Gospel music is a genre of Christian music. The creation, performance, significance, and even the definition of gospel music varies according to culture and social context. Gospel music is composed and performed for many purposes, including aesthetic pleasure, religious or ceremonial purposes, and as an entertainment product for the marketplace. Gospel music usually has dominant vocals with Christian lyrics. Gospel music can be traced to the early 17th century, with roots in the black oral tradition. Hymns and sacred songs were often repeated in a call and response fashion. Most of the churches relied on hand clapping and foot stomping as rhythmic accompaniment. Most of the singing was done a cappella. The first published use of the term "gospel song" probably appeared in 1874. The original gospel songs were written and composed by authors such as George F. Root, Philip Bliss, Charles H. Gabriel, William Howard Doane, and Fanny Crosby. Gospel music publishing houses emerged. The advent of radio in the 1920s greatly increased the audience for gospel music. Following World War II, gospel music moved into major auditoriums, and gospel music concerts became quite elaborate.
James Edward Cleveland was an American gospel singer, musician, and composer. Known as the King of Gospel music, 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. Throughout his career, Cleveland appeared on hundreds of recordings and earned 4 Grammy Awards. He was the first gospel musician to earn a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. He was inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame in 1984. For his trailblazing accomplishments, he is regarded by many to be one of the greatest gospel singers that ever lived. He is best known for his gospel classics, "Lord, Help Me To Hold Out," "Peace Be Still," "I Don't Feel No Ways Tired", “Where Is Your Faith," "The Love Of God," "God Has Smiled On Me'" and his soul stirring rendition of Gladys Knight & The Pips "You're The Best Thing That Ever Happened To Me."
Travon Marcel Potts is an American songwriter and producer. He has a prolific discography. Potts is well known for writing for artists such as Monica, Christina Aguilera, Wayne Beckford, Ahmed Chawki, Kenny Lattimore, Anastasia, Eternal, BeBe Winans, Trin-i-tee 5:7 and Public Announcement. Potts also co-wrote the 2014 theme song "Time of our Lives" for Al Jazeera's BeIN Sports Network. His music was featured in TV episodes of OWN TV's Greenleaf and Showtime's The Chi. Potts scored and wrote original music for Lifetime Network's Whitney directed by Angela Bassett. His music has also appeared in movies such as Miracle in Lane 2, All About the Benjamins, Soul Plane and A Cross To Bear. He was a writer / producer for Nadir RedOne Khayat's RedOne Productions LLC. He is the youngest of three sons born to Malcolm and Mary Potts.
Byron Louis Cage is an American gospel recording artist.
Rev. W.R. "Smokie" Norful, Jr. is an American gospel singer and pianist, best known for his 2002 album, I Need You Now and his 2004 release, Nothing Without You, which won a Grammy at the 47th Annual Grammy Awards for Best Contemporary Soul Gospel Album in 2004. Norful received his second Grammy in 2015 at the 57th Annual Grammy awards for his song "No Greater Love", ten years after winning his first.
Lanny Wolfe is an American Christian music songwriter, musician, music publisher, and music educator. He has written over seven hundred songs and fourteen musicals, and has recorded over seventy projects. He won two GMA Dove Awards in 1984, for Song of the Year and Songwriter of the Year, for his song, "More Than Wonderful," a song whose recording by Sandi Patti and Larnelle Harris earned them a Grammy Award. Wolfe has written over sixty Christmas songs included in eight Christmas musicals, including "Rejoice with Exceeding Great Joy," "No Room," "Cherish That Name," "Wise Men Still Seek Him," "For God So Loved the World," and "Seeking for Me." "Rejoice with Exceeding Great Joy" is used yearly in the candle lighting ceremony at Epcot in Orlando, Florida. Wolfe's song, "Greater Is He" was used as the official closing song of the Oral Roberts Telecast which aired on 120 stations weekly for six years. His song "For God So Loved the World" was selected to be recorded by the James Cleveland's Gospel Music Workshop of America in Houston, TX in 1982, where Wolfe directed the 1500-voice gospel choir. It was also included in the Gospel Music Workshop of America's 25th Anniversary CD project; and, for the 30th anniversary of the Gospel Music Workshop of America, was chosen as one of the top five songs that had been recorded out of 450 songs from the workshop's thirty-year run. He has also served as a member of the board of directors of the Gospel Music Association.
