Shirley Ann Caesar-Williams (born October 13, 1938
), known professionally as Shirley Caesar, is 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 ...
singer whose career has spanned seven decades. She has won 11
Grammys
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 pres ...
in addition to
Dove Awards
A Dove Award is an accolade by the Gospel Music Association (GMA) of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the Christian music industry. The awards are presented annually. Formerly held in Nashville, Tennessee, the Dove Award ...
and Stellar Awards; Caesar is known as the "First Lady of Gospel Music"
and "The Queen of Gospel Music". She began recording with
Federal Records
Federal Records was an American record label founded in 1950 as a subsidiary of Syd Nathan's King Records and based in Cincinnati, Ohio. It was run by famed record producer Ralph Bass and was mainly devoted to Rhythm & Blues releases. The comp ...
at the age of 12 in 1951.
Caesar has released over forty albums. She has participated in over 16 compilations and three gospel musicals, ''Mama I Want to Sing'', ''Sing: Mama 2'' and ''Born to sing: Mama 3''. She is also the creator of the #unameit challenge, which occurred during one of her song sermonettes.
Caesar's credits also include a series of commercials for
MCI Communications
MCI Communications Corp. (originally Microwave Communications, Inc.) was a telecommunications company headquartered in Washington, D.C. that was at one point the second-largest long-distance provider in the United States.
MCI was instrument ...
and numerous awards for her recordings. She has won 11 Grammy Awards (including The Lifetime Achievement Grammy Award), 14 Stellar Awards, 15 Dove Awards, 1 RIAA gold certification, an Essence Award, McDonald's Golden Circle Lifetime Achievement Award, NAACP Lifetime Achievement Award, SESAC Lifetime Achievement Award, Rhapsody & Rhythm Award from the National Museum of African American Music, as well as induction into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame. According to
SoundScan
Luminate (formerly Nielsen SoundScan, Nielsen Music Products, and MRC Data) is a provider of music sales data. Established by Mike Fine and Mike Shalett in 1991, data is collected weekly and made available every Sunday (for albums sales) and eve ...
she has sold 2.2 million albums since 1991. She has made several notable appearances including the televised ''Live from Disney World Night of Joy'', the ''Gospel According to
VH1'', and a
White House
The White House is the official residence and workplace of the president of the United States. It is located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., and has been the residence of every U.S. president since John Adams in 1800. ...
performance for President George Bush. She gave a speech on the evolution of gospel music to the US Treasury Department.
In 2017, Caesar was honored with a
Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award from
The Recording Academy
The Recording Academy (formally the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences; abbreviated NARAS) is an American learned academy of musicians, producers, recording engineers, and other musical professionals. It is famous for its Grammy Aw ...
.
Early life
Caesar was born in
Durham, North Carolina
Durham ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of North Carolina and the county seat of Durham County, North Carolina, Durham County. Small portions of the city limits extend into Orange County, North Carolina, Orange County and Wake County, North Carol ...
. She is the tenth of 13 children.
All of her siblings are now deceased. Her father Jim Caesar was a well known local gospel singer but he died suddenly when Shirley was seven years old.
Her mother Hallie Caesar was semi-invalid due to a lame leg. Caesar had a special bond with her mother and took care of her until her death in 1986.
Career
Caesar first began singing and performing for family and friends. She began singing as Baby Shirley Caesar all over the Carolinas as invitations poured in. She could only perform on weekends due to being in school during the weekdays. Her professional music career began in 1958 at 19, when she approached
Albertina Walker
Albertina Walker ( – ) was an American gospel singer, songwriter, actress, and humanitarian.
Early years
Walker was born in Chicago, Illinois, to Ruben and Camilla Coleman Walker. Her mother was born in Houston County, Georgia, and ...
about joining
The Caravans
The Caravans were an American gospel music group that was started in 1947 by Robert Anderson. It reached its peak popularity during the 1950s and 1960s, launching the careers of a number of artists, including: Delores Washington, Albertina Wa ...
, one of the most popular gospel groups at that time. Albertina wanted the vocally talented young Caesar in her group after hearing her sing a solo. Caesar decided to halt her education to join the group.
Caesar recorded and performed with
Albertina Walker
Albertina Walker ( – ) was an American gospel singer, songwriter, actress, and humanitarian.
Early years
Walker was born in Chicago, Illinois, to Ruben and Camilla Coleman Walker. Her mother was born in Houston County, Georgia, and ...
