Elder Charles Beck (ca. 1900–1972) was an American gospel musician and evangelist. A seminal figure in the formative years of modern African-American gospel music, he is responsible for an extensive recording discography, which included over 60 songs over the span of two decades. Beck's abilities as a pianist and trumpet player are praised as one of the best from the gospel genre. His work, both as an instrumentalist and live performer, however, was predominantly overshadowed by the career of

Thomas A. Dorsey Thomas Andrew Dorsey (July 1, 1899 – January 23, 1993) was an American musician, composer, and Evangelism, Christian evangelist influential in the development of early blues and 20th-century gospel music. He penned 3,000 songs, a third of them ...

. Over time, nearly all of Beck's recordings have become more accessible through

compilation album A compilation album comprises Album#Tracks, tracks, which may be previously released or unreleased, usually from several separate recordings by either one or several Performing arts#Performers, performers. If by one artist, then generally the tr ...

Biography

Beck was most likely born in

Mobile, Alabama Mobile ( , ) is a city and the county seat of Mobile County, Alabama, United States. The population within the city limits was 187,041 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, down from 195,111 at the 2010 United States census, 2010 cens ...

, sometime during 1900, although other sources list two other possible birthplaces. Despite his prolific presence and extensive recording experience, little is known about Beck's early life and work. His first verified recording session took place on December 16 and 18, 1930, for

Okeh Records Okeh Records () is an American record label founded by the Otto Heinemann Phonograph Corporation, a phonograph supplier established in 1916, which branched out into phonograph records in 1918. The name was spelled "OkeH" from the initials of Ott ...

at the

King Edward Hotel The Omni King Edward Hotel is a historic luxury hotel in Downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The hotel is located at 37 King Street (Toronto), King Street East, and it occupies the entire block bounded by King Street on the north, Victoria Street ...

in Jackson, Mississippi. For the occasion, Beck accompanied popular singing preacher Elder Curry and his congregation on piano, including "Memphis Flu", a song about the

1918 flu pandemic The 1918–1920 influenza pandemic, commonly known by the misnomer Spanish flu or as the Great Influenza epidemic, was an exceptionally deadly global influenza pandemic caused by the H1N1 influenza A virus. The earliest documented case was ...

. According to some music historians, including David Hatch and Stephen Milward, Beck's boogie-woogie-based playing style on the record anticipated the works of many rock and roll pianists. "He may have been the best sanctified pianist", wrote Anthony Heilbut, "his playing was more legato and improvisatory than the herky-jerky ragtime of Arizona Dranes". During the 1930s, Beck became a proficient trumpet player. His recordings in the decade represent the formative years of modern African-American gospel music; indeed, Beck's work was preceded notably only by

, whose career overshadowed much of Beck's accomplishments. Following World War II, Beck capitalized on the proliferation of record labels, recording with several including Chart, Eagle, Gotham, and King. Many of his sermons dealt with dramatic and humorous accounts of the "wages of sin"; his most enduring songs include "There's a Dead Cat on the Line", "Jesus, I Love You", and "Winehead Willie Put That Bottle Down". Beck was minister of the

Church of God in Christ The Church of God in Christ (COGIC) is a Holiness–Pentecostal Christian denomination, and the largest Pentecostal denomination in the United States. Although an international and multi-ethnic religious organization, it has a predominantly Bl ...

in Buffalo, New York, in the 1950s, but his talents as a musician and preacher frequently took him across the United States throughout the decade. His services were broadcast weekly on a network of more than 30 radio stations.

State University of New York The State University of New York (SUNY, , ) is a system of public colleges and universities in the State of New York. It is one of the largest comprehensive system of universities, colleges, and community colleges in the United States. Led by c ...

professor William H. Tallmadge recorded Beck and his congregation at his church on December 30 and 31, 1956, releasing the assortment of spirituals and "holiness shouting" on the album ''Urban Holiness Service'' in 1957; The Heavenly Gospel Singers of Buffalo also make a guest appearance. The album is the last known recording of Beck's musical career. In 1960, Beck began missionary work in Ghana. He died there in 1972. Beck's work has been compiled on several

s after his death, including ''Complete Recorded Works In Chronological Order 1930–1939''.

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Beck, Elder Charles D. 1900 births 1972 deaths Musicians from Mobile, Alabama American gospel musicians American evangelists Okeh Records artists King Records artists