Even when history was on the line, Tamela Mann was determined not to cry. In this instance, history began with a phone call from her husband, David. “David, who is also my manager, called and said, ‘You’ve broken the record;…
How can we say thanks? Reflections on the influence of Andrae Crouch
The music of Andraé Crouch was the soundtrack of my life as a teenager and college student in the 1970s. “My Tribute,” “Soon and Very Soon,” “Jesus Is the Answer” and many others were songs I often heard at First…
Author explains the history of ‘Peace Be Still’ and its social influence
One of “the most beloved gospel songs of all time” achieved that status by offering Americans hope during some of the darkest moments of the 19th and 20th centuries, according to Robert Marovich, founder and editor-in-chief of the Journal of…
Baylor’s Black Gospel Archive and Listening Center now open to the public
Black Gospel music is a foundational ingredient in every popular music genre in America, and with the opening last week of Baylor University’s Black Gospel Archive and Listening Center, music that has long been accessible only to music scholars and…
That’s just the way it is? Don’t you believe it
One afternoon almost 20 years ago, I was sitting in my office at Baylor University when my desk phone rang. Even in those days, I usually ignored it. It was much more likely to be a telemarketer than a student…
CeCe Winans is experiencing a season of firsts
Award-winning Gospel artist CeCe Winans is living a life of many firsts. As a first-time grandparent and first-time co-pastor of the church she leads with her husband, she also recently recorded the first live album of her solo career. CeCe,…
Baylor’s black gospel music collection to be part of Smithsonian exhibit
By Terry Goodrich The Black Gospel Music Restoration Project — a search-and-rescue mission launched by a Baylor University researcher to save little-known recordings from the Golden Age of black gospel — will become a permanent feature of the Smithsonian Institution’s…