MULTITRACKS
THE HISTORY OF GOSPEL MUSIC | Chris Baker
The Fisk Jubilee Singers . Click image to watch “ History of Gospel | Past ( pt . 1 )”
Happy Black History Month , 2023 . My name is Chris Baker , and I ’ m the brand manager of MultiTracks Gospel . I am a lover of all genres of music , but gospel music … man . It specifically holds a special place in my heart . Gospel music has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember , but I ’ ve always loved learning about its rich history .
It ’ s my history and it ’ s my heritage . This year leading up to Black History Month , I dug even further . I want you to follow along with me as we share with you … gospel music ’ s most significant moments and hear from some of Gospel ’ s biggest artists as we celebrate its past , present , and future .
PAST To begin , we ’ re gonna travel back to gospel music ’ s origin . Gospel music can be traced all the way back to the early 17th century . Hymns and sacred songs were ( and are ) often repeated in a call and response fashion with churches relying on hand clapping and foot stomping as rhythmic accompaniment while singing a capella .
The first published use of the term “ gospel song ” appeared in 1874 . Before that , hymns and spirituals were an important part of slave culture . Spirituals emerged in the American South in the 19th century when slaves held informal gatherings together and improvised folk songs . For some , this was just a way to feel closer to God during their unbelievable hardship .
With echoes of biblical stories and the teachings of Jesus , they told the harrowing story of American slavery . Some used spirituals as a covert communication song . For example , “ Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child ” and “ Rock My Soul In the Bosom of Abraham ” offer personal accounts of slave ’ s struggle with freedom , identity , heritage , and spirituality . This is why scholars regard spirituals as the most significant form of American folk music .
Let ’ s enter into the 20th century and talk about the significance of the 1930s . It ’ s been said that the 1930s were when traditional American gospel music began , as this was the year the National Baptist Convention ( the nation ’ s largest black religious organization in the United States ) officially endorsed gospel music in 1930 Chicago .
Around this same time , the man referred to as “ the father of gospel music ,” Thomas A . Dorsey , pivoted from blues and jazz and turned to gospel music , establishing its first publishing house . Dorsey was responsible for developing the musical careers of so many African American artists . Many of whom are very famous that we all know . One example is Mahalia Jackson , best known for her rendition of Dorsey ’ s “ Precious Lord Take My Hand .”
I remember as a child listening to my