The Jones Sisters Trio | |
---|---|
Also known as | Jones Sisters |
Origin | Cleveland, Ohio, United States |
Genres | gospel |
Years active | 1955-1975 |
Labels | World Records |
Members | Cheryl Jones Gail Jones Phyllis Jones |
The Jones Sisters Trio were an American gospel recording act from Cleveland, Ohio that recorded five albums during the 1960s and 1970s. [1] The group had consisted of sisters Cheryl (b. August 10, 1945), Gail (b. June 10, 1947), and Phyllis (b. July 4, 1949). [2]
As children in Cleveland, the Jones sisters began singing gospel music in front of their church in the early 1950s, encouraged by their parents Howard and Wanda Jones. [3] They quickly began singing on local television programs and at other churches; during this time they officially names themselves "The Jones Sisters Trio. [3] After the family moved to Liberia, in 1960 The Jones Sisters Trio began singing for the Billy Graham crusade in Monrovia, which they did over the next few years, "to an enthusiastic response." [4] [5] Before leaving Africa to return home to Cleveland, Graham officially dedicated the Jones's home to the work God had called them to in Liberia; the 300 guests at the ceremony, included Liberian President William V.S. Tubman and Vice President William Tolbert. [5]
In 1966, having already recorded two albums for World Records, the Trio (now 21, 19, and 17) played as part of the week-long Harlem Crusade Association rally at the Apollo Theater to over 12,000 people. [6] They went on to record three more albums in the 1960s and 1970s.
Cheryl's marriage in the early 1970s, according to mother Wanda, "curtailed the ministry of the Jones Sisters Trio." They still occasionally sang together, but their activity curtailed dramatically after this time, as well as any formal recording. [7]
In recent years the sisters have maintained a lower public profile but have continued to perform.
Gail released one solo album. In 1979, she married Cleveland Indians star Andre Thornton. They have two children together (Jonathan and Dean) and raised Andre Jr. from Andre's first marriage. [1] Gail introduced Phyllis to Thornton's friend and fellow ballplayer Pat Kelly, whom Phyllis married in 1979. They had one daughter, April Marie. [8]
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 often has dominant vocals with Christian lyrics. Gospel music can be traced to the early 17th century.
William Franklin Graham Jr. was an American evangelist, a prominent evangelical Christian figure, and an ordained Southern Baptist minister who became well known internationally in the late 1940s. One of his biographers has placed him "among the most influential Christian leaders" of the 20th century.
Open-air preaching, street preaching, or public preaching is the act of evangelizing a religious faith in public places. It is an ancient method of proselytizing a religious or social message and has been used by many cultures and religious traditions, but today it is usually associated with evangelical Protestant Christianity. Supporters of this approach note that both Jesus and many of the Old Testament prophets often preached about God in public places. It is one of the oldest approaches to evangelism.
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. Throughout his career, Cleveland appeared on hundreds of recordings and earned four 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 as one of the greatest gospel singers who 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."
William James Gaither is an American singer and songwriter of Southern gospel and contemporary Christian music. He has written numerous popular Christian songs with his wife Gloria; he is also known for performing as part of the Bill Gaither Trio and the Gaither Vocal Band (GVB). In the 1990s, his career gained a resurgence, as popularity grew for the Gaither Homecoming series.
LaWanda Page was an American actress, comedian, and dancer whose career spanned six decades. Crowned "The Queen of Comedy" or "The Black Queen of Comedy", Page melded blue humor, signifyin', and observational comedy to joke about sexuality, race relations, African-American culture, and religion. She released five solo albums, including the 1977 gold-selling Watch It, Sucker!. She also collaborated on two albums with comedy group Skillet, Leroy & Co. As an actress, Page is best known for portraying the Bible-toting and sharp-tongued "Aunt" Esther Anderson in the popular television sitcom Sanford and Son, which originally aired from 1972 until 1977. Page later reprised this role in the short-lived television shows Sanford Arms (1976–1977) and Sanford (1980–1981). She also co-starred in the 1979 short-lived series Detective School. Throughout her career, Page advocated for fair pay and equal opportunities for Black performers.
George Wilson Younce was an American bass singer, known for performing with Southern gospel quartets, especially The Cathedrals.
André Thornton nicknamed "Thunder", is a former professional baseball first baseman and designated hitter, who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Chicago Cubs, Montreal Expos, and Cleveland Indians during a 14-year big league career.
