is an American gospel singer and minister. He has won three Grammy Awards, ten Stellar Awards, two BET Awards, two Soul Train Awards, one Dove Award and one NAACP Image Awards. He is one of the top selling gospel artists, selling over 13 million albums. Variety dubbed McClurkin as a "Reigning King of Urban Gospel".
Edwin Reuben Hawkins was an American gospel musician, pianist, vocalist, choir master, composer, and arranger. He was one of the originators of the urban contemporary gospel sound. As the leader of the Edwin Hawkins Singers, he was probably best known for his arrangement of "Oh Happy Day" (1968–69), which was included on the "Songs of the Century" list. In 1970, the Edwin Hawkins Singers made a second foray into the charts, backing folk singer Melanie on "Lay Down ".
Tarrian LaShun Pace, professionally known as LaShun Pace and sometimes credited as LaShun Pace-Rhodes or Shun Pace-Rhodes, was an American Grammy Award–nominated gospel singer–songwriter and evangelist. Pace was also a Stellar Award winner.
American gospel singer Yolanda Adams has released 11 studio albums, 2 live albums and 6 compilation albums. Adams has been named as the "First Lady of Modern Gospel" by the media. With sales of nearly 10 million records worldwide, she was Billboard's Top Gospel Artist of the 2000s and has sold 4.5 million albums in the US since 1991. Five of her albums have reached number one on the US Billboard Top Gospel Albums chart. The Gospel Music Association inducted her into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame. Mountain High... Valley Low remains her best-selling album in the US, being certified Platinum by RIAA, while her albums Believe and Verity Presents: The Best of Yolanda Adams both reached gold status respectively.
Luther Barnes is a record producer, director, songwriter, composer and lead singer of Luther Barnes and the Sunset Jubilaires and the Red Budd Gospel Choir.
Hezekiah Xzavier Walker Jr. is an American gospel music artist and the pastor of Love Fellowship Tabernacle in Brooklyn, New York. Walker has released several albums on Benson Records and Verity Records as Hezekiah Walker & The Love Fellowship Crusade Choir.
Isaac Thompson Carree III is an American gospel musician. He started his music career, in 1990, with the Gospel legend John P. Kee, yet his solo career commenced in 2011, with the release of Uncommon Me by Sovereign Agency. His second album, Reset, was released by Door 6 in 2013. Both albums charted on The Billboard 200 along with chartings on Gospel Albums and Independent Albums charts.
Bishop Jeff Willie Banks, was an American gospel musician and founding pastor of Revival Temple Holiness that was affiliated with The Church of God in Christ. He started his music career, in 1953, with the Famous Banks Brothers, after they were under the tutelage of Mary Johnson Davis from 1947 until 1953. He released his first album, Lord Lift Me Up, that was released by Savoy Records in 1984, which all of his album were released by the label. He would release seven albums, and four of those charted on the Billboard magazine Gospel Albums chart, Lord Lift Me Up in 1984, 1987's Caught up in the Rapture, 1989's The Storm Is Over, He's All over Me in 1993.
Josh Baldwin is an American Christian singer, songwriter and worship pastor. A member of the Bethel Music collective, Baldwin also serves as a worship leader at Bethel Church in Redding, California.
