Mahalia Jackson Autograph

Profession:
(1911-1972) American gospel singer - possessing a powerful contralto voice, she was referred to as `The Queen of Gospel`.

Year of Birth: 1911

Mahalia Jackson was a gospel singer who lived during the twentieth century. She was born on October 26th, 1911 in New Orleans, Louisiana. Jackson was born into a large, poor family and raised in the Baptist faith. Her mother, Charity Clark, was a devout Christian who sang in the local Baptist church choir, and this is where Jackson first began to sing.

Jackson began performing gospel music at the age of four and soon after, started singing in the local Baptist church. At age twelve, she was performing in the church and touring with the Johnson Gospel Singers, a local gospel group. In 1927, Jackson moved to Chicago to pursue a career as a gospel singer. She soon became a well-known figure in the city's gospel scene and began to tour with other gospel acts.

In the mid-1940s, Jackson signed with Apollo Records and released her first album, “Mahalia Jackson Sings Spirituals”. She quickly became a popular name in gospel music and was praised for her powerful and emotive singing style. Jackson's most successful recordings during this period were “Move On Up a Little Higher” and “I'm On My Way To Canaan Land”.

In the 1950s, Jackson began to reach a much wider audience and gained international fame. She was invited to perform at Carnegie Hall and appeared on the Ed Sullivan Show, becoming the first gospel singer to do so. She also toured Europe and Africa, performing gospel and popular music. Jackson was also an activist and civil rights supporter. She sang for civil rights marches and other events, and her most famous performance was at Martin Luther King's “I Have a Dream” speech in 1963.

In the late 1960s and early 1970s, Jackson continued to perform, but her health began to decline. She was diagnosed with cancer in 1971 and died on January 27th, 1972. Jackson was posthumously inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1994 and the Gospel Music Association Hall of Fame in 1999. She is remembered as one of the most influential gospel singers of all time and her music continues to inspire generations of musicians.

Mahalia Jackson's legacy has endured for decades and she is remembered as one of the most influential gospel singers of all time. Her powerful and emotive singing style, her activism, and her commitment to her faith have made her an enduring figure in the history of gospel music.