Caesar first began singing and performing for family and friends. She began singing as Baby Shirley Caesar all over the Carolinas as invitations poured in. She could only perform on weekends due to being in school during the weekdays. Her professional music career began in 1958 at 19, when she approached
Albertina Walker about joining
The Caravans, one of the most popular gospel groups at that time. Albertina wanted the vocally talented young Caesar in her group after hearing her sing a solo. Caesar decided to halt her education to join the group. Caesar recorded and performed with
Albertina Walker, Cassietta George, Inez Andrews, Delores Washington, Josephine Howard, Eddie Williams, and James Herndon while in the Caravans. Her biggest hit with the Caravans was the song "Sweeping Through the City" followed by "No Coward Soldier". After 8 years with the Caravans, she decided to leave after being offered a solo recording contract with Hob Records. Her first LP on the Hob label was entitled ''I'll Go'', backed up by the
Institutional Radio Choir and includes the classics "Oh Peter, Don't Be Afraid" and "Choose Ye This Day". Other hits soon followed, with recordings such as "Satan, We're Gonna Tear Your Kingdom Down", "God's Not Dead, He's Yet Alive" and the classic "Don't Drive Your Mama Away". In 1971, she won her first Grammy Award for her recording of "Put Your Hand in the Hand of the Man", and in 1975, her recording of the song "No Charge" became an instant hit and her first gold record. Although she had success she wanted to reach larger audiences and felt this wasn't being achieved with Hob Records; she decided not to renew her record contract with them which ended that same year. To reach more people with her music, Caesar signed with a secular record label called Roadshow Records in 1977 and released the debut album entitled
First Lady. The producer of the album titled the album
First Lady because Caesar was the first female to ever record on the label. The album contained songs with strong gospel lyrics, but many within the gospel community felt that the music itself was "too worldly," and many gospel DJs refused to play it on their radio station. One song, however, "Faded Rose", later became a Caesar classic. Overall, the album sold poorly, but the "First Lady" title caught on within the gospel industry, and concert announcers, DJs and gospel promoters everywhere started introducing her as "The First Lady of Gospel Music", a title that has been associated with her ever since. The second and final album she recorded for Roadshow was
From the Heart in 1978. It was poorly received for the same reason. Caesar searched for a gospel label and decided to sign with
Word Records in 1980 and went on to win several more Grammy Awards during the next several years and beyond. She stayed with Word for many years and recorded some of the biggest hits of her career such as "God's Got It All in Control", "Hold My Mule" (which later went viral as a
Thanksgiving-related
Internet meme under the title "
You Name It"), "He's Working It Out for You", "Jesus, I Love Calling Your Name" and "You're Next in Line for a Miracle". She has made a name for herself on the gospel music circuit, making guest appearances on the Bobby Jones gospel show and other popular television shows. Caesar credits
Albertina Walker as her mentor and "Queen of Gospel Music". Between 1981 and 1995, she received seven
Dove Awards for Black Gospel Album of the Year for
Live at the G.M.W.A.,
Celebration,
Christmasing,
Sailin‘,
Live ... In Chicago,
Go and
Rejoice. She received two Black Gospel Song of the Year Awards for "He's Working It Out for You" and "Hold My Mule". She has performed with
Patti LaBelle,
Whitney Houston,
Dorothy Norwood,
Faith Evans,
Dottie Peoples, Arnold Houston,
Kim Burrell,
John P. Kee,
Kirk Franklin,
Tonex, and
Tye Tribbett, among others. Caesar is also an actress. She acted in movies, such as
Why Do Fools Fall in Love (1998) with
Larenz Tate and
Little Richard,
Fighting Temptations (2003) with
Beyoncé and
Cuba Gooding Jr., and
The Unseen (2005) with
Steve Harris. She acted in an episode of
The Good News in 1998 as Aunt Shirley. Caesar appeared on
The Parkers in 2004. In 2014, her song "Teach Me Master", which originally appeared on her 1972 album
Get Up My Brother, was sampled by Dutch producer
Bakermat as "
Teach Me". It reached number 22 on the
UK Singles Chart. In 2016, she found herself back at the very top of the gospel
Billboard chart with her CD release
Fill This House. ==Education in later life==