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Mahalia Jackson

Biography

General critical consensus holds Mahalia Jackson as the greatest gospel singer ever to live; a major crossover success whose popularity extended across racial divides, she was gospel's first superstar, and even decades after her death remains for many listeners a defining symbol of the music's transcendent power. With her singularly expressive contralto, Jackson continues to inspire the generations of vocalists which follow in her wake; among the first spiritual performers to introduce elements of blues into her music, she infused gospel with a sensuality and freedom it had never before experienced, and her artistry rewrote the rules forever. Born in one of the poorest sections of New Orleans on October 16, 1911, Jackson made her debut in the children's choir of the Plymouth Rock Baptist Church at the age of four, and within a few years was a prominent member of the Mt. Moriah Baptist's junior choir. Raised next door to a sanctified church, she was heavily influenced by their brand of gospel, with its reliance on drums and percussion over piano; another major inspiration was the blues of Bessie Smith and Ma Rainey.

By the time she reached her mid-teens, then, Jackson's unique vocal style was fully formed, combining the full-throated tones and propulsive rhythms of the sanctified church and the deep expressiveness of the blues with the note-bending phrasing of her Baptist upbringing. After quitting school during the eighth grade, Jackson relocated to Chicago in 1927, where she worked as a maid and laundress; within months of her arrival, she was singing leads with the choir at the Greater Salem Baptist Church, where she joined the three sons of her pastor in their group the Johnson Brothers. Although other small choir groups had cut records in the past, the Johnson Brothers might have been the first professional gospel unit ever; the first organized group to play the Chicago church circuit, they even produced a series of self-written musical dramas in which Jackson assumed the lead role. Her provocative performing style -- influenced by the Southern sanctified style of keeping time with the body and distinguished by jerks and steps for physical emphasis -- enraged many of the more conservative Northern preachers, but few could deny her fierce talent.

After the members of the Johnson Brothers went their separate ways during the mid-'30s, Jackson began her solo career accompanied by pianist Evelyn Gay, who herself later went on to major fame as one half of gospel's Gay Sisters. During the week, Jackson also went to beauty school, and soon opened her own salon. As her reputation as a singer grew throughout the Midwest, in 1937 she made her first recordings for Decca, becoming the first gospel artist signed to the label; curiously, none of the tracks she recorded during her May 21 session was by Thomas A. Dorsey, the legendary composer for whom she began working as a song demonstrator around that same time. (He even wrote "Peace in the Valley" with her in mind.) While her Decca single "God's Gonna Separate the Wheat from the Tares" sold only modestly, prompting a lengthy studio hiatus, Jackson's career continued on the upswing -- she soon began performing live in cities as far away as Buffalo, New Orleans and Birmingham, becoming famous in churches throughout the country for not only her inimitable voice but also her flirtatious stage presence and spiritual intensity.

Jackson did not record again until 1946, signing with Apollo Records; although her relations with the label were often strained, the work she produced during her eight-year stay on their roster was frequently brilliant. While her first Apollo recordings, including "I Want to Rest" and "He Knows My Heart," fared poorly -- so much so, in fact, that the label almost dropped her -- producer Art Freeman insisted Jackson record W. Herbert Brewster's "Move on Up a Little Higher"; released in early 1948, the single became the best-selling gospel record of all time, selling in such great quantities that stores could not even meet the demand. Virtually overnight, Jackson became a superstar; beginning in 1950, she became a regular guest on journalist Studs Terkel's Chicago television series, and among white intellectuals and jazz critics, she acquired a major cult following based in large part on her eerie similarities to Bessie Smith. In 1952, her recording of "I Can Put My Trust in Jesus" even won a prize from the French Academy, resulting in a successful tour of Europe -- her rendition of "Silent Night" even became one of the all-time best-selling records in Norway's history.

Jackson's success soon reached such dramatic proportions that in 1954 she began hosting her own weekly radio series on CBS, the first program of its kind to broadcast the pure, sanctified gospel style over national airwaves. The show surrounded her with a supporting cast which included not only pianist Mildred Falls and organist Ralph Jones, but also a white quartet led by musical director Jack Halloran; although her performances with Halloran's group moved Jackson far away from traditional gospel towards an odd hybrid which crossed the line into barbershop quartet singing, they proved extremely popular with white audiences, and her transformation into a true crossover star was complete. Also in 1954 she signed to Columbia, scoring a Top 40 hit with the single "Rusty Old Halo," and two years later made her debut on The Ed Sullivan Show. However, with Jackson's success came the inevitable backlash -- purists decried her music's turn towards more pop-friendly production, and as her fame soared, so did her asking price, so much so that by the late '50s virtually no black churches could afford to pay her performance fee.

