Maliah jackson biography

Mahalia Jackson was born in New Orleans on October 26, From an early age, Jackson found solace in her Baptist faith and sacred music. At 14, Jackson relocated to Chicago, where she was invited to join the choir at the Greater Salem Baptist Church. Though her friends and neighbors were apprehensive about her Southern singing style, she quickly gained popularity and attention. Jackson committed herself to gospel music despite experiencing pressure throughout her career to foray into genres such as blues and jazz, and she was the first gospel singer to sell one million copies of a song, with “Move On Up A Little Higher” in Her unequivocal success as a musician had a profound influence on Black culture and identity in the United States, as she garnered a large following of both Black and white listeners during a period when racial segregation defined almost every aspect of American life. She sold 22 million records before passing away in and is largely regarded as one of the greatest gospel musicians of the 20th century. 

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Who Was Mahalia Jackson?

Mahalia Jackson started singing as a child at Mount Moriah Baptist Church and went on to become one of the most revered gospel figures in the United States. Her recording of “Move On Up a Little Higher” was a major hit and she subsequently became an international figure for music lovers from a variety of backgrounds. She worked with artists like Duke Ellington and Thomas A. Dorsey and also sang at the March on Washington at the request of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Early Life

Born on October 26, , in New Orleans, Louisiana, to Charity Clark and Johnny Jackson, Jackson became one of gospel music’s all-time greats, known for her rich, powerful voice that cultivated a global following. Jackson grew up in a Pitt Street shack and started singing at 4 years old in the Mount Moriah Baptist Church. When she started to sing professionally, she added an "i" to her first name.

Brought up in a devout Christian family, Jackson still found herself influenced by the secular sounds of blues artists like Bessie Smith and Ma Rainey. Jackson’s sanctified style of performance would also rely upon freer movement and rhythm when contrasted to the styles seen in more conservative congregations.

Major Gospel Hit

After moving to Chicago as a teen with the aim of studying nursing, Jackson joined the Greater Salem Baptist Church and soon became a member of the Johnson Gospel Singers. She performed with the group for a number of years. Jackson then started working with Thomas A. Dorsey, a gospel composer; the two performed around the U.S., further cultivating an audience for Jackson. She also took on a number of jobs — working as a laundress, beautician and flower shop owner for example — before her musical career went into the stratosphere. She wed Isaac Hockenhull in , with the two later divorcing.

While she made some recordings in the s, Jackson tasted major success with "Move On Up a Little Higher" in , which s

To speak of Mahalia Jackson's voice is to speak of magic and mystery and majesty. Hers is not a voice. It is a force of nature. It moves with the power of a tornado and soothes with the tenderness of a spring rain.

In describing the legendary gospel singer, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. once said: "A voice like hers comes along once in a millennium."

He could just as well have been talking about her life's journey and the influence she had not only on gospel music, but on American music itself — from blues to rock and roll — and its impact on the world.

The woman who would one day be called the greatest gospel singer in the world was born in New Orleans on October 26, Her childhood home was a three-room house in the Black Pearl section of the city. It was a tiny space, home not only to little "Halie," and her mother and brother, but to assorted aunts and cousins, too. In total, thirteen people and a dog shared that home.

Mahalia's mother died when she was five, adding more hardship to her young life. She was raised by her Aunt "Duke," who allowed no secular records in the home and who treated Mahalia and her cousins harshly when they failed to keep the family home immaculate.

Mahalia began singing in church as a child. Quickly it became apparent that she had a tremendous talent and possessed a voice that was rich, strong and impressive. One family member said Mahalia would one day sing before royalty. Eventually, that came true.

After moving to Chicago in as a teenager during the Great Migration north, word of her amazing voice began to spread — first in local churches, and soon in churches across America. In , she recorded "Move On Up a Little Higher" for Apollo records.

It was a spectacular success — groundbreaking, in fact, because no gospel song had ever achieved such sales on the secular side of the music industry. Stores across the nation scrambled to keep up with the demand for Mahalia Jackson's first and greatest hit.

The song propelled Jackson to wo

American gospel singer (–)

Musical artist

Mahalia Jackson (mə-HAY-lee-ə; born Mahala Jackson; October 26, – January 27, ) was an American gospel singer, widely considered one of the most influential vocalists of the 20th century. With a career spanning 40 years, Jackson was integral to the development and spread of gospel blues in black churches throughout the U.S. During a time when racial segregation was pervasive in American society, she met considerable and unexpected success in a recording career, selling an estimated 22 million records and performing in front of integrated and secular audiences in concert halls around the world, making her one of the best-selling gospel music artists.

The granddaughter of enslaved people, Jackson was born and raised in poverty in New Orleans. She found a home in her church, leading to a lifelong dedication and singular purpose to deliver God's word through song. She moved to Chicago as an adolescent and joined the Johnson Singers, one of the earliest gospel groups. Jackson was heavily influenced by musician-composer Thomas Dorsey and blues singer Bessie Smith, adapting Smith's style to traditional Protestanthymns and contemporary songs. After making an impression in Chicago churches, she was hired to sing at funerals, political rallies, and revivals. For 15 years, she functioned as what she termed a "fish and bread singer", working odd jobs between performances to make a living.

Nationwide recognition came for Jackson in with the release of "Move On Up a Little Higher", selling two million copies and hitting the number-two spot on Billboard charts, both firsts for gospel music. Jackson's recordings captured the attention of jazz fans in the U.S. and France, and she became the first gospel recording artist to tour Europe. She regularly appeared on television and radio, and performed for many presidents and heads of state, including singing the national anthem at John F. Kennedy's