SHOUT! Black Gospel Music Moments - The Back Home Choir

The Back Home Choir was one of the last of the big choral groups dedicated to singing the spirituals, following the likes of Wings Over Jordan and the Hall Johnson Singers. The group was founded in the gospel hotbed of Newark, New Jersey, by the Rev. Charles Banks and ranged in size from 60 to 100 voices ... and all carefully auditioned by Banks himself... though many of the vocalists came from the famed Abyssinian Baptist Church choir in Harlem.

The Back Choir’s first album for the RCA Victor label, I Do Believe, was released in 1958. It’s a strong album of spirituals, with Carrie Smith carrying many of the lead vocals – including “I’ll Fly Away,” “Roll Jordan, Roll,” the title track, and, my favorite, an uplifting ... and upbeat ... version of “King Jesus is All.”

I’m Robert Darden … “Shout! Black Gospel Music Moments” is produced by KWBU and the Black Gospel Music Preservation Program at Baylor University Libraries.

PREVIOUS EPISODES OF SHOUT BLACK GOSPEL MUSIC MOMENTS

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Evangelist Jessie Mae Renfro was one of the last great traditional gospel voices, as her song “Oh, Have You” so beautifully displays.

SHOUT! Black Gospel Music Moments - “No Segregation in Heaven” by Jordan Jubilee

The Jordan Jubilee’s slow and brooding “No Segregation in Heaven” was a pretty grave statement to make in the early 1970s!

SHOUT! Black Gospel Music Moments - "Down by the Riverside" by The Rev. Cecil Harris and His Choir

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SHOUT! Black Gospel Music Moments - "Pray on My Child" by Rev. Milton Brunson and the Thompson Community Singers

That’s the powerful voice of Maggie Bell on the Rev. Milton Brunson and the Thompson Community Choir’s version of “Pray on My Child.”

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SHOUT! Black Gospel Music Moments - "No Friend Like the Lord" by The Silver Bells

The unknown Silver Bells of Macon, Georgia’s “No Friend Like the Lord” is a masterclass in a cappella doo-wop styled gospel singing.

SHOUT! Black Gospel Music Moments - "No Cross, No Crown" by Brooklyn All Stars

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SHOUT! Black Gospel Music Moments - "Jericho March" by Grace Emmanuel Singers

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SHOUT! Black Gospel Music Moments - "Follow the Star" by Edwin Hawkins

Edwin Hawkins and his friends deliver a wonderful serene and soothing Christmas ballad, “Follow the Star,” to close out a tumultuous 2025.