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SHOUT! Black Gospel Music Moments - The Drinkard Singers

The Drinkard Singers were one of the first families of gospel music, and whose members included Cissy Houston and Dionne Warwick.

Ever heard of the Drinkard Singers? No? Well, you’ve certainly heard some of their singers through the years, including Cissy Houston, Dionne and Dee Dee Warwick and Judy Clay. The original Drinkards were really popular in the late ‘50s, but the singers kept getting solo contracts. The remaining members kept on recording for several years, releasing several on-fire old school gospel albums, including Joy Unspeakable and this memorable rave up, “Do You Love Him.”

By the way, after Cissy and Dionne left, the Drinkards eventually renamed themselves the Sweet Inspirations, backing everybody from Aretha to Elvis and having a couple more hits themselves!

2437 The Drinkard Singers - Do You Love Him.mp3

MUSIC: (2437) The Drinkard Singers, Joy Unspeakable LP, “Do You Love Him,” Side 1, Track 1 (September 15, 2024)

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

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Robert F. Darden is the author of two dozen books, most recently: Nothing But Love in God’s Water, Volume II: Black Sacred Music from Sit-In to Resurrection City (Penn State University Press, 2016); Nothing But Love in God’s Water, Volume I: Black Sacred Music from the Civil War to the Civil Rights Movement(Penn State University Press, 2014); Jesus Laughed: The Redemptive Power of Humor(Abingdon Press, 2008), Reluctant Prophets and Clueless Disciples: Understanding the Bible by Telling Its Stories(Abingdon Press, 2006); and People Get Ready! A New History of Black Gospel Music(Continuum/Bloomsbury, 2004).