Gospel Song – No More, My Lawd. “No More” was first recorded in 1947 at the notorious Parchman Farm of the Mississippi State Penitentiary System. The Farm was modeled after a slave plantation during the slavery era, and was called “the closest thing to slavery that survived the Civil War.” 90% of the prison population was …
Gospel Song – Soul of a Man. Blind Willie Johnson, the legendary gospel blues musician, recorded this classic song in 1930. Blind Willie was unsurpassed in terms of songs that have stood the test of time. He only recorded about 30 songs, in the late 1920’s, and they all continue to get a lot of attention …
Gospel Song – Now Behold the Lamb. Kirk Franklin (born 1970), “the reigning king of urban gospel,” composed and released this song in 1995. He is a prolific songwriter and arranger, an accomplished pianist, and a celebrated choir director. Franklin has won an astonishing 16 Grammy awards, and he is still going strong. His R & …
Gospel Song – Can’t Nobody Do Me like Jesus. Andrae Crouch (1942-2015), the composer of this classic, was a highly influential musician in gospel music, especially during the 1960’s and 1970’s. He had the gift of incorporating a contemporary secular style with traditional gospel. Crouch helped bring a modern musical sensibility into the church at large, …
Gospel Song – Lord Keep Me Day By Day. This poignant gospel song was composed by Eddie Williams, who was a musician associated with the famous gospel group The Caravans. The song is popular in churches and has been recorded by a wide range of gospel musicians. The prayerful request in the lyrics are universal for …
Gospel Song – We Shall Be Changed. Little is known about this classic gospel song, including who the composer was and when it was composed. The joy and hope of this song is infectious. With its buoyancy, this song could be triumphantly sung at a memorial or funeral service. The lyrics are taken directly from 1 …
Gospel Song – I Am Redeemed. The composer of this classic was Jessy Dixon (1938-2011), an internationally acclaimed gospel musician. He was an electric performer and worship leader, and a hugely successful songwriter. He released “I Am Redeemed” in 1994, and the song was later named the “gospel song of the decade.” For more on his …
Gospel Song – Sweet, Sweet Spirit. This classic hymn was composed by the gospel great Doris Akers in 1962. Pleases refer to the post, “You Can’t Beat God Giving” for more on her life and ministry. The story behind this song is that one Sunday morning, she was in prayer with her church choir before the …
Gospel Song – The Wicked Shall Cease Their Troubling. Jessy Dixon (1938-2011), the composer of this gospel classic, was a highly acclaimed singer, songwriter, pianist and worship leader during the latter decades of the 20th century. He was nominated for seven Grammy awards, he toured with Paul Simon internationally, and he wrote songs for stars such …
Gospel Song – Highway to Heaven. There are questions about who composed this gospel classic. Many resources state that the writer of this song is unknown. On the other hand, “Highway to Heaven” is included in a Thomas Dorsey compilation, which implies that the legendary Father of Gospel Music wrote this song. We do know that …
Gospel Song – You Can’t Beat God Giving. This classic gospel song was written in 1957 by Doris Akers (1923-1995). She was a highly accomplished gospel musician, and was revered for her talents in singing, keyboards, composing, producing, directing, and song arranging. Ms. Akers wrote over 500 gospel songs during her career, and was even affectionally …
Gospel Song – Brother Moses Smote the Water. There is little known about the origins of this traditional gospel song. The earliest recording of “Brother Moses” was in 1941. But it became a gospel standard after the Golden Gate Quartet recorded it in 1945. It is telling that Moses is thought of as “brother” in the …