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Artist
Mahalia Jackson
12+ albums
gospelsoulfemale vocalistsjazzjazz vocal
about
Mahalia Jackson (October 26, 1911 – January 27, 1972) was an American gospel singer. Possessing a powerful contralto voice, she was referred to as "The Queen of Gospel". Jackson became one of the most influential gospel singers in the world and was heralded internationally as a singer and civil rights activist. She was described by entertainer Harry Belafonte as "the single most powerful black woman in the United States". She recorded about 30 albums (mostly for Columbia Records) during her career, and her 45 rpm records included a dozen "golds"—million-sellers. "I sing God's music because it makes me feel free," Jackson once said about her choice of gospel, adding, "It gives me hope. With the blues, when you finish, you still have the blues." Jackson grew up in the "Black Pearl" section of the Carrollton neighbourhood of uptown New Orleans, Louisiana, and began singing in a Baptist church. In 1927 she moved to Chicago, Illinois, where she sang with The Johnson Brothers, one of the earliest professional gospel groups. The Johnson Brothers broke up in the mid-1930s, and Jackson began her solo career, recording for Decca in 1937. The result, "God's Gonna Separate the Wheat from the Tares", was only a moderate success, but Jackson became a popular concert draw. She didn't record again untill 1946, when she signed with Apollo Records, releasing several singles that are now highly regarded, though sales were sluggish at the time. "Move On up a Little Higher" (1948) became a huge
top songs
1
Silent Night, Holy Night
48,7562Summertime / Sometimes I feel like a motherless child
19,9633Hark! The Herald Angels Sing
17,5364Silent Night
17,1635Go Tell It on the Mountain
16,5566O Little Town of Bethlehem
13,9207Amazing Grace
13,4398I Will Move on Up a Little Higher
12,6169His Eye Is on the Sparrow
12,56010Trouble of the World
11,000albums
The Essential Mahalia Jackson
Bless This House
Silent Night: Songs for Christmas
Gospels, Spirituals, & Hymns
GOSPELS, SPIRITUALS & HYMNS
Christmas With Mahalia
Sings the Best-Loved Hymns of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
The Best Of Mahalia Jackson
Gospels, Spirituals, & Hymns Volume 2
Christmas Remixed 2
Silent Night: Songs For Christmas (Expanded Edition)
16 Most Requested Songs