It's complicated for me, you know? How Christianity is intertwined in American popular music. But I guess it's important to remember that Satan was a fallen angel. So why wouldn't godly sounds evolve into heathen hymns?
But here's a decent place to start if you want to dig into the roots of soul music. Sam Cooke, as part of the Soul Stirrers, leads things off on this second disc of the three disc "Jubilation! Great Gospel Performances" series. The Staple Singers, whose Stax releases are amongst my favorites, show off their spiritual side on "Uncloudy Day". I knew Mahalia Jackson and James Cleveland before I dove into this, but I heard the Heavenly Gospel Singers, the Davis Sisters, and the Swan Silvertones for the first time on this comp. It's not a regular listen, but I'm glad I opened up to this, you know?
The first volume features other black gospel singers, including Aretha Franklin, the Edwin Hawkins Singers, and Clara Ward (amongst others). The third volume is all country gospel: Johnny Cash, Webb Pierce, George Jones & Tammy Wynette, and the Louvin Brothers all appear. In all, it's a pretty great series.
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