Isn't Her Grace Amazing!: The Women Who Changed Gospel Music

(Hardback)

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A unique tribute to often overlooked women who have left an indelible mark on Gospel Musicpowerful talents who overcame racism and sexism to define the genre, establish its sound, and set the standard for good sangin for generations.

Nothing in the world soothes the soul better than Gospel music. From the foot-stomping, hand-clapping melodies of yesterday to the head-bobbing, bass-thumping hits of today, Gospel music ignites the spirit and delivers the inspiration that takes us from the rough side of the mountain to the peak of Gods love and grace. That feeling of joy, peace, love, and contentment is amplified when its ringing through the voice of a sister who can SANG, Cheryl Wills reminds us. The remedy for a tough day at work can be alleviated with Mary Marys uplifting jam Shackles, the answer to your hearts desires can be found in the harmonies of The Clark Sisters Name It, Claim It, and if you need a reminder of Gods love, there is nothing more timeless that Aretha Franklins stirring rendition of Amazing Grace.

Some talented performers, like Sister Rosetta Tharpe have faded from history, while singers like Yolanda Adams are at the top of her game. During the twentieth century, Willie Mae Ford spent most of her life encouraging and uplifting Christians both in church and on stage and composed more than 100 Gospel songs, yet it was men like her co-writer, Thomas A. Dorsey, who received the accolades and fame. Many women in the Gospel music industry go unnoticed, unpaid, and under-appreciated for their contributions, yet it is these women who are often the bedrock for songwriting, arranging, directing, and developing singers.

Cheryl Wills, the granddaughter of a Gospel singer, at last shines a spotlight on these spectacular women of song. The only book of its kind, Isnt Her Grace Amazing! showcase the talents, gifts, and skills of women in the Gospel music industry. It celebrates these heroines, chronicles their journeys from the choir loft to the worlds largest stages, and reveals how they revolutionized this sacred music that is beloved worldwide. From the matriarchs of this movement to todays chart-topping divas, Wills offers in-depth portraits of twenty-five amazing women of Gospel musicbased on interviews and extensive researchbehind-the-scenes stories of favorite gospel hits, and illuminates what makes each of them shine.

Reviews

Isn't Her Graze Amazing! is an affectionate yet clear-eyed view of gospels brightest voices. Library Journal

Author Bio

Cheryl Wills is a veteran journalist with Spectrum News NY1. The Emmy Award winning reporter and author has written a series of books about her enslaved great-grandfather who was a Union Soldier during The Civil War. Cheryl has interviewed some of the most influential figures in the world, including the first woman president of Africa: Ellen Johnson Sirleaf of Liberia and United Nations Secretary General Ban ki-Moon and the late great writer and activist Maya Angelou. She lives in New York City. For more than a decade she was the host of the Essence Festival's All-Star Gospel Tribute, a standing room only event that has honored Cissy Houston, Kim Burrell, Yolanda Adams, Kirk Franklin, Mary Mary, Bishop T.D. Jakes, Dorinda Clark-Cole among many others.