Philadelphia's Gospel Tradition

Considered by some as second only to Chicago as the capital of gospel, Philadelphia has produced some of the most innovative singers in the gospel tradition. Over the last fifty years, Philadelphia has been credited with bringing gospel music into the public eye—for bringing stature and glamour to this important African American musical tradition.

That Philadelphia should play such an important role in gospel history is not surprising. In the early 1800s the city served as home to the newly establish African Methodist Episcopal Church. A.M.E. congregations became increasingly middle-class and still flourish in the city today. Their melismatic hymns helped to shape local gospel traditions. These songs are performed in the "lining out" style with each line chanted by a leader and then sung in a free-flowing form by the congregation. After the song, the congregation often hummed or "moaned" the melody in a fashion that expresses what Anthony Heilbut calls "profound sentiments, a king of cosmic melancholy." These moans are reminiscent of flatted 3rds and 7ths that may be the origins of blues and jazz.

By the early twentieth century, Philadelphia boasted large and comparatively prosperous congregations that supported concert chorales and touring ensembles. At the same time, C.A. Tindley, a local Methodist preacher began composing hymns that would go on to inspire even Thomas A. Dorsey, the "Father of Gospel Music." His hymns combined the plaintive tunes of the south with the melodic echoes of spirituals. By the 1940s, they had become standards.

This early gospel tradition was further enriched by the migrations of Pentecostal or "Sanctified" congregations from the Carolinas and Florida in the 1930s. One of the most well known of these migrants was Gertrude Ward, a native of South Carolina who established a trio with her two daughters, Willa and Clara. The trio sponsored "anniversaries" where they performed their renditions of moans, Tindley hymns and Dorsey gospels. By the 1940s, gospel music had moved into its golden age, and Gertrude Ward, now known as Madame Ward, was in the forefront. She expanded her group and recruited a young vocalist from Florida named Marion Williams, who became the group's star. Williams' performances of Clara Ward's arrangements gave the group its reputation as "simply the era's finest group."

Another Philadelphia-based group, the Famous Davis Sisters was equally well recognized. Ruth Davis, who was known as “scared of no man” when it came to singing, led the group. Her powerful voice became the perfect vehicle for the rousing songs she composed.

Gospel music in Philadelphia at this time benefited from strong support by churches but also from other performance venues. Perhaps equally important was a new emphasis on marketing beyond the mainstream. Young entrepreneurs focused on community-based markets such as family-owned stores, barbershops, beauty parlors, and restaurants. Moving beyond the church setting enabled these performers to expand their audiences greatly. By the late fifties, long lines at gospel concerts became accepted as part of the experience. One of the first to forge into this new market was Gertrude Ward and her daughters. Because of these innovations, Philadelphia both fostered and attracted gospel talent. Monthly "Joy Nights" provided an opportunity for artists to showcase their abilities to the many record label scouts who were scouring the streets for new talent. Gotham Records in Philadelphia and Savoy Records in Newark contributed to the growth and national recognition afforded to the area's gospel traditions. Many of Philadelphia's gospel singers would go on to influence some of pop music's leading stars; for instance, Clara Ward inspired Aretha Franklin, while Marion Williams had an important impact on Little Richard.

© 2001 On Tour Productions