A Salute to Gospel Music - Black Gospel & Southern Gospel...

I really like this.

Hezekiah Walker - Every Praise

Southern Gospel is an underappreciated genre IMHO, and has had an enormous impact on countless artists.

I'm not really a fan of current gospel music. The Blackwood Brothers, The Statesmen, The Stamps, The Speers, The Happy Goodmans, The Cathedrals, etc. are all top-notch.

Blackwood Brothers - Rolling, Riding, Rocking

The Cathedrals - Boundless Love

The Speers - I Shall Never Forget The Day

The Happy Goodmans - Shoutin' Sounds

Hovie Lister & The Statesmen - Heavenly Parade A young Elvis Presley was a huge fan of Big Chief, the bass singer, and stylistically modeled a lot of his early body language in the same fashion.

And for good measure, the Hee Haw Quartet put out some great gospel music:

Hee Haw Gospel Quartet - Blessed Jesus, Hold My Hand

sorry I can't link from youtube

but, no Rev. Al Green, or the 5 Blind Boys from Alabama?

'I'll Take You There': The Staple Singers' Rise From Church To Fame (NPR)

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Today, the voices of Roebuck "Pops" Staples and his four children — Cleotha, Mavis, Pervis and Yvonne — are woven into America's DNA. As the Staple Singers, the family created a sound that was part blues, part gospel and part folk, breaking down musical walls and inspiring civil rights leaders.

Biographer Greg Kot wrote about the Staples family in his new book, I'll Take You There: Mavis Staples, the Staple Singers, and the March Up Freedom's Highway. He says that unique sound began with Pops Staples and the musical apprenticeship he dreamed up for his offspring.

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the success of the Staple Singers had as much to do with their differences as their similarities — especially when it came to taste.

"You have to understand, in this group you had several generations blending," he says. "Pops was a traditionalist, no doubt about it; he was a very staunch gospel man. But he was an open-minded guy, and part of it was, his children were listening to everything."

That open-mindedness would lead to relationships with Sam Cooke, Bob Dylan, and many more. Kot spoke with NPR's Arun Rath about the family's journey from Chicago churches to the canon of American song, and about Mavis Staples' continued presence and relevance today. Hear more of their conversation at the audio link.

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