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Mahalia JacksonAmerican singer in the genres of gospel and spirituals.
Date of Birth: 26.10.1911
Country:  USA |
Content:
Biography of Mahalia Jackson
Mahalia Jackson was an outstanding American singer in the genres of gospel and spirituals. She was born on October 26, 1911, on Water Street in New Orleans, Louisiana. Mahalia was the third of six children born to Charity Clark and Johnny Jackson. Her father, a respected figure in the African-American community, worked as a dock laborer and barber, but on Sundays he was a preacher. He instilled in Mahalia a sense of dignity and self-confidence, and his Sunday sermons strengthened her spirit. The triumphant singing of gospel songs such as "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot" and "Oh, What a Friend We Have in Jesus" was a source of inspiration for her.
Early Life and Musical Journey
From early childhood, Mahalia enjoyed church choir music at Plymouth Rock Baptist Church, which her family belonged to. She began singing at a young age and was already a member of the youth choir of St. Moriah Baptist Church at the age of four. Her family's favorite performers included Bessie Smith, Ma Rainey, and Enrico Caruso. At the age of five, Mahalia experienced the death of her mother and moved to live with her aunt Pauline along with her ten-year-old brother Peter. Her aunt took in the other four Jackson children. Despite her initial aspiration to become a nurse, Mahalia left school at the age of thirteen to work as a laundress to support herself.
By her teenage years, Mahalia had developed a unique vocal style that combined deep resonance, dynamic rhythm, and expressive blues phrasing. A turning point in Mahalia's life came in 1927 when she moved to Chicago to live with her Aunt Hannah. At the age of sixteen, she worked as a laundress and nurse, struggling to make a living. A few months after moving to Chicago, Mahalia became a soloist in the Johnson Brothers choir at Greater Salem Baptist Church. The Johnson Brothers, directed by the pastor's three sons, were possibly the first professional gospel group to sing church music in Chicago. They even performed a series of musical dramas written by themselves, with Mahalia Jackson taking on the lead role.
Her career began with performances on a radio show. In the mid-1930s, the Johnson Brothers disbanded, and Jackson started her solo career accompanied by pianist Evelyn Gay. Based on recommendations from admirers who had heard her voice in various performances, Mahalia took her first and only singing lesson in 1932. The 1930s marked the heyday of gospel music, and Mahalia became the official soloist of the largest African-American religious organization, earning money by singing at funerals, churches, and political gatherings. Mahalia famously exclaimed, "Praise God doesn't need any microphone, just open the windows and doors and let the sound pour out."
Rise to Fame
At the age of twenty, Mahalia earned twenty-five dollars from her first gramophone recording. In 1935, she met Isaac Hockenhull, a man ten years her senior, and they married. However, their marriage ended in divorce in 1941, and they did not have any children together. In 1937, she met Professor Thomas A. Dorsey, known as the "Father of Gospel Music," who became her mentor and publisher. Dorsey composed over 400 gospel songs, many of which Mahalia helped popularize. It was during this time that she vowed to sing only gospel music.
Mahalia's popularity grew rapidly in the Midwest, and in 1937, she became the first gospel artist to record for Decca Records, making four recordings accompanied by pianist and organist Estelle Allen. Interestingly, none of the recordings made on May 21, 1937, featured Thomas A. Dorsey, with whom she was already creatively involved. During this time, Decca released the single "God's Gonna Separate the Wheat From the Tares," but it had modest sales, leading to a hiatus in recordings. In 1939, after completing a cosmetology course, Mahalia opened a beauty salon called "Mahalia's Beauty Salon" and a flower shop called "Mahalia's House of Flowers." Meanwhile, her musical career continued to soar as she began giving concerts in remote cities such as Buffalo, New Orleans, and Birmingham. Her incomparable voice, charm, and temperament won her acclaim.
