Because he was the featured and much-adored soloist for the giant National Baptist Convention, J. Robert Bradley was called “Mr. Baptist” – his beautiful baritone voice was always one of the highlights of the annual meetings of what was then America’s largest African American denomination. In the 1930s and ‘40s, it is said that the Baptists would be forced to call for intermissions following his performances!
He was even one of just three singers – along with Aretha Franklin and Robert Anderson – asked to sing at the two massive funerals for gospel legend Mahalia Jackson.
Alas, most of Bradley’s recordings are out of print – meaning that there really aren’t many places to hear his classically trained voice, one that was equally at home with the old hymns, gospel music or the spirituals. Fortunately, Baylor University’s Black Gospel Music Preservation Program has a handful of Bradley’s recordings, including this lovely, reverent version of the child’s hymn “Jesus Loves Me.”
MUSIC: J. Robert Bradley from the LP, Hear the Voice: J. Robert Bradley and the Rev. C.L. Franklin LP, Side 1, Track 1
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.