Mahalia Jackson

Lore & Background

Mahalia Jackson was born and raised in poverty in New Orleans, the granddaughter of enslaved people. She found a home in her church, leading to a lifelong dedication to deliver God's word through song. She moved to Chicago as an adolescent and joined the Johnson Singers, one of the earliest gospel groups. Heavily influenced by musician-composer Thomas Dorsey and blues singer Bessie Smith, she adapted Smith's style to traditional Protestant hymns and contemporary songs. For 15 years, she worked as a 'fish and bread singer,' taking odd jobs between performances. She became the first gospel recording artist to tour Europe, regularly appeared on television and radio, and performed for many presidents and heads of state, including singing the national anthem at John F. She was a vocal supporter of Martin Luther King Jr. and a personal friend of his family.

Reader's Guide

Mahalia Jackson's significance lies in her role as a transformative figure in gospel music and American culture. She faced intense pressure to record secular music but turned down high-paying opportunities to concentrate on gospel. Completely self-taught, her delivery was marked by extensive improvisation with melody and rhythm. She was renowned for her powerful contralto voice, range, enormous stage presence, and ability to convey and evoke intense emotion during performances. Her success brought about international interest in gospel music, initiating the 'Golden Age of Gospel' and making it possible for many soloists and vocal groups to tour and record. Popular music as a whole felt her influence; she is credited with inspiring rhythm and blues, soul, and rock and roll singing styles. A Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award recipient, she won three competitive Grammy Awards and was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame, the National Recording Registry, and the Rock & Roll, Gospel, and R&B Halls of Fame, as well as the Hollywood Walk of Fame and Black Music & Entertainment Walk of Fame. She was named one of NPR's 50 Great Voices and ranked among Rolling Stone's 200 Greatest Singers of All Time.

Did You Know?

• She was born Mahala Jackson, not Mahalia.
• She sang the national anthem at John F. Kennedy's Inaugural Ball in 1961.
• She turned down high-paying opportunities to record secular music, concentrating on gospel instead.
• She was the first gospel recording artist to tour Europe.