Jackie Verdell (November 5, 1937 – August 3, 1991) was an American
gospel
Gospel originally meant the Christian message (" the gospel"), but in the 2nd century it came to be used also for the books in which the message was set out. In this sense a gospel can be defined as a loose-knit, episodic narrative of the words a ...
singer, born in
Philadelphia
Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, largest city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the List of United States cities by population, sixth-largest city i ...
,
Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...
, United States.
Musical career
After leaving high school, she joined
The Davis Sisters
The Davis Sisters of Philadelphia, PA were an American gospel group founded by Ruth ("Baby Sis") Davis and featuring her sisters Thelma, Audrey, Alfreda and Edna. Imogene Greene joined the group in 1950, and was later replaced by Jackie Verdell ...
in 1955, at the start of their tenure with Herman Lubinsky and
Ozzie Cadena
Oscar "Ozzie" Cadena (September 26, 1924 – April 9, 2008) was an American record producer with Savoy Records and Prestige Records who recorded gospel and jazz music in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s, and helped popularize jazz music in Los Ange ...
's
record label
A record label, or record company, is a brand or trademark of music recordings and music videos, or the company that owns it. Sometimes, a record label is also a publishing company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the produ ...
Newark, New Jersey
Newark ( , ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of New Jersey and the seat of Essex County and the second largest city within the New York metropolitan area.Church of God in Christ, she was a soloist in the choir of Faith Temple in New York, pastored by Bishop A.A. Childs (the church would later serve as the site of
Malcolm X
Malcolm X (born Malcolm Little, later Malik el-Shabazz; May 19, 1925 – February 21, 1965) was an American Muslim minister and human rights activist who was a prominent figure during the civil rights movement. A spokesman for the Nation of I ...
's last rites). Ruth Davis was attending a broadcast at which Jackie was singing and the rest is gospel history. Jackie Verdell possessed a powerful mezzo-soprano voice, and her performances on records such as "Lord Don't Leave Me", "Following Him", and "I Don't Know What I'd Do" made an impression on the young Aretha Franklin, amongst others. "I also considered Jackie Verdell of the Davis Sisters one of the best and most underrated female
soul
In many religious and philosophical traditions, there is a belief that a soul is "the immaterial aspect or essence of a human being".
Etymology
The Modern English noun '' soul'' is derived from Old English ''sāwol, sāwel''. The earliest atte ...
singers of all time" said Franklin in her 1999 autobiography ''Aretha: From These Roots''. ""It was through Jackie that I learned the expression 'Girl, you peed tonight'--meaning you were dynamite. Several nights Jackie sang so hard she literally had a spot or two on her robe from peeing. Singing far too hard, I also peed here and there in the early days; I quickly realized no one should sing that hard." Verdell was second lead for The Davis Sisters between 1955 and 1960, featuring on many of their Savoy recordings.
Like Franklin, she left the gospel field in 1960 and began singing pop, her voice having deepened to a
contralto
A contralto () is a type of classical female singing voice whose vocal range is the lowest female voice type.
The contralto's vocal range is fairly rare; similar to the mezzo-soprano, and almost identical to that of a countertenor, typica ...
and losing the upper register. She signed with
Houston
Houston (; ) is the most populous city in Texas, the most populous city in the Southern United States, the fourth-most populous city in the United States, and the sixth-most populous city in North America, with a population of 2,304,580 i ...
-based
Peacock Records
Peacock Records was an American record label, started in 1949 by Don Robey in Houston, Texas, United States.
History
" Hound Dog" by Big Mama Thornton was a hit for Peacock in 1953. Other significant rhythm and blues artists on Peacock were Ma ...
, releasing three singles between 1961 and 1964. None of them charted, but her own composition, "Why Not Give Me A Chance", produced by
Dinah Washington
Dinah Washington (born Ruth Lee Jones; August 29, 1924 – December 14, 1963) was an American singer and pianist, who has been cited as "the most popular black female recording artist of the 1950s songs". Primarily a jazz vocalist, she performe ...
