Mahalia Jackson with Eureka Brass Band at the first New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, 1970
Photo by Michael P. Smith
Mahalia Jackson is widely considered the best and most influential gospel singer in history. She grew up in the Carrollton neighborhood of New Orleans, where she began singing in her church. She moved to Chicago at age 16 and began touring with a gospel group, the Johnson Gospel Singers. During her history-making career, Mahalia Jackson was the first gospel singer to perform at Carnegie Hall (1952) and at Newport Jazz Festival (1958). She also performed at President John F. Kennedy’s inauguration in 1961, at the March on Washington in 1963, and at the funeral of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., who was also a friend.
"A voice like this one comes not once in a century, but once in a millennium." Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Legacy and awards:
Grammy Hall of Fame songs -- This distinction was created to honor recordings of lasting qualitative or historical significance that are at least 25 years old.
1947 "Move On Up a Little Higher" Gospel (single) Apollo 1998
1958 "His Eye Is on the Sparrow" Gospel (single) Columbia 2010
1956 "Precious Lord, Take My Hand" Gospel (single) Columbia 2012
(LISTEN) “Mahalia Jackson: Voice Of The Civil Rights Movement,” a National Public Radio feature
Mahalia Jackson and Louis Armstrong perform "Just A Closer Walk With Thee." Recorded at Newport Jazz Festival, July 10, 1970. From Music Vault via YouTube.