, Cassietta George, Inez Andrews, Delores Washington, Josephine Howard, Eddie Williams, and James Herndon while in the Caravans. Her biggest hit with the Caravans was the song "Sweeping Through the City" followed by "No Coward Soldier". After eight years with the Caravans, she decided to leave after being offered a solo recording contract with Hob Records. Her first LP on the Hob label was entitled ''I'll Go'', backed up by the
Institutional Radio Choir and includes the classics "Oh Peter, Don't Be Afraid" and "Choose Ye This Day". Other hits soon followed with recordings such as "Satan, We're Gonna Tear Your Kingdom Down", "God's Not Dead, He's Yet Alive" and the classic "Don't Drive Your Mama Away". In 1971, she won her first Grammy Award for her recording of "Put Your Hand in the Hand of the Man", and in 1975 her recording of the song "No Charge" became an instant hit and her first gold record. Although she had success she wanted to reach larger audiences and felt this wasn't being achieved with Hob Records; she decided not to renew her record contract with them which ended that same year.
To reach more people with her music, Caesar signed with a secular record label called
Roadshow Records
Roadshow theatrical release is a practice in which a film opened in a limited number of theaters in large cities.
Road show or Road Show may also refer to:
*''Antiques Roadshow'', a BBC TV series where antiques specialist travel around the country ...
in 1977 and released the debut album entitled ''First Lady''. The producer of the album titled the album ''First Lady'' because Caesar was the first female to ever record on the label. The album contained songs with strong gospel lyrics, but many within the gospel community felt that the music itself was "too worldly," and many gospel DJs refused to play it on their radio station. One song, however, "Faded Rose", later became a Caesar classic. Overall, the album sold poorly, but the "First Lady" title caught on within the gospel industry, and concert announcers, DJs and gospel promoters everywhere started introducing her as "The First Lady of Gospel Music", a title that has been associated with her ever since. The second and final album she recorded for Roadshow was ''From the Heart'' in 1978; it was poorly received for the same reason. Caesar searched for a gospel label and finally decided to sign with
Word Records
Word Records is a Christian faith-based entertainment company based in Nashville, Tennessee. It is owned by Curb Records, and is a part of Word Entertainment. It is distributed by Warner Records (the former Warner Bros. Records).
History
In 1 ...
in 1980 and went on to win several more Grammy Awards during the next several years and beyond. She stayed with Word for many years and recorded some of the biggest hits of her career such as "God's Got It All in Control", "Hold My Mule" (which later went viral as a
Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving is a national holiday celebrated on various dates in the United States, Canada, Grenada, Saint Lucia, Liberia, and unofficially in countries like Brazil and Philippines. It is also observed in the Netherlander town of Leiden and ...
-related
Internet meme
An Internet meme, commonly known simply as a meme ( ), is an idea, behavior, style, or image that is spread via the Internet, often through social media platforms. What is considered a meme may vary across different communities on the Internet ...
under the title "
You Name It"), "He's Working It Out for You", "Jesus, I Love Calling Your Name" and "You're Next in Line for a Miracle".
She has made a name for herself on the gospel music circuit, making guest appearances on the Bobby Jones gospel show and other popular television shows. Caesar credits
Albertina Walker
Albertina Walker ( – ) was an American gospel singer, songwriter, actress, and humanitarian.
Early years
Walker was born in Chicago, Illinois, to Ruben and Camilla Coleman Walker. Her mother was born in Houston County, Georgia, and ...
as her mentor and "Queen of Gospel Music".
Between 1981 and 1995, she received seven
Dove Awards
A Dove Award is an accolade by the Gospel Music Association (GMA) of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the Christian music industry. The awards are presented annually. Formerly held in Nashville, Tennessee, the Dove Award ...
for Black Gospel Album of the Year for ''Live at the G.M.W.A.'', ''Celebration'', ''Christmasing'', ''Sailin‘'', ''Live ... In Chicago'', ''Go'' and ''Rejoice''. She received two Black Gospel Song of the Year Awards for "He's Working It Out for You" and "Hold My Mule". She has performed with such performers as
Patti LaBelle
Patricia Louise Holte (born May 24, 1944), known professionally as Patti LaBelle, is an American R&B singer, actress and businesswoman.
LaBelle is referred to as the " Godmother of Soul".
She began her career in the early 1960s as lead singe ...
,
Whitney Houston
Whitney Elizabeth Houston (August 9, 1963 – February 11, 2012) was an American singer and actress. Nicknamed "The Voice", she is one of the bestselling music artists of all time, with sales of over 200 million records worldwide. Houston in ...
,
Dorothy Norwood
Dorothy Norwood (born May 29, 1935) is an American gospel singer and songwriter. She began touring with her family at the age of eight, and in 1956, began singing with Mahalia Jackson. In the early 1960s she was a member of The Caravans, and in 19 ...
,
Faith Evans
Faith Renée Evans (born June 10, 1973) is an American singer and actress. Born in Lakeland, Florida, and raised in New Jersey, she relocated to Los Angeles in 1991 for a career in the music business. After working as a backing vocalist for Al B ...
