Marie Knight (née Roach; June 1, 1920 – August 30, 2009)
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 an ...
and
R&B singer.
Life and career
She was born Marie Roach
[Seamus McGarvey, "Marie Knight: I Hear Music In the Air", interview and article in '']Juke Blues
''Juke Blues'' is a British magazine covering blues, R&B, gospel, soul, zydeco and jazz. It was established in 1985 in London by Cilla Huggins, John Broven and Bez Turner, and is now published in Bath, Somerset, England. Cilla Huggins has been so ...
'' magazine, #68, 2009 in 1920,
[Obituary]
nytimes.com, September 3, 2009; accessed December 13, 2015. though she claimed to have been born in 1925. Sources differ as to her place of birth – either
Attapulgus, Georgia
Attapulgus is a city in Decatur County, Georgia, Decatur County, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia, United States. As of the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census, the city had a population of 454.
The town's name is an Indian word meaning "Dogwood"; ...
,
or
Sanford, Florida
Sanford is a city in the central region of the U.S. state of Florida and the county seat of Seminole County. As of the 2020 census, its population was 61,051.
Known as the "Historic Waterfront Gateway City", Sanford sits on the southern shore ...
– but she grew up in
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
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 ...]
.
She first toured as a singer in 1939 with Frances Robinson, an
evangelist
Evangelist may refer to:
Religion
* Four Evangelists, the authors of the canonical Christian Gospels
* Evangelism, publicly preaching the Gospel with the intention of spreading the teachings of Jesus Christ
* Evangelist (Anglican Church), a c ...
. She married preacher Albert Knight in 1941 but the union ended in divorce. While she was touring with
Sister Rosetta in the 1940s, her two children died in a fire at her mother's house in New Jersey.
[
In 1946, she made her first recordings, for Haven Records with the masters soon purchased by ]Signature Records
Signature Records was a jazz record company and label founded in 1939 by Bob Thiele when he was 17 years old. Its roster included Coleman Hawkins, Earl Hines, Erroll Garner, and Lester Young.
At age 14, Thiele was a disc jockey for his own jazz r ...
, as a member of The Sunset Four (aka The Sunset Jubilee Singers). Shortly afterwards, Sister Rosetta Tharpe
Sister Rosetta Tharpe (born Rosetta Nubin, March 20, 1915 – October 9, 1973) was an American singer and guitarist. She gained popularity in the 1930s and 1940s with her Gospel music, gospel recordings, characterized by a unique mixture of spir ...
saw her singing at the Golden Gate Auditorium in Harlem
Harlem is a neighborhood in Upper Manhattan, New York City. It is bounded roughly by the Hudson River on the west; the Harlem River and 155th Street (Manhattan), 155th Street on the north; Fifth Avenue on the east; and 110th Street (Manhattan), ...
, on a bill with Mahalia Jackson
Mahalia Jackson ( ; born Mahala Jackson; October 26, 1911 – January 27, 1972) was an American gospel singer, widely considered one of the most influential vocalists of the 20th century. With a career spanning 40 years, Jackson was integral to t ...
, and invited Knight to join her on tour. Tharpe recognized "something special" in Marie's contralto voice.[
She continued to record and perform with Tharpe through the 1940s, sometimes acting out the parts of "the Saint and the Sinner", with Tharpe as the saint and Knight as the sinner.] Among their successes were the songs "Beams of Heaven", "Didn't it Rain", and "Up Above My Head
"Up Above My Head" is a gospel song of traditional origin, first recorded in 1941 (as "Above My Head I Hear Music In The Air") by The Southern Sons, a vocal group formed by William Langford of the Golden Gate Quartet. In the version that is now th ...
", recorded for Decca Records
Decca Records is a British record label established in 1929 by Edward Lewis (Decca), Edward Lewis. Its U.S. label was established in late 1934 by Lewis, Jack Kapp, American Decca's first president, and Milton Rackmil, who later became American ...
. "Up Above My Head", credited jointly to both singers, reached No. 6 on the US R&B chart
The Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart ranks the most popular R&B and hip hop songs in the United States and is published weekly by ''Billboard''. Rankings are based on a measure of radio airplay, sales data, and streaming activity. The chart had 100 p ...
at the end of 1948, and Knight's solo version of "Gospel Train" reached No. 9 on the R&B chart in 1949.Joel Whitburn
Joel Carver Whitburn (November 29, 1939 – June 14, 2022) was an American author and music historian, responsible for setting up the Record Research, Inc. series of books on record chart placings.
Early life
Joel Carver Whitburn was born in Wau ...
