Sparrow Records: The Visionary Gospel Years
A look back at the label's leap into gospel music that produced some of the most definitive albums of the 1990s.
Well, hello there!
The past week has been jumping! Between your amazing feedback on the Sheila Walsh feature, some wonderful new discoveries for the New York Community Choir book, and beginning work on a 5 CD box set that I’m producing (my first as a singular producer!), it’s been rigorous!
An article that I wrote for UDiscoverMusic was published last week that I think you all will enjoy. In the late 80’s, Sparrow Records expanded beyond the CCM artists that they were known for and began signing gospel artists, quickly becoming THE place to be. Their roster included BeBe and CeCe Winans, Tramaine Hawkins, Daryl Coley, Sandra Crouch, Richard Smallwood and others. Vicki Mack Latiallade, who headed the label’s gospel division before founding her own Gospocentric Records, graciously agreed to talk with me about her memories of working with the label.
You can read the article by clicking here.
Here are a few bonus Sparrow images not included in the article.
You can read more about the events that led to Tramaine’s signing to Sparrow in my 2021 feature about her below.
New Time Religion: The Holy Ghost Falls Down in the Club
Writer’s Note: Thank you to A. Jeffrey LaValley, Loris Holland, Vassal Benford, Bennie Diggs and Preston Glass who shared their memories of collaborating with Tramaine Hawkins with me, and to David Nathan. Tramaine Hawkins is an artist whose music has simply
If you want to contribute to the work that is happening here, I encourage you to either become a paid subscriber or contribute to the GoFundMe that I’ve set up for the New York Community Choir book! I am grateful for your support!
Daryl! He that Dwelleth. I'm slain.