Hottest gospel artists: African-American artists take music to a higher level

Ebony, August, 1998

Once a popular but not highly profitable enterprise, contemporary songs of praise have made modern gospel music a half-billion-dollar business. Led by contemporary stars like Kirk Franklin, gospel music is catching the interest of corporations that are scrambling to take advantage of this format, which wits started in the 1930s in Black urban churches by Thomas A. Dorsey and other pioneering gospel composers.

Gospel music sales jumped 30 percent from $381 million in 1995 to $538 million in 1996.

Gospel music experienced a 32 percent growth rate in 1997, according to SoundScan, compared with annual growth rates of 5 percent or less fin' other genres of music such as rap, rock, jazz, urban and country.

In 1997 three of the top-five-selling albums in gospel music were performed by Black artists. They were--God's Property from Kirk Franklin's Nu Nation, Kirk Franklin's Whatcha Lookin' 4 and WOW 1997, a compilation album of various artists. Kirk Franklin's double-platinum album with the group God's Property spent five weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard R&B charts and also sold more than 2 million copies. The album debuted at No. 3 on the Billboard 200, marking the first time a gospel album has debuted at No. 3 on the Billboard 200 during its first week in the stores.

According to recording industry and gospel music industry sources, the top-selling Black gospel music artists are Kirk Franklin & The Family, God's Property, CeCe Winans, Fred Hammond & Radical first Christ, Karen Clark-Sheard, Donnie McClurkin, BeBe Winans, Shirley Caesar, the New Life Community Choir featuring John P. Kee, Yolanda Adams, Andrae Crouch and Vickie Winans.

Mainstream artists branching out into the gospel genre have contributed to the rising interest in the gospel sound. The Preacher's Wife soundtrack, for example, has sold more than 2 million copies and is still in the Top 10 after more than 75 weeks on the gospel charts.

The gospel music industry is also enjoying huge endorsement deals with major corporations and major discount retailers like Wal-Mart and K-Mart, which have expanded their stock of gospel music.

Audiences, young and old, also are responding to the call. Kirk Franklin & the Family's "Tour of Life," which also featured Fred Hammond and Yolanda Adams, became the most commercially successful tour in gospel music history, selling out key venues in 67 markets nationwide.

"These numbers show that gospel music is achieving its growth by appealing to linger and more diverse audiences," says Gospel Music Association President Frank Breeden. "We're blessed to have talented artists in this industry who are capable and willing to take their music to a larger platform. This type of exposure should continue our rate of growth in the future."

Although White artists have made some inroads into the growth of gospel music, all signs indicate that Black artists, with their message and their ministry, continue to be the engine that drives the gospel music train.

The reason why Kirk Franklin is singing is because he is perhaps the hottest property in the gospel world with a major solo album, and separate albums with The Family and God's Property.

Fred Hammond (above) and his group, Radical For Christ, were one of the top five gospel groups on the charts in 1997. He made history again this year with the release of (Pages of Life) Chapters I & II, gospel's first double CD.

Cece Winans, already a top artist with the Bebe and Cece duo, found equal acclaim with her second solo effort, Everlasting Love, which has led the charts since its release. Bebe Winans, whose video was directed by Denzel Washington, saw his self-titled, solo-debut CD rank among the Top 10 gospel albums

Karen Clark-Sheard's gospel roots run deep. Daughter of the legendary Dr. Mattie Moss Clark and also a member of the Clark Sisters, she scored big with her solo-debut CD, Finally Karen.

Strength, the best-selling CD by John P. Kee and the New Life Community Choir (left), is one of the top gospel albums.

Shirley Caesar's A Miracle in Harlem won a Dove award for the top traditional gospel album of the year. Called the "First Lady of Gospel," she is often compared to the legendary Mahalia Jackson.

Donnie McClurkin's (below) self-titled, debut album has won numerous awards and remained on top of the charts for more than 18 months.