Acclaimed by her contemporaries as “The Voice,” young Whitney had honed her vocal talent within the context of the African-American Church in Newark, New Jersey. It was there in the vibrant, hand-clapping atmosphere of the black Church, like so many...

You learn about the many milestone moments through the stories, with punctuation (usually, an exclamation point) provided by the accompanying song. She spoke of all she learned from her early apprenticeship with gospel great Mahalia Jackson, and how...

Aretha Franklin was born in Memphis, Tenn. , in 1942. Her parents had a troubled relationship and she was mostly raised by her grandmother. Music was in her life early, as gospel legends Mahalia Jackson and Clara Ward regularly visited the home.

Rule honors singer and Civil Rights activist Mahalia Jackson with original arrangements of the Queen of Gospel’s most beloved songs. Inspired by her mission to break down hatred and fear through song, Chanda braids Mahalia’s messages of truth with her...

Los Angeles -- Singer-actress Della Reese has played many roles during a career that spans nearly two-thirds of a century. As a teenager in the late 1940s, she spent two summers touring as a backup singer for gospel music queen Mahalia Jackson. During...

She was the voice of America. The real-life Whitney Houston, however, was one of greater frailty than the superpower she manifested in her voice. She had been born to sing. Her mother was Cissy Houston, a soul and gospel performer who sang backup for...