© 2025 KWBU
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

SHOUT! Black Gospel Music Moments - The Townsend Sisters

Produced by the legendary Willie Mitchell in Memphis, the Townsend Sisters’ “You Can’t Hurry God” is a gospel powerhouse!

A recent music-fueled trip to Memphis reinforced my belief that it is the most soulful city in America. At the heart of Memphis are its great studios, where all the great artists with Stax, Sun, Hi, and other labels recorded. Willie Mitchell’s work at Hi Records with Al Green is incomparable of course, but Mitchell also recorded O.V. Wright, Ann Peebles, and – in the gospel realm – the Townsend Sisters.

The Rev. A.L. Townsend and his wife Victoria had 14 children, including nine girls. Six of those girls – Shirley, Shelia, Marie, Felecia, Rosetta and Virginia – comprised the Townsend Sisters. Their lone LP for the otherwise unknown Nasha label was recorded in Mitchell’s studio in Memphis and Willie himself handled the production. The result, I Am a Witness, is a stone-cold gospel powerhouse... as their recording of “You Can’t Hurry God” proves from the first notes!

Townsend Sisters - You Can't Hurry God

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

SHOUT! Black Gospel Music Moments - The Rev. James Cleveland and the Salem Inspirational Choir
The Rev. James Cleveland leads the Salem Inspirational Choir in a stirring version of his hit song, “I Don’t Feel Noways Tired.”
SHOUT! Black Gospel Music Moments - The Back Home Choir
The Back Home Choir specialized in choral arrangements of the old spirituals, including this upbeat rendition of “King Jesus is All.”
SHOUT! Black Gospel Music Moments - Myrna Summers
The multi-talented Myrna Summers can sing anything – but she’s rarely sounded better than on this haunting spiritual, “Stand By Me.”
SHOUT! Black Gospel Music Moments - The Gospel Seekers
The Gospel Seekers’ “I’ve Got Jesus” is an old time, foot-stompin’, gospel rave up of the highest order!
SHOUT! Black Gospel Music Moments - The Jackson Gospel Singers
New Orleans’ fiery Jackson Gospel Singers released a fistful of superb gospel songs in the mid-1950s, including “I Can’t Walk This Highway.”
SHOUT! Black Gospel Music Moments - Marv Johnson
Early Motown pioneer Marv Johnson recorded a gospel LP in 1962, which featured this up tempo version of the old COGIC chant/song, “Every Time I Feel the Spirit.”
SHOUT! Black Gospel Music Moments - The Christland Singers
Led by the legendary R.H. Harris, the Christland Singers recorded a number of memorable songs, including their version of “I Am Too Close.”
SHOUT! Black Gospel Music Moments - Rosie Wallace and the First Church of Love, Faith, and Deliverance Choir
Few could match the power of Evangelist Rosie Wallace and the First Church of Love, Faith and Deliverance Choir of Philadelphia!
SHOUT! Black Gospel Music Moments - The Harold Smith Majestics
The Harold Smith Majestics could sing anything, from light classic to gospelized Broadway tunes to classic gospel like “The Lord Will Carry You Through.”
SHOUT! Black Gospel Music Moments - The Newberry Singers
Led by Edwin Newberry, the always innovative Newberry Singers sound like no other gospel group on their own composition, “Trouble Will Soon Be Over.”

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).