Today, Apollo Records is best known among gospel music lovers as the original home of Mahalia Jackson – and the place where she recorded her greatest music. But Apollo had a lot going for it beyond Mahalia. Bess and Ike Berman took over the label after it was founded in New York City in 1944 -- and Bess had an incredible ear for talent
The label signed a wide variety of outstanding artists in several genres, including the 5 Royales, Dinah Washington, and Wynonie Harris. But Bess had her greatest successes in gospel – the Roberta Martin Singers, the Dixie Hummingbirds, Prof. Alex Bradford, James Cleveland and – of course – Mahalia.
In 1948 for Apollo, Mahalia recorded one of the best-selling gospel songs of all time, “Moving on Up a Little Higher,” which sold millions. After several more transcendent releases, Jackson left for Columbia Records in 1954. Apollo hung around until 1962 – and its legacy of great music is a tribute to Bess Berman, one of the few women pioneers to succeed in gospel’s all-male world. Another example of her ability to find music of the highest quality – here’s the otherwise unknown Southern Harmonizers and their 45, “Honey in the Rock”!
MUSIC: “Honey in the Rock,” 45, Southern Harmonizers
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.