Gabriel S. Hardeman Jr. (December 13, 1943 – June 23, 2012), was an American

gospel music Gospel music is a traditional genre of Christian music, and a cornerstone of Christian media. The creation, performance, significance, and even the definition of gospel music varies according to culture and social context. Gospel music is com ...

ian, pianist, and leader of the Gabriel Hardeman Delegation that included his wife Annette. He started his music career in 1976, with the release of ''Gabriel Hardeman Delegation'' by Savoy Records. Along with his wife, they formed Birthright Records, and in 1981 they released the album ''Talk'' along with ''Feels Like Fire'' in 1983. His fourth album, ''To the Chief Musician'', released in 2001 by Crystal Rose Records, and this placed at No. 12 on the ''Billboard'' magazine Gospel Albums chart. Hardeman was a noted songwriter along with his wife Annette of such songs as 1987's "

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" by

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and "

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" with co-collaboration with G Syier Hawkins Brown,the song performed by

Miki Howard Alicia Michelle "Miki" Howard (born September 30, 1960) is an American singer and actress who had a string of top 10 hit songs in the mid-1980s and early 1990s, including " Baby, Be Mine" (1987), " Come Share My Love" (1986) and "Love Under Ne ...

in 1989.

Early life

Hardeman was born on December 13, 1943 in

Atlanta, Georgia Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...

, as Gabriel S. Hardeman Jr., the son of Reverend Gabriel S. Hardeman Sr, who pastored and founded the Hickman Temple A.M.E. Church in West Philadelphia, and his mother, Daisy. Hardeman was a pianist at his fathers church as a youth. He graduated from High School at William Penn High School, and he went onto graduate from

West Virginia State University West Virginia State University (WVSU) is a public historically black, land-grant university in Institute, West Virginia. Founded in 1891 as the West Virginia Colored Institute, it is one of the original 19 land-grant colleges and universities ...

with a physical education bachelor's degree, where he was a football player and a glee club participant. Subsequently, in 1990, he went to Lutheran Theological Seminary, where he graduated with a master's degree in divinity and became a minister in 1995.

Music career

He began his music recording career in 1976, with the release of ''Gabriel Hardeman Delegation'' by Savoy Records, yet this did not chart. His subsequent two albums were released by the label him and his wife started, Birthright Records, and they released in 1981, ''Talk'', along with 1983's, ''Feels Like Fire''. The next album, ''To the Chief Musician'', was released on May 8, 2001, and it placed on the ''Billboard'' magazine Gospel Albums at No. 12. Gabriel alongside his wife, Annette, were co-writers on two commercially successful songs, such as 1987's "

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and "

" by

in 1989. Gabriel alone wrote songs on some

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albums, ''Joy'' in 1988 and 1991's '' Truly Blessed''.

Personal life

From the late 1980s until their departure for Georgia, Hardeman taught physical education instructor and coached softball at Strawberry Mansion Junior High School. He directed and wrote songs for the Strawberry Mansion Gospel Ensemble. He also worked at South Philadelphia High School. In 2000, Hardeman relocated to

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, so that he could pastor at Bellview A.M.E. Church. Hardeman was married to his wife, Annette, at the time of his death on June 23, 2012 at Presbyterian Hospital in Philadelphia, from

Interstitial lung disease Interstitial lung disease (ILD), or diffuse parenchymal lung disease (DPLD), is a group of respiratory diseases affecting the interstitium (the tissue and space around the alveoli (air sacs)) of the lungs. It concerns alveolar epithelium, pulmo ...

that he was diagnosed with in 2000. Annette was born on November 19, 1954 in

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. The couple had a son, Michael.

Discography

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hardeman, Gabriel 1943 births 2012 deaths African-American songwriters African-American Christians Musicians from Atlanta Musicians from Philadelphia Songwriters from Georgia (U.S. state) Songwriters from Pennsylvania 20th-century African-American people 21st-century African-American people