's former producer Clyde Otis, seems to have attained a small level of popularity, being covered in later years by soul singers O.V. Wright on Peacock's subsidiary Back Beat Records in the late 1960s, and by Ruby Wilson on
Malaco Records
Malaco Records is an American independent record label based in Jackson, Mississippi, United States, that has been the home of various major blues and gospel acts, such as Johnnie Taylor, Bobby Bland, Mel Waiters, Z. Z. Hill, Denise LaSalle, ...
in the early 1980s. The Davis Sisters' recording session information in ''Gospel Records 1943 - 1969'' suggests that Verdell was absent from the group during 1960 and 1961, returned in 1962 for further recordings on Savoy, was absent again in 1963, and then returned again in 1964 for more recordings on Savoy and
RCA Records
RCA Records is an American record label currently owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America. It is one of Sony Music's four flagship labels, alongside RCA's former long-time rival Columbia Records; also A ...
, apparently departing for good around 1966. Some television appearances with The Davis Sisters and Brother Joe May which were posted to
YouTube
YouTube is a global online video sharing and social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by Google, and is the second mo ...
in 2006 and 2007, and appear to date from 1964. After several years of appearing with the Davis sisters, she relocated to Chicago, and worked closely with the Reverend Jesse Jackson and Operation Push as the featured soloist. She appeared in the film documentary ''Save The Children''; Jesse Jackson's Operation PUSH exposition held in 1972 in Chicago. The film was released on September 18, 1973, by Paramount Pictures. She made her theatrical debut in the Alex Bradford play, ''Black Nativity'' and sang in the Broadway bound musical ''Don't Cry Mary''. In 1979, she was nominated for a
Grammy Award
The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pr ...
by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Science for her rendition of "Kum by ya". This was a high point in her career. When asked about this exciting event she replied "even if I don't win, it will be a thrill just to be there." In 1981, she once again recorded with The Davis Sisters, the last album by the group entitled "The Storm is Passing Over". The album featured Verdell, Audrey Davis, Alfreda Davis, and Michele White.
After further unsuccessful pop singles on Decca Records (US) and its
Coral Records
Coral Records was a subsidiary of Decca Records that was formed in 1949. Coral released music by Patsy Cline, Buddy Holly, the McGuire Sisters and Teresa Brewer.
Coral issued jazz and swing music in the 1940s, but after Bob Thiele became head of ...
subsidiary, the late 1960s and early 1970s found her contributing background vocals (along with Cissy Houston,
Judy Clay
Judy Clay (September 12, 1938 – July 19, 2001) Thedeadrockstarsclub.com. Retrieved September 11, 2016. was an American < ...
, and other members of
The Drinkard Singers
The Drinkard Singers were an American gospel singing group, most successful in the late 1950s and important in the careers of singers Cissy Houston, Dionne Warwick, Dee Dee Warwick, and Judy Clay.
Family origins
Nitcholas (aka ''Nitch'', 1896 ...
or
The Sweet Inspirations
The Sweet Inspirations were an American R&B girl group mostly known for their work as backup singers on studio recordings for other R&B and rock artists. A founding member of the group was Dionne Warwick, who was later replaced by her aunt, Ciss ...
) to records by
Wilson Pickett
Wilson Pickett (March 18, 1941 – January 19, 2006) was an American singer and songwriter.
A major figure in the development of soul music, Pickett recorded over 50 songs which made the US R&B charts, many of which crossed over to the ''Bill ...
(''Cole, Cooke & Redding''),
Dee Dee Warwick
Delia Juanita Warrick (September 25, 1942 – October 18, 2008), known professionally as Dee Dee Warwick, was an American soul singer. Born in Newark, New Jersey, she was the sister of singer Dionne Warwick, the niece of Cissy Houston, and a ...
(''Turning Around''),
Van Morrison
Sir George Ivan Morrison (born 31 August 1945), known professionally as Van Morrison, is a Northern Irish singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist whose recording career spans seven decades. He has won two Grammy Awards.
As a teenager in t ...
