CONTENTS Foreword by Horace Clarence Boyer Preface Prologue Part One 1901-1949 Part Two 1949-1963 Part Three 1963-1981 Epilogue Afterword: Excerpts from an Interview with John Wilson Appendix Index
The telling story of one of the country's best-known gospel groups
Willa Ward-Royster performed with the Clara Ward Singers as a solo artist and as head of several of her own groups. Though semi-retired, she still appears in combination with such former Ward Singers as Frances Steadman, Kitty Parham, and Esther Ford and performs in area supper clubs, cursing homes, and senior centers.
"The poignant memoir of a group of women who dominated gospel music in the United States for decades, this story of an ambitious and sometimes greedy and vain mother exploiting her sweet , talented daughter could be a classic tragedy or a really bad movie script. However, the 'other' daughter, Willa Ward-Royster, is a fair and articulate witness, providing historical detail about road trips, concerts, recording sessions, and celebrity sightings ... Readers will be grateful to the author for a courageous and genuinely gracious book." --The Bloomsbury Review "This is the story not only of a talented singing group but also of an extended family who mirror the black American experience in the 20th century... The book contains details on everything from successful performances on the stage of the Apollo, major TV variety shows, and international tours to top sales of hit recordings and friendships with such luminaries as Mahalia Jackson. For readers who enjoy gospel music, American autobiography, and human-interest stories this is highly recommended reading." --Library Journal
"The poignant memoir of a group of women who dominated gospel music in the United States for decades, this story of an ambitious and sometimes greedy and vain mother exploiting her sweet , talented daughter could be a classic tragedy or a really bad movie script. However, the 'other' daughter, Willa Ward-Royster, is a fair and articulate witness, providing historical detail about road trips, concerts, recording sessions, and celebrity sightings ... Readers will be grateful to the author for a courageous and genuinely gracious book." --The Bloomsbury Review "This is the story not only of a talented singing group but also of an extended family who mirror the black American experience in the 20th century... The book contains details on everything from successful performances on the stage of the Apollo, major TV variety shows, and international tours to top sales of hit recordings and friendships with such luminaries as Mahalia Jackson. For readers who enjoy gospel music, American autobiography, and human-interest stories this is highly recommended reading." --Library Journal
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