,
She left Tharpe to go solo around 1951, and put together a backing group, The Millionaires (Thomasina Stewart, Eleonore King and Roberta Jones), with whom she recorded the 1956 album ''Songs of the Gospel''. She began recording secular
Secularity, also the secular or secularness (from Latin ''saeculum'', "worldly" or "of a generation"), is the state of being unrelated or neutral in regards to religion. Anything that does not have an explicit reference to religion, either negativ ...
R&B music in the late 1950s, for various labels including Decca, Mercury
Mercury commonly refers to:
* Mercury (planet), the nearest planet to the Sun
* Mercury (element), a metallic chemical element with the symbol Hg
* Mercury (mythology), a Roman god
Mercury or The Mercury may also refer to:
Companies
* Merc ...
, and Okeh
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 ...
. Her duet with Rex Garvin
Rex Garvin (July 24, 1940[Interview]
OtherSounds.com. Retrieved December 6, 2013. – December 2, 2013) wa ...
, credited as Marie & Rex, "I Can't Sit Down" released on the Carlton label, reached No. 94 on the pop chart
A record chart, in the music industry, also called a music chart, is a ranking of recorded music according to certain criteria during a given period. Many different criteria are used in worldwide charts, often in combination. These include re ...
in 1959.[Whitburn, ''Top Pop Singles 1955-2002'', Billboard, 2003; , p. 440] In the late 1950s she also toured Britain as a guest of Humphrey Lyttelton
Humphrey Richard Adeane Lyttelton (23 May 1921 – 25 April 2008), also known as Humph, was an English jazz musician and broadcaster from the Lyttelton family.
Having taught himself the trumpet at school, Lyttelton became a professional ...
.
In 1961 she recorded the single " Come Tomorrow", which was later a hit for Manfred Mann
Manfred Mann were an English rock band, formed in London and active between 1962 and 1969. The group were named after their keyboardist Manfred Mann, who later led the successful 1970s group Manfred Mann's Earth Band. The band had two differen ...
. Knight's version of " Cry Me a River" reached No. 35 on the U.S. ''Billboard
A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...
'' R&B charts in 1965.
She toured with Brook Benton
Benjamin Franklin Peay (September 19, 1931 – April 9, 1988), better known as Brook Benton, was an American singer and songwriter who was popular with rock and roll, rhythm and blues, and pop music audiences during the late 1950s and early 1960 ...
, the Drifters, and Clyde McPhatter
Clyde Lensley McPhatter (November 15, 1932 – June 13, 1972) was an American rhythm and blues, soul, and rock and roll singer. He was one of the most widely imitated R&B singers of the 1950s and early 1960sPalmer, Robert (1981)"Roy Brown, a Pi ...
, and regularly reunited onstage with Tharpe.[ She remained friends with Tharpe, and helped arrange her funeral in 1973. In 1975, having given up performing secular music, she recorded another gospel album, ''Marie Knight: Today''. In 2002, Knight made a comeback in the gospel world, recording for a ]tribute album
An album is a collection of audio recordings issued on compact disc (CD), vinyl, audio tape, or another medium such as digital distribution. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early 20th century as individual 78 rpm records coll ...
to Tharpe. She released a full-length album, ''Let Us Get Together'', on her manager's label in 2007.
Death
Marie Knight died in Harlem of complications from pneumonia
Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung primarily affecting the small air sacs known as alveoli. Symptoms typically include some combination of productive or dry cough, chest pain, fever, and difficulty breathing. The severity ...
, on August 30, 2009, aged 89. She was survived by a sister, Bernice Henry.[
]
Discography
Marie Knight with The Sunset Four, Male Quartet (aka Sunset Jubilee Singers)
* 1946 Signature 32004 - If I Could Just Make It In / Where Shall I Go
* 1946 Signature 32005 - I'll Let Nothing Separate Me ... / I Just Couldn't Keep It To Myself
* 1946 Haven 501 - I Just Couldn't Keep It To Myself / The Negro National Anthem
* 1946 Signature 32006 - Negro National Anthem / Where Could I Go But To The Lord
* 1946 Haven 502 - I'll Let Nothing Separate Me ... / Where Could I Go
* 1946 Signature 32007 - The Lord Will Make A Way / I'll Never Turn Back No More
* 1946 Haven 503 - I'll Never Turn Back No More / The Lord Will Make A Way
* 1946 Haven 504 - Today / Something Within Me Banishes Pain
Sister Marie Knight
* 1946 Signature 32008 - Just A Closer Walk With Thee / The Land Beyond The River
* 1946 Signature 32009 - When I Get To The End Of My Journey / What Could I Do
Georgia Peach/Marie Knight
* 1946 Signature 32024 - I Just Rose To Tell You / Today; flip side only by Marie Knight.