A triumphant appearance at the 1958 Newport Jazz Festival solidified Jackson's standing among critics, but her records continued moving her further away from her core audience -- when an LP with Percy Faith became a smash, Columbia insisted on more recordings with orchestras and choirs; she even cut a rendition of "Guardian Angels" backed by comic Harpo Marx. In 1959, she appeared in the film Imitation of Life, and two years later sang at John F. Kennedy's Presidential inauguration. During the 1960s, Jackson was also a confidant and supporter of Dr. Martin Luther King, and at his funeral sang his last request, "Precious Lord"; throughout the decade she was a force in the civil rights movement, but after 1968, with King and the brothers Kennedy all assassinated, she retired from the political front. At much the same time Jackson went through a messy and very public divorce, prompting a series of heart attacks and the rapid loss of over a hundred pounds; in her last years, however, she recaptured much of her former glory, concluding her career with a farewell concert in Germany in 1971. She died January 27, 1972. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Music Guide

Continued…

Selected Discography

The Essential Mahalia Jackson
2004

Mahalia Jackson
2003

Live At Newport 1958
1994

Gospels, Spirituals, & Hymns
1991

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dorothy taylor says:

09-19-2008

I just love to hear these songs of ld. thank you

Sherron Faggett says:

edited on 08-13-2008

To this day I still love Mahalia Jackson, she was truly a woman sent to us by God. you could hear God in all her music as well as her life. She sung like an angel.

peacemakerad h k says:

08-07-2008

Lady Mahalia Jackson is a legend in her own right. Thank God for letting her come this way and leave so much for others to enjoy and learn.

FRANKLIN says:

08-03-2008

I saw Ms. Jackson in the the movie Imitation of Life as a young man and was hooked for ever on her genra of gospel music.In our home, Sundays are a day of rest and to give thanks and praises to the almighty & if you did not go to church for whatever reason her music and other form of goslel was enough inspiration.

gerbark says:

edited on 07-24-2008

Ms. Jackson has the voice of an angle. Thank the Good Lord for her.

annetedavis says:

07-21-2008

Mahalia Jackson is and always will be the greatest gospel singer in the world

josephtroyho w a r d says:

07-15-2008

Mahalia Jackson is without a doubt the greatest Gospel Singer of ALL TIME!!! There will never be another one like her! She has the kinda voice where when you hear it you just cant sit still......y o u gotta move!

Kenneth Gathers says:

07-05-2008

I love her then and now.

clinesterton _ b e a d e m u n g says:

06-30-2008

She's one of the reasons I despise contemporary praise and worship music--insip i d , soulless gruel compared to this woman's gorgeous, unearthly singing.

marthakane says:

05-26-2008

I was raised with my Mammy singing her songs, and I got to hear her only once in New Orleans at a church. She has gotten me thru my darkest days. One of God's great gifts.

George Morris Koonce ,Jr. says:

05-24-2008

My personal alltime favorite gospel singer ... a true blessing a spiritual treasurer... G e o r g e Koonce

Andre DIllard says:

04-20-2008

She will always will be The Standard in Praise and Worship!!

vleeann999 says:

04-13-2008

She's still the standard.

fbouknight1 says:

edited on 03-05-2008

I love her. Her singing is so inspirationa l and powerful. When my husband died in 1994, Her recordings got me through a very trying time. Thank you for continuing to play her songs.

adriennemoor e 6 7 says:

02-25-2008

Ms. Mahalia Jackson is by far, one of the greatest gospel- blues and inspirationa l singers of all time. There is no gospel style that compares to her ability. I love to hear her sing His praises

joaoafro says:

02-15-2008

She was God sent! Hallelujah!

Truly says:

01-30-2008

I agree shirleyj12, she never wavered from her gospel roots. never crossed over, never performed in a night club. She was true to her craft and her genre of music. God has a Magnificient Sanctuary Choir.

shirleyj12 says:

12-15-2007

MAHALIA JACKSON WAS AND IS THE GREATEST GOSPEL SINGER EVER. SHE EPITIMIZES THE TRUE SPIRIT OF GOSPEL MUSIC AND THE ARTIST'S LOVE FOR OUR LORD AND SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST. HER MUSIC WILL TOUCH THE HUMAN SPIRIT OF PEOPLE UNTIL THE END OF TIME AS WE KNOW IT ON THIS EARTH.