(''
Moondance
''Moondance'' is the third studio album by Northern Irish singer-songwriter Van Morrison. It was released on 27 January 1970 by Warner Bros. Records. After the commercial failure of his first Warner Bros. album ''Astral Weeks'' (1968), Morris ...
''), Clarence Wheeler & The Enforcers,
Horace Silver
Horace Ward Martin Tavares Silver (September 2, 1928 – June 18, 2014) was an American jazz pianist, composer, and arranger, particularly in the hard bop style that he helped pioneer in the 1950s.
After playing tenor saxophone and piano at sc ...
, and
Martha Veléz
Martha Veléz (born in New York City on August 25, 1945) is an American singer and actress of Puerto Rican descent.
Biography
Veléz started singing at age five and won an opera scholarship at age 12, as a mezzo-soprano. She studied for three ...
, as well as a further solo single for
Stax Records
Stax Records is an American record company, originally based in Memphis, Tennessee. Founded in 1957 as Satellite Records, the label changed its name to Stax Records in 1961. It also shared its operations with sister label Volt Records.
Stax was ...
' Gospel Truth and Respect labels under the name of Jacqui Verdell. Her only solo album, ''Lay My Burden Down'', produced by former soul singer Joe Simon, and including Houston & Warwick on background vocals, was released on Spring Records in 1983, and on CD by Ace Records (UK) in 1993. Viv Broughton's 1985 book ''Black Gospel: An Illustrated History of the Gospel Sound'' stated, "Whereas Aretha Franklin lives in fabulous, if troubled, luxury - Jackie Verdell, who made the same move at the same time made nothing at all and is now back singing gospel to a faintly suspicious audience" (paperback edition, page 107). She once complained to gospel maven
Anthony Heilbut
Anthony Heilbut (born November 22, 1940) is an American writer, and record producer of gospel music. He is noted for his biography of Thomas Mann, and has also won a Grammy Award.
Life
Anthony Heilbut, the son of German Jewish refugees Bertha and ...
: "I'd like to be an evangelist, but these crooked promoters won't pay my money". In 1988, she sang in the choir on the
Carman
In Celtic mythology, Carman or Carmun was a warrior and sorceress from Athens who tried to invade Ireland in the days of the Tuatha Dé Danann, along with her three sons, Dub ("black"), Dother ("evil") and Dian ("violence"). She used her magica ...
album ''Live: Radically Saved''. Due to failing health, she was unable to continue her career.
She died in August 1991, at the age of 53.
Discography
* "You Ought to Know Him"/"Bye Bye Blackbird" (Peacock 45 1905, 1961)
* "Why Not Give Me A Chance"/"Hush" (Peacock 45 1921, 1962)
* "YKW"/"Come Let Me Love You" (Peacock 45 1930, 1964)
* "Are You Ready for This"/"I'm Your Girl" (Decca 45 32118, 1967)
* "Does She Ever Remind You Of Me"/"Don't Set Me Free" (Decca 45 32181, 1967)
* "Call On Me"/"If We Are Really In Love" (Coral 45 62555, 1968)
* ''Blues That Gave America Soul'' (Duke LP 82, 1960's) - includes "Why Not Give Me A Chance"
* "He's Mine"/"We're Gonna Have A Good Time" (Respect 45 2505,1974)(''as by Jacqui Verdell, originally issued on the Gospel Truth label'')
* ''Save The Children'' (Motown LP 800, 1974) - includes "I'm Too Close To Heaven To Turn Around" (with Rev. Jesse Jackson & the PUSH Expo Choir)
* "Lay My Burden Down" (vocal)/(instrumental) (Lection/Spring 45 3004, 1982)
* ''Lay My Burden Down'' (Spring LP 6739, 1983; Ace (UK) CD 375, 1993)
* ''The Complete Stax/Volt Soul Singles Volume 3, 1972-1975'' (Stax CD 4415, 1994) - includes "He's Mine"
* ''The Soul Of Spring'' (Kent CD 151, 1999) - includes "Can I Get A Witness"
* ''When Gospel Was Gospel'' (Shanachie CD 6064, 2005) - includes "You're Gonna Need Him" (with Brother Joe May)
* ''The Soul Of Spring, Volume 2'' (Kent CD 268, 2007) - includes "Walk All Over God's Heaven"
* Carman: ''Live: Radically Saved'' (Sparrow/Capitol 51349; Benson 2463, 1988)(''member of choir'')
* The Davis Sisters: ''The Famous Davis Sisters'' (Savoy LP 14000, c. 1955)(JV lead vocals on "He's My King", "Lord, Don't Leave Me", "Oh Happy Day")
* The Davis Sisters: ''Jesus Gave Me Water'' (Savoy LP 14036, c. 1959) (JV lead or co-lead vocals on "We Need Power", "I'm Going Home", "He's Alright", "Save Me", "Jesus Gave Me Water", "Bye And Bye", "Trees")
* The Davis Sisters: ''The Davis Sisters Sing Authentic Southern Style Gospel'' (RCA Victor LP LPM/LSP 2851, 1964) (Recorded live in Little Rock, AR. JV lead or co-lead vocals on "The Man Is Alright", "Life's Evening Sun", "I'm On the Right Road Now")
* The Davis Sisters: ''
The Best of the Davis Sisters
''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the ...
