SHOUT! Black Gospel Music Moments - Donald Vails

When Donald Vails died in September 1997 after a long illness, he was just 49 years old. But in that time, this child prodigy from Atlanta recorded 16 albums of superb gospel music, mostly for the Savoy label.

He also served as National Minister of Music for the Gospel Music Workshop of America.

But it is also worth noting that Vails founded the Detroit Youth Kaleidoscope, which provided academic, spiritual and musical development for thousands of young people. It was from Kaleidoscope that the Voice of Deliverance group was founded, which in 1977 released the best-selling album What a Wonderful Savior I've Found.

From one of Donald Vails Choraleers' first LPs, I Will Serve Thee, "He Looked Beyond My Fault" from 1975.

MUSIC: Donald Vails Choraleers, I Will Serve Thee LP, "He Looked Beyond My Faults," Side I, Track I (September 3, 2023)

I'm Robert Darden ... "Shout! Black Gospel Music Moments" is produced by KWBU, the Black Gospel Music Preservation Program at Baylor University Libraries and is funded by generous support from the Prichard Foundation.

PREVIOUS EPISODES OF SHOUT! BLACK GOSPEL MUSIC MOMENTS

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SHOUT! Black Gospel Music Moments - The Southern Jubilee Singers

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Shout! Black Gospel Music Moments - The Golden Wings of Atlanta, Georgia

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Shout! Black Gospel Music Moments - Rev. Pearly Brown

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Shout! Black Gospel Music Moments - Elder Nick Hightower and Sister Massey

Elder Nick Hightower’s old-school Hammond B-3 stylings are the highlight of this rare gospel instrumental, “Let Everybody March.”