Bobby Jones is an American Gospel music singer and television host from Nashville, Tennessee and the host and executive producer of several cable television's gospel music programs including the former Bobby Jones Gospel. Jones is referred as the Ed Sullivan of gospel music. He has assisted numerous gospel stars in propelling their talents of numerous gospel stars and has a lot of trophies racked up at his Nashville home for his contributions to music. Bobby Jones Gospel was canceled and went off the air in 2015.
Dottie Peoples is an American gospel singer.
Richard Smallwood is an American gospel artist who formed The Richard Smallwood Singers in 1977 in Washington, DC.
First Call is an American contemporary Christian music (CCM) group, consisting of Mel Tunney, Marty McCall, and Bonnie Keen. During their career spanning more than 30 years, the group worked with many noted producers and arrangers including David Maddux, Steven Tayler, Dan Keen, Greg Nelson, Keith Thomas, Neal Joseph, Wayne Kirkpatrick, Phil Naish and Darrell Brown.
Squire Enos Parsons Jr., is a Southern Gospel singer and songwriter. He was born in Newton, West Virginia, to Squire and Maysel Parsons, and was introduced to music by his father, who was a choir director and deacon at Newton Baptist Church. Squire's father taught him to sing using shaped notes.
The Metropolitan Baptist Church is a Baptist church in Largo, MD. The address of the church is 1200 Mercantile Lane in Largo, Maryland.
The 40th Annual 'GMA Dove Awards presentation was held on April 23, 2009 recognizing accomplishments of musicians for the year 2008. The show was held at the Grand Ole Opry House in Nashville, Tennessee, and was hosted by Rebecca St. James, Matthew West, and Lisa Kimmey.
Stan Whitmire is a Christian pianist from Atlanta, Georgia, United States.
Jonathan Andrew Nelson is an American gospel singer and songwriter from Baltimore, Maryland.
The 43rd Annual GMA Dove Awards presentation ceremony was held on Thursday, April 19, 2012 at 7:30 P.M. EST at the Fox Theatre in Atlanta, Georgia. The ceremony recognized the accomplishments of musicians and other figures within the Christian music industry for the year 2011. The ceremony was produced by the Gospel Music Association and was hosted by actor David Mann and comedian Chonda Pierce. The awards show was broadcast on the Gospel Music Channel on April 24, 2012.
VaShawn Mitchell is an American gospel singer and songwriter. He has produced several Stellar Award-winning projects and songs for Grammy Award winners Vanessa Bell Armstrong and Smokie Norful.
Terry and Barbi Franklin are American singers and songwriters of Contemporary and Inspirational Christian music. Together, they have written numerous popular Christian songs. They have been ministering together in a music and speaking ministry since 1985 called "Love Sings! Ministries".
Margaret Pleasant Douroux is an American gospel songwriter, teacher, and author. She works in Bible based ministries and song composition, and uses her talents to connect music, religion, and education within her community.
Kristle Murden, also known as Kristle Edwards, is an American singer-songwriter, musician, music producer, vocal coach, author and ordained minister. Murden is best known for her featured solo on the Oscar winning song "Can You Feel the Love Tonight" on Disney's animated film, The Lion King. Murden made her professional debut in 1979 singing the duet "I'll Be Thinking of You" with 7-time Grammy Award winner Andraé Crouch, which also featured Stevie Wonder on harmonica. She signed as a solo artist with Light Records, also in 1979. Murden went on to achieve two Grammy nominations of her own. Her solo album I Can't Let Go was nominated for a Grammy Award in 1980. In 1984, she was Grammy nominated for her solo vocal performance for "Jesus Come Lay Your Head on Me" from Andraé Crouch's No Time to Lose album. In 1981 Murden was nominated for a Dove Award for her I Can't Let Go album in the category of Best Soul Black Gospel album.
