How was gospel music born?

Gospel music was born from the traditional hymns and spiritual songs the Africans sang during the slave era. The spirituals were songs of hope sung by the enslaved people before freedom/emancipation. The traditional hymns were introduced in the United States by the Europeans who had settled in North America.https://study.com/academy/lesson/what-is-gospel-music-definition-history-artists.html

What is Gospel Music?

Initially, the term gospel music was used to refer to the religious songs sung by the Caucasian and the African-American Christians. The mode of worship in these two groups was similar; however, some differences began to creep in as time went by. Therefore, gospel music can be defined as African-American Christian music. Gospel music comprised the hymns and other songs borrowed from the oral traditions of the African-American culture. This type of music was sung by the enslaved people (during the slavery era in the U.S) while working on the plantations to raise their morale and also seek solace from the pain and suffering of slavery. The term gospel music was familiar and widely used by the end of the 19th century.https://study.com/academy/lesson/what-is-gospel-music-definition-history-artists.html

Where did it come from?

Before the Civil war, people bound in slavery, most in the America South, created spirituals that became part of their culture. These spirituals were never printed until the end of the civil war. In 1867, the first book containing spirituals known as Slave Songs of the United States was printed. These songs were spread to the North by the Fisk Jubilee Singers who were conducting fundraising campaigns to help the victims of the Civil war. The white Christians never accepted spirituals until the 20th century when they were included in the denominational hymns.https://study.com/academy/lesson/what-is-gospel-music-definition-history-artists.html

When did gospel music get popular?

Although singers like Aretha Franklin had introduced Gospel style songs to the pop charts with songs like "Think" in 1968, church-centric Gospel music began to cross over into the mainstream following the release in 1969 of the recording of "O Happy Day" by the Edwin Hawkins Singers, a mixed-gender Gospel chorus based in the San Francisco Bay area. The song, which was based on a mid-eighteenth century English hymn sold more than a million copies in two months (well above average for a Gospel recording) and earned its composer, Edwin Hawkins (born 1943) his first of four Grammy Awards.African American Gospel | Ritual and Worship | Musical Styles

Why did they start gospel music?

Gospel music was born from the traditional hymns and spiritual songs the Africans sang during the slave era. The spirituals were songs of hope sung by the enslaved people before freedom/emancipation. The traditional hymns were introduced in the United States by the Europeans who had settled in North America

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Who made gospel music popular?

A key figure in the development of Gospel was Thomas A. Dorsey (1899 -1993). Referred to today as the father of Gospel Music, Dorsey pioneered the form in Chicago. Before devoting his career to the development of Gospel, Dorsey, the son of a Georgia Baptist preacher, was a prolific blues and jazz composer and pianist.

The Meaning and Etymology of Gospel

The term gospel was influenced by Latin and Greek. It has two Germanic roots, and when translated into Old English, it is written as Godspell. God means good, and the spell means news or account. The term was used to refer to the first four books of the New Testament Bible and any texts used in the Christianity doctrine. The term was later spelled as gospel in the 18th century. The term gospel means good news.https://study.com/academy/lesson/what-is-gospel-music-definition-history-artists.html

The History of Gospel Music

The history of gospel music in the United States date back over one hundred years ago. The term 'gospel' was coined by Thomas Dorsey in 1921 during the National Baptist Convention. He is known as the father of gospel music and the songwriter of many songs, including 'Precious Lord.' The 17th century was dominated by psalm-singing; the hymns were introduced in the 18th century, while the rise of denominational hymns occurred in the 19th century.https://study.com/academy/lesson/what-is-gospel-music-definition-history-artists.html

The Development of Gospel Music

Religious revival movements, including the Great Awakening (1730-1755), contributed to the spread and popularity of Christian music. Free singing was embraced during these revivals. This led to revival spirituals that emphasized choruses, refrains, and repeated lines. In addition, these revival songs had repetitive passages that made it easier for people to learn and memorize. The revival songs were of two types: repetitive chorus and call-and-response.

The introduction of singing schools in New England in the 1720s brought a shift from the old ways of singing hymns (pitch staff reading) to a new way of singing called shape-note singing (system of associating each note of scale with a specific syllable). This system was taught to most protestant churches by William Little and William Smith. This led to the development of gospel music in that individuals/ Christians could read musical staffs, rhythm, sing syllables, and harmony. Most songbooks were also published between 1798 and 1855.https://study.com/academy/lesson/what-is-gospel-music-definition-history-artists.html