Singing in My Soul

Black Gospel Music in a Secular Age

By Jerma A. Jackson

208 pp., 6 x 9, 8 illus., notes, bibl., index

  • Paperback ISBN: 978-0-8078-5530-0
    Published: April 2004
  • E-book EPUB ISBN: 978-0-8078-6361-9
    Published: December 2005
  • E-book PDF ISBN: 979-8-8908-7814-4
    Published: December 2005

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Black gospel music grew from obscure nineteenth-century beginnings to become the leading style of sacred music in black American communities after World War II. Jerma A. Jackson traces the music's unique history, profiling the careers of several singers--particularly Sister Rosetta Tharpe--and demonstrating the important role women played in popularizing gospel.

Female gospel singers initially developed their musical abilities in churches where gospel prevailed as a mode of worship. Few, however, stayed exclusively in the religious realm. As recordings and sheet music pushed gospel into the commercial arena, gospel began to develop a life beyond the church, spreading first among a broad spectrum of African Americans and then to white middle-class audiences. Retail outlets, recording companies, and booking agencies turned gospel into big business, and local church singers emerged as national and international celebrities. Amid these changes, the music acquired increasing significance as a source of black identity.

These successes, however, generated fierce controversy. As gospel gained public visibility and broad commercial appeal, debates broke out over the meaning of the music and its message, raising questions about the virtues of commercialism and material values, the contours of racial identity, and the nature of the sacred. Jackson engages these debates to explore how race, faith, and identity became central questions in twentieth-century African American life.

About the Author

Jerma A. Jackson is associate professor of history at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
For more information about Jerma A. Jackson, visit the Author Page.

Reviews

"Emphasizes the fascinating connections between sacred and secular forms of black music. . . . Enlightening."--Ethnomusicology

"Engaging for its fresh approach and solid evidentiary base."--Journal of Southern History

"Documenting the intersections of race, gender, and culture, as well as the traditions of the church and the community as they relate to black gospel music, makes Jackson's work a rich contribution to the music history of African Americans."--Journal of African American History

"Jackson thoroughly explores largely uncharted territory. The souls of scholars, historians and students of gospel music will surely sing at work that not only moves the spirit, but also educates the mind."--Black Issues Book Review

"[Jackson] traces [gospel music's] history, tersely telescoping information gained from archival work, historically important participants, and the sources listed in the splendid bibliography. . . . Highly recommended."--Choice

"If you enjoy Gospel music, you'll enjoy this book. . . . From Thomas A. Dorsey . . . to contemporary icons, the author offers profiles and insightful research."--Gospel Today