Marie Knight
* 1947 Haven 516 - Just A Closer Walk With Thee / The Land Beyond The River
* 1947 Haven 517 - The End Of My Journey / What Could I Do
Marie Knight
* circa 1947 RCA Victor 22-0073 - Misery Blues
* circa 1947 RCA Victor 22-0073 - Rock With It
Sister Rosetta Tharpe and Marie Knight; Sam Price Trio / Sister Rosetta Tharpe; Sam Price Trio
* 1947 Decca 48043 - Oh When I Come To The End Of My Journey / This Train; flip side only by Sister Rosetta Tharpe; Sam Price Trio.
Sister Rosetta Tharpe; Marie Knight; Sam Price Trio
* 1947 Decca 48054 - Stretch Out / Didn't It Rain
Sister Rosetta Tharpe and Marie Knight; Sam Price Trio
* 1948 Decca 48070 - Beams Of Heaven / Precious Memories
Marie Knight; Sam Price Trio
1948 Decca 48072 - What Could I Do / I Must See Jesus
Marie Knight With The Sam Price Trio
* 1948 Decca 48084 - The Land Beyond The River / My Heavenly Father Watches Over Me
Sister Rosetta Tharpe and Marie Knight with The Sam Price Trio (members Sister Rosetta Tharpe (vocals and guitar), Marie Knight (vocals), Sammy Price (piano), George "Pops" Foster (bass) and Wallace Bishop (drums))
* 1948 Decca 48090 - Up Above My Head I Hear Music In The Air* / My Journey To The Sky; *recorded 1947
Marie Knight with The Dependable Boys; Sam Price Trio / Marie Knight; Sam Price Trio
* 1949 Decca 48092 - Gospel Train / Behold His Face; flip side only by Marie Knight; Sam Price Trio.
Sister Rosetta Tharpe and M. K. / Sister Rosetta Tharpe and Marie Knight
* 1949 Decca 48098 - He Watches Me / He's All I Need; flip side only by Sister Rosetta Tharpe and Marie Knight.
Marie Knight With Sam Price Trio
* 1949 Decca 48102 - I Can't Forget It, Can You / Up In My Heavenly Home
Sister Marie Knight with The Sunset Four
* 1949 Candy 4000 - The Negro National Anthem / I Just Couldn't Keep It To Myself
Sister Marie Knight
* 1949 Candy 4001 - I'll Let Nothing Separate Me ... / Where Could I Go But To The Lord
Marie Knight
* 1949 Candy 4002 - I'll Never Turn Back No More / The Lord Will Make A Way
* 1949 Candy 4003 - Today / Something Within Me Banishes Pain
* 1949 Candy 4004 - Just A Closer Walk With Thee / The Land Beyond The River
* 1949 Candy 4010 - The End Of My Journey / What Could I Do
Marie Knight And Vivian Cooper; With Sam Price Trio
* 1949 Decca 48111 - Out Of The Depth / Touch Me Lord Jesus
Marie Knight With The Sam Price Trio
* 1949 Decca 48120 - I Must Have Jesus All The Time / I Thank You Jesus
Marie Knight
* 1950 Decca 48128 - Jesus Loves Me / Whispering Hope
Marie Knight With The Sam Price Trio
* 1950 Decca 48147 - Live The Life / Seal Of Heaven
* 1950 Decca 48173 - Lord Search My Heart / In Shaded Green Pastures
* 1950 Decca 48189 - The Florida Storm / Hallelujah What A Storm
Sister Rosetta & Marie Knight
* 1950 Decca 48194 - I Shall Know Him / I Was Healed
"Jersey Joe" Walcott and Maria Knight
* 1950 Decca 14594 - Have Faith / Say A Little Prayer
Marie Knight
* 1951 Decca 48198 - I Heard My Mother Pray / Don't Miss That Train
* 1951 Decca 48219 - Satisfied With Jesus / The Old Rugged Cross
Sister Rosetta And Marie Knight With The Sam Price Trio
* 1951 Decca 48227 - Milky White Way / His Eye Is On The Sparrow
Marie Knight
* 1951 Decca 48233 - Every Day Every Hour / My Expectations
* 1951 Decca 48253 - On The Battlefield / I'll Fly Away
* 1951 Decca 48262 - Adeste Fideles (O, Come All Ye Faithful) / It Came Upon The Midnight Clear
* 1952 Decca 48285 - Sit Down Servant / Does Jesus Care
* 1952 Decca 28128 - Wildwood / He's My Light(with The Anita Kerr Sisters)
Sister Rosetta T. & Marie Knight
