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Biography of Mahalia JacksonName: Mahalia JacksonBirth Date: October 26, 1911 Death Date: January 27, 1972 Place of Birth: New Orleans, Louisiana, United States of America Nationality: American Gender: Female Occupations: singer Mahalia Jackson Throughout her celebrated career, gospel singer Mahalia Jackson (1911-1972) used her rich, forceful voice and inspiring interpretations of spirituals to move audiences around the world to tears of joy. In the early days, as a soloist and member of church choirs, she recognized the power of song as a means of gloriously reaffirming the faith of her flock. And later, as a world figure, her natural gift brought people of different religious and political convictions together to revel in the beauty of the gospels and to appreciate the warm spirit that underscored the way she lived her life.The woman who would become known as the "Gospel Queen" was born on October 26, 1911 into a poor family in New Orleans, Louisiana. The Jacksons' Water Street home, a shack between the railroad tracks and the levee of the Mississippi River, was served by a pump that delivered water so dirty that cornmeal had …showed first 150 words…
…showed last 150 words…lifetime."Jackson considered herself a simple woman: she enjoyed cooking for friends as much as marveling at landmarks around the world. But it was in her music that she found her spirit most eloquently expressed. She wrote in her autobiography: "Gospel music is nothing but singing of good tidings--spreading the good news. It will last as long as any music because it is sung straight from the human heart. Join with me sometime--whether you're white or colored--and you will feel it for yourself. Its future is brighter than a daisy." Further Reading Goreau, L., Just Mahalia, Baby, Pelican, 1975.Jackson, Jesse, Make a Joyful Noise Unto the Lord!, G.K. Hall, 1974.Jackson, Mahalia, and Wylie, Evan McLeod, Movin' On Up, Hawthorne Books, 1966.Schwerin, Jules, Got to Tell It: Mahalia Jackson, Queen of Gospel, Oxford, 1992.Christian Century, March 1, 1972.Ebony, March 1972, April 1972.Harper's, August 1956.Reader's Digest, November 1961.Saturday Review, September 27, 1958. |