Background: 18th century–late 19th century Black gospel music has roots in the Black oral tradition—the passing down of history via the spoken word rather than in writing. Griots performed in West Africa. In colonial America, where enslaved Africans were prevented from being formally educated, oral and otherwise non-written communication became the method not only for cultural patrimony, but for virtually all communication. Some of this communication (including work songs sung in the fields) was used to organize, including plans for retaliation against their enslavers and for escape. This eventually led to the banning of drums in many parts of colonial America, as well as other instruments related to West African patrimony. As such, most Black churches relied on hand- clapping and foot-stomping as rhythmic accompaniment. West African dance and
ring shout traditions developed among early Black Christians into
shouting, in which fast-paced gospel music is accompanied by equally rapid (often frenzied) dancing. (In its modern form, this is also known as a "praise break".) This, along with the
repetition and "
call and response" elements familiar to West African music, helped to engender an
ecstatic, trance-like state and to strengthen communal bonds. These elements also enabled illiterate members the opportunity to participate. Useful in the fields and in the church house, Negro spirituals (and the traditions associated with them) were the earliest form of Black gospel. In 1867, a compendium of slave songs titled
Slaves Songs of the United States was issued by a group of Northern
abolitionists. It is also the first such collection of African-American music of any kind, and included a number of early Black gospel songs, including "
Down in the River to Pray" (then titled "The Good Old Way"). In 1871, the Fisk Jubilee Singers were formed, an a-cappella Black gospel ensemble formed to fundraise for Fisk University, an HBCU in Nashville.
Initial "gospel" music era: late 19th century–1910s An early reference to the term "gospel song" appeared in
Philip Bliss' 1874 songbook,
Gospel Songs. A Choice Collection of Hymns and Tunes, describing songs that were easy to grasp and more easily singable than the traditional church
hymns, not unlike Watts' works from a century prior. This latter tradition was used in the context of the growing
revival/
camp meeting tradition, a form of worship familiar to Black Christians, who had often been forced to meet in large outdoor spaces due to racism and other concerns. This increasingly interracial tradition would eventually morph into the larger
Pentecostal movement, which began in a
markedly interracial fashion in
Los Angeles and helped Black gospel expand nationwide across racial boundaries.
Sister Rosetta Tharpe would emerge from the Black Pentecostal tradition as the first notable gospel recording artist.
Arizona Dranes, the first-recorded gospel pianist, came from similar roots during this period and helped introduce ragtime stylings to the genre. On the other hand, many Black Christians during this time (especially those in the North) had adopted a much milder form of Christian worship than their enslaved predecessors, reflecting more influence from Europe than from Africa.
Thomas Dorsey era: 1920s–1945 Thomas Dorsey, a longtime secular artist, went gospel in the 1920s and revolutionized the genre by fusing it with his former style. With biblical knowledge from his father, who was a Baptist minister, and taught to play the piano by his mother, he called himself "Georgia Tom", and worked with blues musicians when the family moved to Atlanta. He went north to Chicago in 1916 and, after receiving his union card, became a notable artist in the area and also joined Pilgrim Baptist Church. He dropped secular music after a second conversion experience in 1921 at the National Baptist Convention, but quickly returned to the work for economic reasons, performing with artists like Ma Rainey. While Pentecostalism grew on the West Coast and elsewhere, Black Christians in the South began to develop a quartet (and quartet-ish) style of a cappella gospel music, occasioning the rise of groups such as Julius Cheeks & Sensational Nightingales, the
Swan Silvertones,
The Soul Stirrers,
the Dixie Hummingbirds, the
Five Blind Boys of Mississippi, the
Five Blind Boys of Alabama,
the Fairfield Four, and the
Golden Gate Quartet. Many other gospel musicians began to gain fame in this era as well, such as
Blind Willie Johnson and
Blind Joe Taggart. Such groups and artists, while popular in the Black community, largely escaped the notice of White America. Thomas Dorsey left secular music behind for good after the sudden death of his wife and newborn son. Dorsey attempted to share his gospel music with other but was initially shut down due to his secular background and the impact blues had on his gospel trajectoryHowever, the tide turned in . It has been said that 1930 was the year traditional black gospel music began, as the National Baptist Convention first publicly endorsed the music at its 1930 meeting. Dorsey was responsible for developing the musical careers of many African-American artists, such as Mahalia Jackson. In 1942, the gospel group the
Sensational Nightingales was founded, joined in 1946 by another gospel singer
Julius Cheeks.
Wilson Pickett and
James Brown were influenced by Julius Cheeks.
1946–1970s Following
World War II, gospel music moved into major auditoriums, and gospel music concerts became quite elaborate. In 1964, the
Gospel Music Association was established, which in turn began the
Dove Awards (in 1969) and the
Gospel Music Hall of Fame (in 1972). Both of the latter two groups began primarily for
Southern gospel performers, but in the late-1970s, began including artists of other sub-genres. Also in 1969,
James Cleveland established the
Gospel Music Workshop of America. Late 1970s,
Mighty Clouds of Joy and
the Canton Spirituals released gospel albums.
Contemporary era: 1980s–present With the continuing rise in popularity of music as a form of radio, concert, and home entertainment, came the desire of some gospel artists to "cross over" into the secular genres and spaces that would afford them more exposure and success. This often came with a shift in musical style, taking on elements from secular music itself. This did not come without controversy, as many artists of this new
urban contemporary gospel genre (like
The Clark Sisters) would face criticism from churches, standard-bearers of the traditional genre, and the Black Christian sphere at large, as their new work was often seen as a compromise with "the world" and its sinfulness. Their album sales would speak for themselves, however. This pattern would repeat itself in subsequent decades, with new artists like
Yolanda Adams, the Clark Sisters, Fred Hammond, Marvin Sapp, and
Kirk Franklin making increasingly more bold forays into the secular world with their musical stylings, facing criticism from many within their tradition. They gained commercial success in the R&B chart and the current sphere of Black gospel recording artists is almost exclusively of the urban contemporary bent. == Style ==