Hello friends—
I’m in the middle of writing next month’s articles, so I’m taking the opportunity today to do a little catch-up. We’ve had a lot of new subscribers since the first mailing, so I want to, first of all, welcome all of the newcomers and thank everyone for sharing the articles in your circles online. I’m truly, truly grateful. There’s been so much wonderful dialog pertaining to the albums I’ve written about this month. I’m excited about the next round of content, which is comprised of both video and essay. I can’t wait to share!
So, a few things I wanted to make sure you’re aware of:
1) Every Sunday, I generate the #SundayMorningMusic playlist on Spotify with some of my gospel favorites. Since last week’s article focused on Tramaine Hawkins, I culled the entire playlist this week from Tramaine’s catalog. Every Sunday, I post the playlist and embed the player on the God’s Music Is My Life hub on Substack. Just click here every Sunday and you should be able to find the most recent playlist.
2) If you’re new to the list, it’s possible you missed some of the earlier articles. If that’s the case, here’s what we’ve covered so far. Together these four artists/groups push (present tense, because their stories live) against the stereotype of what artists in their field are expected and presumed to be. Their audacity is an inspiration.
“I Don’t Wanna Be A Soldier: How did Teri DeSario’s anti-imperialist message make its way into Contemporary Christian Music?” Click here to read.
“Unguarding Amy Grant: Reexamining the unprecedented album that put Amy Grant alongside Madonna, Huey Lewis and Duran Duran in the pop zeitgeist.” Click here to read.
“Dance, children, dance: This choir's gospel of inclusion caused an uproar when they took their message beyond the church and into the discos.” Click here to read.
“New Time Religion—The Holy Ghost Falls Down in the Club: Reclaiming Tramaine Hawkins’ mainstreamed gospel.” Click here to read.
3) This past Sunday I was a guest on Frederick Johnson’s IG Live “In Conversation” series. It was a delight to talk with Frederick and delve into some of the twists and turns in my life that have brought me into the work that I’m doing today as a historian and writer. I hope you’ll follow Frederick on Instagram and subscribe to his channel on YouTube, where you can see the entirety of the conversations he’s been having.
What’s ahead? Next month will include features on Meg Christian (our first Women’s Music deep dive), Reba Rambo and the 21st Century Singers (two Nashville gospel legends). Get ready!