* 1952 Decca 28509 - There Is A Highway To Heaven / I'm Bound For Higher Grounds
Sister Rosetta Tharpe And Marie Knight
* 1952 Decca 9-28625 - Old Landmark / Pressing On
Marie Knight With The Nightingales
* 1953 Brunswick 05071 - The Old Rugged Cross / Satisfied With Jesus
Marie Knight
* 1953 Decca 28545 - Jesus Walk With Me / Get Away Jordan
* 1953 Decca 48298 - I Just Can't Keep From Cryin' / On My Appointed Time
* 1953 Decca 48301 - Let Go His Hand / Let's Go On
* 1954 Decca 48308 - Calvary / God Spoke To Me
Sister Rosetta & Marie Knight
* 1954 Decca 48309 - Nobody's Fault But Mine / Shadrack
Marie Knight; Leroy Kirkland and his Orchestra
* 1954 Decca 48315 - You Got A Way Of Making Love / I Know Every Move You Make
Marie Knight
* 1954 Decca 48320 - This Old Soul Of Mine / I Tell It Wherever I Go
* 1954 Decca 48326 - I'm Troubled / Stop Now, It's Praying Time
* 1954 Decca 48327 - Trouble In Mind / What More Can I Do
* 1955 Decca 48333 - Who Rolled The Stone Away / Easter Bells
* 1955 Decca 48334 - The Battle Of Jericho / A Travelers Tune
* 1955 Decca 48336 - I Must Tell Jesus / The Storm Is Passing Over
Marie Knight with The Griffins
* 1956 Wing 90069 - As Long As I Love / Tell Me Why
Marie Knight
* 1956 Mercury 70904 - Stand By Me / Blessed Be The Lord
* 1956 Mercury 70969 - Grasshopper Baby / Look At Me
Marie Knight & The Millionaires
* 1956 Mercury MG 20196 Sings The Gospel (LP)[Billboard December 22, 1956, p. 30]
Marie Knight With The Howard Biggs Orch.
* 1957 Mercury 71055 - I'm A Little Fooler / Am I Reaching For The Moon
Marie Knight; Teacho Wiltshire Orchestra
* 1958 Baton 253 - I Thought I Told You Not To Tell Them / September Song
Marie And Rex: Marie Knight and Rex Garvin with orchestral accomp. / Marie Knight with orch.
* 1959 Carlton 502 - I Can't Sit Down / Miracles; flip side only by Marie Knight with orch.
Marie Knight
* 1960 Addit 1016 - Hope You Won't Hold It Against Me / To Be Loved By You
Marie Knight & Junior Lewis
* 1960 Sylvia - Better Wait And See - (unissued; released in U. K. 2002 Kent CD "The Arock & Sylvia Story" CDKEND 212)
Marie Knight
* 1960 Sylvia - Come Tomorrow - (unissued; released in UK 2002 Kent CD "The Arock & Sylvia Story" CDKEND 212)
* 1961 Okeh 4-7141 - Come Tomorrow* / Nothing In The World
* 1962 Okeh 4-7147 - Come On Baby (Hold My Hand) / What Kind Of Fool (Do You Think I Am)
* 1963 Diamond 136 - I Was Born Again / I Don't Wanna Walk Alone
* 1963 Diamond 149 - The Nearness Of You / Walk Away
* 1964 Diamond 171 - Make Yourself At Home / I Was Born Again
* 1964 Musicor 1076 - Comes The Night / Cry Me A River
* 1964 Musicor 1106 - That's No Way To Treat A Girl / Say It Again
* 1964 That's No Way To Treat A Girl (full length version released in UK 2002 Kent LP Soul Spin - Kent 024)
* 1964 Musicor 1128 - A Little Too Lonely / You Lie So Well
* 1965 Okeh 4-7218 - Come Tomorrow / Nothing In The World
* 1975 Blues Alliance 257004 - Today LP
* 2001 Westside - Bluesoul Belles Vol. 4: Scepter & Musicor Recordings (Compilation; Judy Clay, Marie Knight)
* 2002 Gospel Friend - Hallelujah What a Song (Compilation)
* 2007 M. C. Records MC-0058 - Let Us Get Together LP
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Knight, Marie
1920 births
2009 deaths
20th-century American singers
21st-century American singers
20th-century African-American women singers
American gospel singers
Deaths from pneumonia in New York City
Musicians from Newark, New Jersey
20th-century American women singers
21st-century American women singers
21st-century African-American women singers