'' (Savoy LP/CD 7017, 1978/2001) (JV lead or co-lead vocals on "He's My King", "Plant My Feet On Higher Ground", "Sinner Man Where You Gonna Run To", "I Want To Be More Like Jesus", "When I Get Inside", "My Wonderful Counselor", "Jonah", "What He's Done For Me", "We Need Power", "Jesus Gave Me Water", "Bye And Bye", "He's My Precious King". Sang in group on several other tracks.)
* Morrison, Van: ''
Moondance
''Moondance'' is the third studio album by Northern Irish singer-songwriter Van Morrison. It was released on 27 January 1970 by Warner Bros. Records. After the commercial failure of his first Warner Bros. album ''Astral Weeks'' (1968), Morris ...
'' (Warner Bros. LP/CD 3103)(''background vocals'')
* Pickett, Wilson: ''Wilson Pickett's Greatest Hits'' (Atlantic CD 81737, 1989)(''background vocals'')
* Pickett, Wilson: ''A Man And A Half'' (Rhino/Atlantic CD 70287, 1992) (''background vocals on "Cole, Cooke & Redding"'')
* Silver, Horace: ''The United States Of Mind'' (Blue Note CD 73157) (''vocals'')
* Veléz, Martha: ''Hypnotized'' (Polydor LP 5034, 1972) (''background vocals'')
* Warwick, Dee Dee: ''Turning Around'' (Atco LP 33-337, 1970)(''background vocals'')
* Warwick, Dee Dee: ''She Didn't Know - The Atco Sessions'' (Ichiban Soul Classics CD 2111, 1996)(''background vocals'')
* Wheeler, Clarence, & The Enforcers: ''Doin' What We Wanna'' (Atlantic LP/CD 648727) (''background vocals'')
References
* Heilbut, Anthony. ''The Gospel Sound''. Limelight Editions New York 1997
* Heilbut, Anthony. Telephone conversation with author
* Heilbut, Anthony. ''When Gospel was gospel'' (CD Liner notes)
* Hayes, Cedric J. and Laughton, Robert. ''Gospel Records 1943 - 1969, A Black Music Discography, Volume One''. Record Information Services, London, England, 1992. . (Personnel listings for Davis Sisters recordings listed below)
* Bowman, Rob: ''The Complete Stax/Volt Soul Singles Volume 3, 1972-1975'' (CD booklet notes)
* Franklin, Aretha, with Ritz, David. ''Aretha: From These Roots''. Villard, 1999.
* Nathan, David: Dee Dee Warwick, ''She Didn't Know - The Atco Sessions'' (CD booklet notes)
* Broughton, Viv: ''Black Gospel: An Illustrated History Of The Gospel Sound''. Blandford Press, Poole, Dorset, England; Sterling Publishing Co., Inc., NYC, NY; 1985. (Hardback) . (Paperback) .