Sallie Martin
Sallie Martin | |
|---|---|
 The Mother of Gospel | |
| Born | November 20, 1895 Pittfield, Georgia, U.S. |
| Died | June 18, 1988 (aged 92) Chicago, Illinois, U.S. |
| Nationality | American |
| Known for | The Sallie Martin Singers |
| Spouse | Wallace Martin[citation needed] |
Sallie Martin (November 20, 1895 – June 18, 1988) was an American gospel singer referred to as the "Mother of Gospel"[1] for her efforts to popularize the songs of Thomas A. Dorsey and her influence on other artists.
Biography
Martin was born in Pittfield,
Martin's rough-hewn singing style, combined with the enthusiastic physicality of the Holiness church, nearly kept her from working with Dorsey, who looked down on the shouting style of many Holiness singers and was reluctant to hire a singer who could not read music. Martin nonetheless persuaded Dorsey, after three auditions, to hire her as part of a trio he had formed to introduce his songs to churches. She proved to be an able organizer with a shrewd financial sense who marketed Dorsey's songs, organized his finances, developed new avenues for business and helped launch the National Convention of Gospel Choirs and Choruses, Inc. (NCGCC).
Martin was a successful artist in her own right, forming the Sallie Martin Singers, in which her daughter
Martin retired from the Sallie Martin Singers in the mid-1950s as the strain of touring grew too great; the group continued on the road for several more decades. She remained an active force in the NCGCC even after she went out on her own and was a vocal supporter of Martin Luther King Jr. and of health programs in Nigeria. She remained a vigorous proponent of gospel music and defender of her role in bringing it to the churches, as her appearance in the 1982 movie Say Amen, Somebody illustrates vividly.
Martin was inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame in 1991.[3]
She died on June 18, 1988, in Chicago, Illinois.[1]
Further reading
- ISBN 0-87910-034-6
- Boyer, Horace Clarence, How Sweet the Sound: The Golden Age of Gospel, Elliott and Clark, 1995, ISBN 0-252-06877-7
- Reagon, Bernice Johnson, We'll Understand It Better By And By: Pioneering African-American Gospel Composers, Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution, 1992, ISBN 1-56098-166-0
References
- ^ a b c "Sallie Martin was great for the business of gospel". African American Registry. Retrieved 3 February 2019.
- ISBN 0-7137-1540-5.
- ^ "Inductees Archive". Gospel Music Hall of Fame. Retrieved 13 March 2018.
External links
- Sallie Martin (1895–1988) on BlackPast
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