NEW ORLEANS FESTIVALS - Jazz Fest Features

Mahalia Jackson

Mahalia Jackson, the first lady of gospel, one of the most inspired voices of the 20th Century and New Orleans' native daughter, returned home to herald the first Jazz Fest in 1970. From the relatively modest stages set up in Congo Square, she sang and marched in a second-line parade with the Eureka Brass Band, Duke Ellington and other distinguished guests as they celebrated a new tradition.

Jackson's throaty contralto and subtly bluesy phrasing brought gospel to the world. She joined Thomas Dorsey, the father of gospel music, for early tours in the 1930s and later went on to place a gospel song (He's Got the Whole World in His Hands) on the Billboard Top 100 for the first time. Throughout her career, she stayed true to traditional gospel, never crossing-over into R&B or departing her spiritual grounding for more widespread commercial success. She even turned down an invitation from Louis Armstrong to join his band. Instead, she went on to give the first gospel performance at Carnegie Hall (1950) and sang for audiences in Europe, Africa, India and Japan.

Her voice never ceased to inspire. Little Richard and musicians in the burgeoning rhythm and blues and rock and roll scene took cues from her intense, passionate singing. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inducted her as a member, and she collected a lifetime achievement Grammy Award. She sang for presidents, including at the inauguration of John F. Kennedy. She preceded Martin Luther King, Jr. at the March on Washington before his "I have a Dream" speech. At his funeral, she sang Precious Lord.

Like Louis Armstrong, Jackson went from one of the Crescent City's impoverished neighborhoods to international fame. The premier interpreter of gospel music, she became its greatest ambassador. She set a shining example for the uplifting power of music.