African American Gospel Music
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Shows
Deep Mississippi Gospel
The gospel quartets and groups of Mississippi represent some of the finest African American gospel music on the planet, yet they have been mostly unknown in other parts of the world.
The show begins in Canton, Mississippi 1978 with the James Missionary Baptist Church of Canton singing “Wade in the Water”, a traditional African American spiritual, followed by a performance from the same year by the Heavenly Gospel Singers of Canton singing a variation of the river-baptismal spiritual “Stepped in the Water One Day”.
We now jump to the 1990s to hear from the Canton Spirituals, a gospel group originally founded in Canton, Mississippi in 1943. Harvey Watkins Sr., the group’s founder, leads with “Ride This Train” and this is followed by his son, Harvey Jr., singing “I’m in Your Care”.
Next, we move on to Byhalia, Mississippi where Rev. Andrew Cheairs and the Gospel Songbirds of Byhalia sing two gospel songs “Pass Me Not, O Gentle Savior” and “A Prayer for Times Like These”.
Moving on to Tupelo, Mississippi, The Golden Wings Quartet perform “Leave it Here”.
Finally, the late, great Lee Williams and the Spiritual QCs, also from Tupelo, Mississippi, perform “God’s Got a Blessing”, “Tell the Angels”, and “On My Way”. (1 hour)
Greatest Gospel Singing
A very rare video recording of a typical outdoor gospel concert in North Carolina featuring some great gospel acts filmed on August 19, 1984. On the bill are The Travelaires and the Melodyaires of Baltimore; the Harmonizing Four and the Burden Lifters of Richmond, Virginia; the Angelic Gospel Singers and the Sensational Nightingales of Philadelphia; The Pilgrim Wonders of Toledo, Ohio; the Sunset Jubilaires and Rev. F.C. and Janice Brown of Rocky Mount, North Carolina; the Evereadys and the Violinaires of Detroit; and Slim and The Supreme Angles of Milwaukee. (5 hours, 40 minutes)
Big Gospel Festival
This is a very rare video from a VHS video tape of an African American gospel concert in an unknown location (most likely the East Coast/North Carolina) featuring Rev. F.C. Barns, the Angelic Gospel Singers, the Mighty Clouds of Joy, Willie Banks, Troy Ramey, the Pilgrim Jubilees, Luther Barnes, Tommy Ellison, the Canton Spirituals, Willie Neal Johnson, and Dottie Peoples among others. This video was probably filmed in the early 1990s. (2 hours)
Two Great Live Performances
Here we have to wonderful videos of African American gospel-music performances.
I was very fortunate to have attended multiple performances by these two groups when I was living in Richmond, Virginia, where I had a computer-consulting contract with the state Department of Motor Vehicles. When they were in town, these groups performed in a large performance venue downtown. I always arrived very early so that I could secure my seat in the middle of the first row.
I first saw the Canton Spirituals in December 1995. This was the first African American gospel concert that I attended after my arrival in Richmond. I saw them a number of times after that.
The first time that I saw Willie Neal Johnson, he came down from the stage and rubbed my hair while he was singing to the audience. I was obviously one of the only white people in the large audience. (Don Robertson)
The Canton Spirituals
Live in Memphis is a landmark 1993 gospel album and live concert film by the renowned contemporary gospel group, the Canton Spirituals. Released in April 1993 on Blackberry Records, the project earned the group a Grammy Award nomination and remains one of their most celebrated releases. The legendary performance—often considered a cornerstone of modern gospel quartet music—expertly blends traditional spirituals with R&B and soul influences. Fronted by Harvey Watkins Jr., the group delivered impassioned renditions of what would become some of their most iconic signature tracks.
Willie Neal Johnson & The Gospel Keynotes
The Country Boy Goes Home by gospel legend Willie Neal Johnson & The New Gospel Keynotes. Released in the late 1990s, this beloved live performance was recorded in Tyler, Texas.