In the early 1940s, the popularity of gospel music surged in America, and Mahalia increased her activity in this new form of art. In 1946, Jackson signed a contract with Apollo Records, although her relationship with the company was often tense. Her first recordings, including "I Want to Rest" and "He Knows My Heart," fared so poorly that the company almost did not release them. However, subsequent recordings, such as the single "Move on Up a Little Higher," made on September 12, 1947, at the insistence of director Art Freeman, became the best-selling gospel record of all time. It sold in such large quantities (1,000,000 copies) that stores could not keep up with demand. Suddenly, Mahalia Jackson became a superstar and an idol for white intellectuals and jazz critics. In some of the recordings she made for Apollo Records, the Hammond organ was used instead of the usual lone piano, marking the first time this was done in gospel music. The soft background of the organ and slow tempos allowed her incomparable voice, vibrato, and vocal inflections to shine. When accompanied by pianist Mildred Falls, organist Ralph Jones, and a quartet led by musical director Jack Halloran, she gained popularity among white audiences. Singing with the Halloran group took her far from traditional gospel music and created a strange hybrid, a mix of sentimental salon music and gospel.
In 1950, Mahalia Jackson was invited to perform on the Sullivan Show. During this period, she earned $50,000 per year from gospel performances. On October 4, 1950, she performed for the first time at Carnegie Hall in New York City, breaking attendance records. Enthusiastic critics praised her performance. She embarked on her first European tour in 1952, performing in countries such as France, England, the Netherlands, Belgium, and Denmark.
Later Life and Legacy
Throughout her career, Mahalia Jackson toured extensively, performing in Africa, Japan, India, and Israel. In 1954, she started her own weekly radio show on CBS, the first program of its kind to broadcast gospel music across the United States. She made over 80 recordings, many of which are considered among the greatest gospel songs of all time, during her eight years with Apollo Records. In 1954, Mahalia Jackson signed a contract with Columbia Records to record 40 gospel songs, starting with simple songs like "Rusty Old Halo." She even composed some of the gospel songs herself. The company insisted on recording with a large orchestra and choir, which was popular with buyers but caused friction with Jackson. However, as her success grew, there was an inevitable backlash, with purists criticizing the popularity of her music and the high fees she commanded, making it difficult for black churches to afford to invite her to perform.
In 1955, film director Jules Schwerin, captivated by Mahalia Jackson's singing, decided to make a documentary about her life and career. Despite her known stubbornness, he managed to persuade her to assist in the making of the film and she even took him to the neighborhoods of New Orleans where she spent her childhood years. Poverty and uncertainty about the future left a lasting impact on her character. At times, even in her mature years, she would leave a concert with $5,000 hidden in her brassiere, insisting on being paid in cash. In 1957, Mahalia Jackson performed at the Newport Jazz Festival for the second time, solidifying her reputation among music critics. She performed accompanied by Mildred Falls (piano), Lyleton Mitchell (organ), and Tom Bryant (bass). Alongside traditional music, Mahalia also performed popular songs such as "Didn't It Rain" and "Keep Your Hand on the Plow".
During the 1960s, Mahalia Jackson was a supporter and trusted figure of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. On August 28, 1963, in Washington D.C., just before Martin Luther King Jr.'s famous "I Have a Dream" speech, Mahalia sang the song "I've Been Buked and I've Been Scorned." Her active involvement in the civil rights movement ended after the assassinations of Martin Luther King Jr. and the Kennedy brothers. On April 9, 1968, she sang "Precious Lord, Take My Hand" at Martin Luther King Jr.'s funeral. She later remarried to Sigmund Galloway, and through the marriage, she gained a stepdaughter, alleviating her longing for her own children. However, her marriage to Galloway ended in a messy and highly publicized divorce, which took a toll on her health, leading to several heart attacks and a rapid loss of weight.
In 1966, Mahalia Jackson's autobiography, "Movin' On Up," was published, co-written with Evan McLeod Wylie. In the years leading up to her death, she regained much of her former glory. She appeared in several films, including "St. Louis Blues." Mahalia Jackson was the greatest gospel singer America had ever known. She single-handedly brought "black" gospel from the churches of Chicago into the forefront. With her long, floor-length pink dress, high-piled black hair, rhythmic footsteps, and hip swaying, Mahalia and her contralto voice embodied gospel music. Under pressure from record companies, she compromised her principles and recorded several secular popular songs such as "What The World Needs Now Is Love," "Abraham, Martin and John," and "Sunrise, Sunset" from the musical "Fiddler on the Roof." In October 1971, she concluded her career with a remarkable farewell concert in Berlin. Mahalia Jackson suffered from high blood pressure and diabetes, and she passed away on January 27, 1972, at the age of 60 from heart failure. She is buried in Providence Memorial Park. Aretha Franklin sang at her funeral.