,
Dottie Peoples
Dorothy "Dottie" Peoples (born August 12, 1950) is an American gospel singer from Dayton, Ohio. After completing high school, she toured with gospel pioneer Dorothy Norwood, a member of the Caravans. After a stint in jazz, she relocated to Atlan ...
, Arnold Houston,
Kim Burrell
Kimberly Jean Burrell (born August 27, 1972) is an American, Grammy–nominated, gospel singer-songwriter, producer, and pastor from Houston, Texas, United States.
Biography Early life
Born Kimberly Jean Burrell on August 27, 1972 in Houston, Te ...
,
John P. Kee
John P. Kee (born John Prince Kee on June 4, 1962) is an American gospel singer and pastor.
Kee has been active for more than 20 years in the music field. He is primarily known for mixing traditional gospel with modern contemporary gospel, an ...
,
Kirk Franklin
Kirk Dewayne Franklin (born January 26, 1970) is an American songwriter, choir director, gospel singer, and rapper. He is best known for leading urban contemporary gospel ensembles such as The Family, God's Property, and One Nation Crew (1NC) a ...
,
Tonex
Anthony Charles Williams II (born May 16, 1975), better known by his stage name B. Slade, formerly known under the gospel moniker Tonéx ( ), is an American singer, songwriter, actor, multi-instrumentalist, rapper, dancer, producer, and acti ...
, and
Tye Tribbett
Tyrone "Tye" Tribbett (born January 26, 1976) is an American gospel music singer, songwriter and keyboardist. He is choir director and founder of the Grammy-nominated and Stellar Award-winning gospel group Tye Tribbett & G.A. (short for 'Greate ...
among others. Caesar is also an actress. She acted in movies, such as ''
Why Do Fools Fall in Love'' (1998) with
Larenz Tate
Larenz Tate (born September 8, 1975) is an American film and television actor. He is best known for his roles as O-Dog in ''Menace II Society'' and as Councilman Rashad Tate in ''Power''. Tate's other films and television series include the fil ...
and
Little Richard
Richard Wayne Penniman (December 5, 1932 – May 9, 2020), known professionally as Little Richard, was an American musician, singer, and songwriter. He was an influential figure in popular music and culture for seven decades. Described as the " ...
, ''
Fighting Temptations
''The Fighting Temptations'' is a 2003 American musical comedy film directed by Jonathan Lynn, written by Elizabeth Hunter and Saladin K. Patterson, and distributed by Paramount Pictures and MTV Films. The main plot revolves around Darrin Hill ...
'' (2003) with
Beyoncé
Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter ( ; born September 4, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Beyoncé's boundary-pushing artistry and vocals have made her the most influential female musician of the 21st century, according to ...
and
Cuba Gooding Jr.
Cuba Mark Gooding Jr. (born January 2, 1968) is an American actor. He is the recipient of an Academy Award, a Screen Actors Guild Award, and an Emmy nomination.
After his breakthrough role as Tre Styles in ''Boyz n the Hood'' (1991), he appear ...
, and ''The Unseen'' (2005) with
Steve Harris. She also acted in an episode of ''
The Good News'' in 1998 as Aunt Shirley. Caesar appeared on ''
The Parkers
''The Parkers'' is an American television sitcom aired on UPN from August 30, 1999, to May 10, 2004. A Spin-off (media), spin-off of UPN's ''Moesha'', ''The Parkers'' features the mother-daughter team of Nikki (played by Mo'Nique) and Kim Parker ...
'' in 2004.
In 2014, her song "Teach Me Master", which originally appeared on her 1972 album ''Get Up My Brother'' was sampled by Dutch producer
Bakermat
Lodewijk Fluttert (born 8 October 1991), best known by his stage name Bakermat, is a Dutch people, Dutch Disc jockey, DJ and music production, music producer from Markelo, Overijssel. His music is characterized by a mix of Electronic music, elec ...
as "
Teach Me"; it reached number 22 on the
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...
. In 2016, she found herself back at the very top of the gospel ''
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 ...
'' chart with her newest CD release ''Fill This House''.
Awards and honors
Caesar is a recipient of a 1999
National Heritage Fellowship
The National Heritage Fellowship is a lifetime honor presented to master folk and traditional artists by the National Endowment for the Arts. Similar to Japan's Living National Treasure award, the Fellowship is the United States government's h ...
from the
National Endowment for the Arts
The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) is an independent agency of the United States federal government that offers support and funding for projects exhibiting artistic excellence. It was created in 1965 as an independent agency of the federal ...
, which is the United States' highest honor in the folk and traditional arts.
She was inducted into the
Gospel Music Hall of Fame
The Gospel Music Hall of Fame, created in 1972 by the Gospel Music Association, is a Hall of Fame dedicated exclusively to recognizing meaningful contributions by individuals and groups in all forms of gospel music.
