Mahalia Jackson
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Mahalia Jackson became a leading singer in Gospel music, known for her rich, powerful voice. She is the greatest gospel singer ever to live; a major cross over success whose popularity extended across racial divides; she was gospel's first superstar. One of her notable song ever released is "Move On Up A Little Higher".
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About
Mahalia Jackson was born on October 26, 1911 in New Orleans, Louisiana to "John A. Jackson, a barber and preacher and "Charity Clark", a laundress and maid. Mahalia 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.
Her mother died when she was five. Her father sent her to live with her aunt Mahalia "Duke" Paul. Her Aunt Duke did not allow secular music in her house, but Mahalia's cousin would sneak in records. Even at a very young age, Mahalia had a booming voice and she would sing hymns and old-time gospel tunes around the house.
At 16, with only an eighth grade education but a strong ambition to become a nurse, she went to Chicago to live with her Aunt Hannah. She supported herself doing housekeeping and odd jobs. However, she never stopped singing. Her unique contralto voice caught the attention of many small churches from coast to coast.
From there she joined the Greater Salem Baptist Church and its choir. At Salem, she also began a career in gospel singing as a member of the Johnson Gospel Singers. After performing with the Prince Johnson Singers, she began recording for Decca Records in 1937. When the records did not sell as well as expected, she became a beautician.
In 1946, while she was practicing in a recording studio, a representative from Decca Records overheard her sing an old spiritual she had learned as a child. He advised her to record it, and a few weeks later, she did. "Move On Up a Little Higher" became her signature song. The recording sold 100,000 copies overnight and soon passed the two-million mark. In 1950 she became the first gospel singer to perform at New York's Carnegie Hall, and started touring Europe in 1952, and was hailed by critics as the "world's greatest gospel singer".
She was a contract star of Apollo from 1946-1954. She had her own gospel program on the CBS television network in 1954 and scored a hit with "Rusty Old Halo" that same year. She then switched to Columbia Records from, 1954 to 1967 and released the singles, "Down By the Riverside," "Didn't It Rain," "Joshua Fought the Battle of Jericho," "He's Got the Whole World in His Hands," and that New Orleans staple, "When the Saints Go Marching In."
In 1958, she appeared at the Newport Jazz Festival in Rhode Island, performing with Duke Ellington and his band. In the late 1950s and early 1960s, Mahalia's attention turned to the growing civil rights movement in the United States. She sang in Africa, Japan, and India in 1970. In her later years, Mahalia Jackson had several hospitalizations for various health problems. She died of a heart attack on January 27, 1972.
Awards & Certifications
| Year | Award | Category |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | Grammy Awards | Best Gospel or Other Religious Recording |
| 1962 | Grammy Awards | Best Gospel or Other Religious Recording for "Great Songs Of Love And Faith" |
| 1963 | Grammy Awards | Best Gospel Or Other Religious Recording, Musical for ""Make A Joyful Noise Unto The Lord" |
| 1969 | Grammy Awards | Best Soul Gospel Performance for ""Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehovah" |
| 1972 | Grammy Awards | Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award |
| 1976 | Grammy Awards | Best Soul Gospel Performance |
| 1998 | Grammy Awards | Hall of Fame |
Chart Toppers
| Year | Pop Album | Album |
|---|---|---|
| 1966 | 2 | Silent Night |
| 1969 | 2 | Christmas With Mahalia |
News
Tours & Concerts
There are no current tour and concert schedules for Mahalia Jackson.
Announcements
There are no announcements as of this time
Discography
Albums
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Singles
| Date | Title | Label |
|---|---|---|
| 1974 | Waterloo | Columbia |
Compilations & Live Releases
| Date | Album | Label |
|---|---|---|
| 1958 | Live at Newport 1958 | Columbia |
| 1962 | Recorded in Europe During Her Latest Concert Tour | Columbia |
| 1962 | Silent Night (Songs For Christmas) | Columbia |
| 1963 | Greatest Hits | Columbia |
| 1967 | In Concert Easter Sunday | Columbia |
| 1975 | The World's Greatest Gospel Singer | Columbia |
| 1977 | Sings America's Favorite Hymns | Columbia |
| 1985 | Christmas With Mahalia | Sony |
| 1991 | Gospels, Sipirituals and Hymns | Columbia |
| 1991 | The Great Mahalia Jackson | Columbia |
| 1992 | Mahalia Jackson (album) | Sony Special Products |
| 1992 | Christmas With Mahalia | Black Label |
| 1992 | Gospel Christmas | Laserlight |
| 1992 | I'm Going To Tell God | Universal Special Products |
| 1993 | Go Tell on The Mountain | Arrival |
| 1994 | The Apollo Sessions (1946-1951) | Pair |
| 1994 | The Essence of Mahalia Jackson | Columbia |
| 1994 | Live At Newport | Columbia |
| 1995 | Mahalia Sings Songs of Christmas | Legacy |
| 1995 | Amazing Grace | MCA |
| 1995 | The Best Love Spirituals | Sony Special Products |
| 1995 | The Best of Mahalia Jackson | Columbia |
| 1996 | Gospel at Its Best | Queen |
| 1996 | The Collected Only | Collectables |
| 1997 | Queen of Gospel | MCI |
| 1998 | Gold Collection | Retro Music |
| 1999 | Thank You Jesus | JBM |
| 2000 | Spritual Christmas | Fine Tune |
| 2000 | Queen of Gospel:I Have A Friend | World of Music |
| 2000 | The Ultimate Collection | Prism Leisure |
| 2001 | A Portrait of Mahalia Jackson | Gallerie |
| 2001 | Selection of Mahalia Jackson | Proper |
| 2003 | Classic American Voices | Direct Source |
| 2003 | O Holy Night | Direct Source |
| 2004 | Come On Children's Sings | Collectables |
| 2004 | Mahalia Jackson This is Gold | Disky |
| 2004 | Sings Songs of Christmas | Sony |
| 2004 | Mahalia Jackson | Platinum Disc |
| 2005 | The Lord's Prayer | Falcone Music |
| 2005 | Best of Mahalia Jackson | Direct Source |
| 2006 | Joy To The World: A Gospel Christmas | Christmas Legends |
| 2006 | Legend | Music Club |
| 2007 | Songs of Hope and Faith | Primo |
| 2007 | 18 Greatest | Direct Source |
Other artists
Similar artists
Contemporaries
Influences
Trivia
- Mahalia appears on a 32 cent U.S. postage stamp.
- Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1997 (under the category Early Influence).
- Ranked #78 on VH1's 100 Greatest Women in Rock N Roll.
