LeRoy Dulley’s hoarse shout animates his manic version of the Church of God in Christ chant, “I’m a Soldier (in the Army of the Lord).”
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Welcome to Shout! Black Gospel Music Moments. I’m Robert Darden.
LeRoy Dulley was a much in-demand piano player in Chicago’s gospel circles in the late ‘60s and early ‘70s. For a time he accompanied Esther Ford, before she joined the Stars of Faith. From there, he served a memorable stint with the Caravans. But Dulley also possessed one of those rare, Southern full-throated shouts of a voice, like a raspier version of Archie Brownlee or even Wilson Pickett.
Dulley recorded a single LP for Gospel Records, a subsidiary of the industry leader Savoy in 1967 that’s a marvelous mix of old-time gospel stompers and sweet ballads – several of the tracks are still floating around on YouTube, even today – but the album didn’t sell and the label released him.
Dulley reappears briefly in 1970 on the custom M-PAC label with a rare 45 that features Dulley’s manic rendition of the old Church of God in Christ chant, “I’m a Soldier (in the Army of the Lord)” ... performed in no-hold’s barred triple time. Alas, LeRoy disappears from the scene after that but you can hear the entire track on the KWBU.org website – simply click on down to the Shout! Black Gospel Music Moments link ... and be sure and play it loud!
MUSIC: “I’m a Soldier,” by LeRoy Dulley and the Ladies of Song, 45
I’m Robert Darden … “Shout! Black Gospel Music Moments” is produced by KWBU, the Black Gospel Music Restoration Project at Baylor University Libraries and is funded by generous support from the Prichard Foundation.