The Gospel Of Gospel is a 2001 TV documentary made by independent production company Lion Television for Channel 4 in the UK. It was presented by the singer Mica Paris. It was produced and directed by David Upshal. [1]
The documentary traces the story of how the tradition of Gospel music from America's black churches has inspired some of the biggest artists in mainstream popular music. It features rare footage of some of the greats of gospel, including Thomas A. Dorsey, Sister Rosetta Tharpe and The Edwin Hawkins Singers.
Along the way, Mica Paris sings with the choir at the church founded by Aretha Franklin's father, the legendary gospel performer Reverend C.L. Franklin, jams with Robert Randolph and the Family Band and duets with Chaka Khan.
Interviewees include Ray Charles, Isaac Hayes, Al Green, B.B. King, Chaka Khan, Alexander O'Neal, Edwin Hawkins, Mary Mary and The Blind Boys Of Alabama. [2]
The show was commissioned by British network Channel 4, by the network's commissioning editor for religion Elizabeth Clough, alongside a talent contest for gospel performers. [3]
Aretha Louise Franklin was an American singer, songwriter and pianist. Referred to as the "Queen of Soul", she has twice been placed ninth in Rolling Stone's "100 Greatest Artists of All Time". With global sales of over 75 million records, Franklin is one of the world's best-selling music artists.
Yvette Marie Stevens, better known by her stage name Chaka Khan, is an American singer and songwriter. Her career has spanned more than five decades, beginning in the 1970s as the lead vocalist of the funk band Rufus. Known as the "Queen of Funk", Khan was the first R&B artist to have a crossover hit featuring a rapper, with "I Feel for You" in 1984. Khan has won ten Grammy Awards and has sold an estimated 70 million records worldwide.
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.
Michelle Antoinette Wallen, known professionally as Mica Paris, is an English singer, presenter and actress.
VH1 debuted the first annual VH1 Divas concert in 1998. VH1 Divas Live was created to support the channel's Save The Music Foundation and subsequent concerts in the series have also benefited that foundation. The VH1 Divas concerts aired annually from 1998 to 2004. After a five-year hiatus, the series returned in 2009 with a younger-skewed revamp. In 2010 the concert saluted the troops and in 2011 it celebrated soul music, doubling the previous year's ratings. After a dance music-focused 2012 edition aired live from the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles on December 16, 2012, the show took another hiatus before being revived on December 5, 2016, at the Kings Theatre in Brooklyn, New York with a holiday theme and achieved its highest ratings in over a decade.
Edwin Reuben Hawkins was an American gospel musician, pianist, choir master, composer, and arranger. He was one of the originators of the urban contemporary gospel sound. He was probably best known for his arrangement of "Oh Happy Day" (1968–69), which was included on the "Songs of the Century" list. The Edwin Hawkins Singers made a second foray into the charts exactly one year later, backing folk singer Melanie on "Lay Down ".
Howard McCrary is an American musician, entertainer, and actor. He was nominated for Grammy award in 1986 for a gospel record entitled, "So Good." Credited for vocal performances and arrangements on the music albums of Chaka Khan, Quincy Jones, Michael Jackson, Earth, Wind & Fire, Edwin Hawkins, Kristle Murden, Danniebelle Hall, and many others. He also appears in the first Gospel Album The Chimes of The Chung Brothers in Hong Kong, acting as arranger, pianist and singer in the song Soul Seranade, Part II.
Dr. Bobby Jones is an American Gospel music singer television host, and radio broadcaster from Nashville, Tennessee and the host and executive producer of several cable television gospel music programs including the former Bobby Jones Gospel.
Martha Denise Munizzi is an American Christian music singer, songwriter, author, and pastor.
"Oh Happy Day" is a 1967 gospel music arrangement of the 1755 hymn by clergyman Philip Doddridge. Recorded by the Edwin Hawkins Singers, it became an international hit in 1969, reaching No. 4 on the US Singles Chart, No. 1 in France, Germany, and the Netherlands and No. 2 on the Canadian Singles Chart, UK Singles Chart, and Irish Singles Chart. It has since become a gospel music standard.
"Hallelujah!" is a 1992 song from Handel's Messiah: A Soulful Celebration, a Grammy award winning Reprise Records concept album. The song is a soulful re-interpretation of the "Hallelujah" chorus from Messiah, George Frideric Handel's well-known oratorio from 1741. It is performed by a choir of all-star gospel, contemporary Christian, R&B and jazz singers, along with several actors. The song was arranged and produced by Take 6 alumnus Mervyn Warren, and conducted by Quincy Jones. Handel's Messiah: A Soulful Celebration won the Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Soul Gospel Album in 1992, as well as a Dove Award for Contemporary Gospel Album of the Year.
Walter Lee Hawkins was an American gospel singer, songwriter, composer, and pastor. An influential figure in urban contemporary gospel music, his career spanned more than four decades. He was consecrated to the bishopric in 2000.
One Lord, One Faith, One Baptism is a 1987 gospel album recorded by Aretha Franklin, for Arista Records. Recorded at New Bethel Baptist Church in Detroit, Michigan, over the course of three nights, One Lord, One Faith, One Baptism became an album that combined the gospel talents of Aretha, her sisters Erma and Carolyn, and fellow gospel singer Mavis Staples.
A Stellar Award is an award presented by SAGMA to recognize achievements in the gospel music industry. The annual presentation ceremony features performances by prominent gospel artists, and the presentation of those awards that have a more popular interest. The Stellars are the first of the Big Two major gospel music awards held annually.
Glendon Theodore "Teddy" Campbell, Sr. is a gospel drummer & singer. He was the drummer on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. He is the lead singer for the Soul Seekers.
Urban/contemporary gospel is a modern subgenre of gospel music. Although the style developed gradually, early forms are generally dated to the 1970s, and the genre was well established by the end of the 1980s. The radio format is pitched primarily to African-Americans. Christian hip hop can be considered a subtype of this genre.
Time2Shine Gospel Talent Search was a UK gospel-based singing and music performance competition featuring auditions and a live final, all of which were recorded for transmission on the Sky platform.
Gabrielle Goodman is an American jazz singer, composer, author, and associate professor of voice at Berklee College of Music. She began working as a backup vocalist for Roberta Flack while at the Peabody Institute and later sang with Michael Bublé and Chaka Khan.
Colours of Gospel is a German gospel choir that performs throughout Germany and other European countries. Established in Mainz in 1998, the choir is currently conducted by Collins Nyandeje.
Gospel is the eighth studio album by British singer-songwriter Mica Paris. It was released on December 4, 2020 by Warner subsidiary East West Records. Gospel is Paris' first album since Born Again (2009).