George Beverly Shea was a Canadian-born American gospel singer and hymn composer. Shea was often described as "America's beloved gospel singer" and was considered "the first international singing 'star' of the gospel world," as a consequence of his solos at Billy Graham Crusades and his exposure on radio, records and television. Because of the large attendance at Graham's Crusades, it is estimated that Shea sang live before more people than anyone else in history.
Harold John Ockenga was a leading figure of mid-20th-century American Evangelicalism, part of the reform movement known as "Neo-Evangelicalism". A Congregational minister, Ockenga served for many years as pastor of Park Street Church in Boston, Massachusetts. He was also a prolific author on biblical, theological, and devotional topics. Ockenga helped to found the Fuller Theological Seminary and Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, as well as the National Association of Evangelicals (NAE).
WEC International is an interdenominational mission agency of evangelical tradition which focuses on evangelism, discipleship and church planting, through music and the arts, serving addicts and vulnerable children, through Christian education, missionary and church leadership training, medical and development work, Bible translation, literacy and media production, in order to help local Christians share the gospel cross-culturally. WEC emphasises the importance of shared life in a local church as a vital expression of Christian life. WEC prioritises the planting of churches among indigenous people groups and unreached people groups, who have little or no access to the gospel of Jesus Christ
The Cathedral Quartet, also known as the Cathedrals, was an American southern gospel quartet who performed from 1964 to December 1999. The group's final lineup consisted of Glen Payne (lead), George Younce (bass), Ernie Haase (tenor), Scott Fowler, and Roger Bennett.
Glen Payne served for fifty-five years as a Southern gospel music singer. He is known for being the lead singer of The Cathedral Quartet.
Cheryl Elizabeth Gamble, better known by her stage name Coko, is an American singer-songwriter best known as the lead singer of the R&B vocal trio Sisters With Voices (SWV). Aside from her R&B career, Gamble also has a solo gospel career. As a member of SWV, Coko has sold 10 million records in the US, and 25 million records worldwide, and is a four-time Grammy Award nominee.
Danniebelle Hall, was an American gospel musician, recording artist, songwriter.
Sound of Gospel Records was founded in Detroit, Michigan, United States in 1969 by Armen Boladian. It is a gospel subsidiary record label of Westbound Records, where Boladian was also its former president.
The Barrett Sisters are an American gospel trio from Chicago, Illinois. The trio consisted of sisters DeLois Barrett Campbell, Billie Barrett GreenBey and Rodessa Barrett Porter. They have been singing together for more than 40 years.
Pattie Howard is an American gospel and R&B Singer-Songwriter, Producer, Composer and Vocal Arranger. She is a music industry veteran who has released two albums with major record labels, RCA Records and Light Records. Howard, who owns her own full service entertainment company, PH Balanced Music, is also known for singing background for many major artists including Whitney Houston, Gladys Knight, Brandy, Mary J Blige, Fantasia, Queen LaTifah, Madonna, Andrae Crouch, Michael Jackson, Curtis Siger, Lisa Stanfield, BeBe and CeCe Winans, Reba Rambo, and Diana Ross. She has dozens of gold and platinum albums to her credits encompassing artists from almost every genre. Howard landed one of her most profound gigs traveling the world with Whitney Houston from 1992 to 2001, at the height of her career, The Bodyguard Era. During the early 2000s, Howard returned to songwriting, music production, mixing, and mastering and is currently singing, composing, arranging and producing various artists/bands. In 2016 Pattie released 2 singles through her record label PH Balanced Music. "Jesus Is His Name" introduces Pattie's daughter Shekinah Nicole Howard in a contemporary gospel duet produced by Wow Jones and co produced by Pattie Howard. The second single titled "Feel Me, Heal Me" was also Produced by Wow Jones, written and arranged by Pattie Howard. Pattie Howard is featured in the Nick Broomfield Documentary Whitney Houston "Can I Be Me".
"He Touched Me" is a gospel song written by Bill Gaither in 1963.
Herbert Lockyer (1886–1984) was a minister and best-selling author of over 50 books, including the 21-volume "All" series. He was educated at Glasgow Bible Institute, afterwards receiving honorary degrees at Northwestern Evangelical Seminary, and the International Academy in London. He was most influential, however, after crossing the Atlantic to preach and write in the United States.