Inductees
This is an incompl ...
in 2000.
Caesar was inducted into the
North Carolina Music Hall of Fame
The North Carolina Music Hall of Fame is a non-profit organization and museum in Kannapolis, North Carolina that was created to honor musicians, composers and artists with ties to North Carolina that have made significant impact in the music indus ...
in 2010. She performed for President
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, Obama was the first African-American president of the U ...
and
Michelle Obama
Michelle LaVaughn Robinson Obama (born January 17, 1964) is an American attorney and author who served as first lady of the United States from 2009 to 2017. She was the first African-American woman to serve in this position. She is married t ...
at the
White House
The White House is the official residence and workplace of the president of the United States. It is located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., and has been the residence of every U.S. president since John Adams in 1800. ...
in 2015, along with
Aretha Franklin
Aretha Louise Franklin ( ; March 25, 1942 – August 16, 2018) was an American singer, songwriter and pianist. Referred to as the " Queen of Soul", she has twice been placed ninth in ''Rolling Stone''s "100 Greatest Artists of All Time". With ...
.
In May 2016, the
National Museum of African American Music
The National Museum of African American Music (NMAAM) is a museum in Nashville, Tennessee. The museum showcases the musical genres inspired, created, or influenced by African-Americans. Its location at Fifth + Broadway in Downtown Nashville, as op ...
honored Caesar with the Rhapsody & Rhythm Award in
Nashville
Nashville is the capital city of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the seat of Davidson County. With a population of 689,447 at the 2020 U.S. census, Nashville is the most populous city in the state, 21st most-populous city in the U.S., and the ...
in advance of the planned 2018 opening of the historic museum.
The
Hollywood Chamber of Commerce
The Hollywood Walk of Fame is a historic landmark which consists of more than 2,700 five-pointed terrazzo and brass stars embedded in the sidewalks along 15 blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street in Hollywood, Californ ...
proudly honored gospel singer Shirley Caesar with the 2,583rd star on the
Hollywood Walk of Fame
The Hollywood Walk of Fame is a historic landmark which consists of more than 2,700 five-pointed terrazzo and brass stars embedded in the sidewalks along 15 blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street in Hollywood, Californ ...
on Tuesday, June 28, 2016.
Education in later life
After many years, Caesar finally accomplished her dream of completing her education. She returned to school and graduated with honors from
Shaw University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration in 1984. She also spent time studying at the Divinity School of
Duke University
Duke University is a private research university in Durham, North Carolina. Founded by Methodists and Quakers in the present-day city of Trinity in 1838, the school moved to Durham in 1892. In 1924, tobacco and electric power industrialist James ...
and has received honorary doctorates from
Shaw University and
Southeastern University
Southeastern University is a private Christian university in Lakeland, Florida. It was established in 1935 in New Brockton, Alabama, as Southeastern Bible Institute, relocated to Lakeland in 1946, and became a liberal arts college in 1970. It i ...
.
Personal life
Caesar married Bishop Harold I. Williams in June 1983. The couple were co-pastors of the 1,500-member Mount Calvary Word of Faith Church in
Raleigh, North Carolina
Raleigh (; ) is the capital city of the state of North Carolina and the List of North Carolina county seats, seat of Wake County, North Carolina, Wake County in the United States. It is the List of municipalities in North Carolina, second-most ...
until his death on July 4, 2014. While she does not have children of her own, she has two stepchildren from her husband.
Caesar is a member of
Delta Sigma Theta
Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. () is a historically African American sorority. The organization was founded by college-educated women dedicated to public service with an emphasis on programs that assist the African American community. Delta ...
sorority. She cites her mother as a strong influence in her decision to give so selflessly of herself. Caesar has committed a sizable portion of all concert sales to her outreach ministries. Recently she has cut back on preaching and has appointed an executive pastor at her church and he provides weekly sermons to the congregation while Caesar serves as senior pastor but Caesar continues to record and perform in concert all over the country. She also continues to hold her annual outreach ministries conference. The outreach ministry provides food, clothing, shelter, toys for children, and financial assistance to those in need. She opened an eponymous store and uses the profits to help others during the holiday season.
When asked what would she still like to accomplish, she says: "I would like to do more acting...."
Discography
Albums
Charting singles
As lead artist
Guest appearances
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Caesar, Shirley
1938 births
20th-century African-American women singers
20th-century Christians
21st-century African-American women
21st-century American women singers
21st-century American singers
21st-century Christians
African-American Christians
American evangelists
American gospel singers
American mezzo-sopranos
American Pentecostals
Delta Sigma Theta members
Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award winners
Living people
Musicians from Durham, North Carolina
National Heritage Fellowship winners
Shaw University alumni
Women evangelists