SHOUT! Black Gospel Music Moments - 'Mountain Railroad' by The Rev. June Cheeks

Who was the greatest shouter in gospel music history? Many folks believe it was Archie Brownlee with the Blind Boys of Mississippi. But I think you can make a great case for the Rev. June (or Julius) Cheeks. Cheeks was born in abject poverty in South Carolina, left school after 2^nd grade to pick cotton – and sing. He eventually joined the Sensational Nightingales, where they had their greatest success with songs like “Somewhere to Lay My Head” and “The Last Mile of the Way.”

After the Nightingales, Cheeks recorded several fine releases, including The Rev. June Cheeks Sings, which includes his powerful version of the traditional gospel song, “Mountain Railroad.” Oh, and one other thing about Cheeks – he was functionally illiterate. His prodigious knowledge of the Bible came from listening to recordings of the Bible recorded on dozens of 78s.       

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

RECENT EPISODES OF SHOUT! BLACK GOSPEL MUSIC MOMENTS

SHOUT! Black Gospel Music Moments - 'Mountain Railroad' by The Rev. June Cheeks

The Rev. June Cheeks was one of the greatest shouters and testifiers in the history of gospel music – as his rendition of “Mountain Railroad” will surely prove!

SHOUT! Black Gospel Music Moments - 'I Belong to the Band, Hallelujah' by The Rev. Gary Davis

The legendary guitarist the Rev. Gary Davis recorded 14 stunning gospel tracks in New York City in 1935, including “I Belong to the Band, Hallelujah.”

SHOUT! Black Gospel Music Moments - 'I Made a Vow' by The Supreme Voices

The Supreme Voices never quite broke through during the Golden Age of Gospel Music, but with great tracks like “I Made a Vow,” it’s clear they probably should have been stars.

SHOUT! Black Gospel Music Moments - 'I'll be Welcomed' by The Sweet Brothers

The Sweet Brothers of Vero Beach, Florida, deserved wider recognition for their soulful, slow burn gospel songs, including “I’ll Be Welcomed.”

SHOUT! Black Gospel Music Moments - Alright, Alright by The Cotton Brothers

The Cotton Brothers of Macon, Georgia, excelled at a particularly exciting brand of gospel soul, including the rave-up, “Alright, Alright.”

SHOUT! Black Gospel Music Moments - 'One of These Mornings' by The Rev. J.R. Lockley and His Original Gospel Clefs

The Rev. J.R. Lockley and His Original Gospel Clefs, featuring big-voiced Ann Moncrief, deliver a killer version of the spiritual, “One of These Mornings.”

SHOUT! Black Gospel Music Moments - 'You’ve Got to Live the Life' by The Echoes of Life

New York City’s Echoes of Life turn Thomas Dorsey’s beloved “You’ve Got to Live the Life” into a rough and raspy old school gospel shout.

SHOUT! Black Gospel Music Moments - 'You've Got to Move' by Abbysinnia Baptist Church Young People’s Choir

In 1959, the Abbysinnia Baptist Church Young People’s Choir recorded a cheerfully up tempo version of the old spiritual “You’ve Got to Move” for the famed Gotham Record label.

SHOUT! Black Gospel Music Moments - "Ol" John (Behold Thy Mother) by The Faithful Wonders

The Faithful Wonders’ funky “Ol’ John (Behold Thy Mother),” first released in 1968, has been re-released multiple times on various gospel and R&B anthologies in recent years.

SHOUT! Black Gospel Music Moments - 'Is There Anything Too Hard for God?' by The Kansas East Sunshine Band Children’s Choir’s

The Kansas East Sunshine Band Children’s Choir’s Young & Gifted Recorded Live! LP features a killer vocal by 9-year-old Crystal Morris on the funky “Is There Anything Too Hard for God?”