The Angelic Gospel Singers were 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 ...

group from

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...

founded and led by Margaret Wells Allison. The group continued through Allison's death in 2008; the group was called "the longest consistently selling female gospel group in African American history" by the ''Encyclopedia of American Gospel Music''.W. K. McNeil, ed. ''Encyclopedia of American Gospel Music''. Routledge, 2005, pp. 13-15. Allison and her sister, Josephine McDowell, formed the group in 1944 along with two friends, Ella Mae Norris and Lucille Shird, who had sung with Allison in the group Spiritual Echoes of Philadelphia. The group toured extensively on the East Coast and central United States in the 1940s and 1950s and signed a recording contract with Philadelphia-based Gotham Records in 1947. Their recording "Touch Me, Lord Jesus" was a hit on R&B stations in 1949Angelic Gospel Singers

Cross Rhythms Cross Rhythms is a Christian media organisation based in Stoke-on-Trent, England. It operates an FM and online radio station, produces radio shows sent internationally, and its website has resources about contemporary Christian music. Hi ...

, April 3, 2011. and sold over a million records. They recorded several songs with the

Dixie Hummingbirds Dixie, also known as Dixieland or Dixie's Land, is a nickname for all or part of the Southern United States. While there is no official definition of this region (and the included areas shift over the years), or the extent of the area it cover ...

and toured with them as well. In 1955 Gotham Records shut down due to an impending

tax evasion Tax evasion is an illegal attempt to defeat the imposition of taxes by individuals, corporations, trusts, and others. Tax evasion often entails the deliberate misrepresentation of the taxpayer's affairs to the tax authorities to reduce the taxp ...

charge; the group signed with

Chess Records Chess Records was an American record company established in 1950 in Chicago, specializing in blues and rhythm and blues. It was the successor to Aristocrat Records, founded in 1947. It expanded into soul music, gospel music, early rock and roll ...

and recorded an album, but their contract was soon after bought out by

Nashboro Records Nashboro Records was an American gospel label principally active in the 1950s and 1960s. History Nashboro was founded in Nashville, Tennessee by Ernie Lafayette Young (1892-1977), who was the owner of a record store, Ernie's Record Mart, and spons ...

, the label which released the Angelic's output until 1982. In 1961 the group added its first male member, Thomas Mobley, and released several albums through the late 1960s, increasing their output on Nashboro in the late 1970s with an album a year. In the following decade they moved to Malaco Records, who issued their albums through the 1990s. During this time the group began crediting themselves as Margaret Allison & the Angelic Gospel Singers. They returned to the

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 ...

charts in the late 1980s, when their albums ''I've Got Victory'' reached #26 on the Gospel Albums chart in 1986 and ''Out of the Depths'' reached #28 in 1987. The Angelic Gospel Singers continued performing and touring through the mid-2000s. Margaret Allison's death on July 30, 2008 marked the end of the group's run. Bernice Cole died in 2006 at the age of 85. Gloryland Gospel, November 2006
Retrieved 29 November 2013

Members

*Margaret Wells Allison (1944-2008) *Josephine Wells McDowell (1944-2008) *Ella Mae Norris (1944-1955) *Lucille Shird (1944-1953) *Bernice Cole (1951-1956, 1975-2006) *Thomas Mobley (1961-1973) *Geraldine Morris (1973-1974) *Pauline Turner (1982-) *Darryl Richmond (bass guitar, vocals 1984-) *John Richmond (drums, 1984- ) *Francis Shorty Leggett (guitar, 1988- ) *Teresa Burton (vocals, 1985- )

Discography

;Albums *1961: ''My Sweet Home'' *1964: ''Songs From The Heart'' *1967: ''The Best Of The Angelic Gospel Singers'' *1968: ''Jesus Paid It All'' *1970: ''Somebody Saved Me'' *1974: ''Jesus Will Never Say No'' *1975: ''I'm Bound For Mount Zion'' *1977: ''Gotta Find A Better Home'' *1978: ''Margaret, Josephine And Bernice'' *1979: ''Come Over Here'' *1979: ''Together 34 Years'' *1980: ''The Best Of The Angelic Gospel Singers Vol 2'' *1981: ''I'll Go With You'' *1982: ''Touch Me Lord Jesus'' *1983: ''Don't Stop Praying'' *1984: ''Rejoice: Best Of The Angelic Gospel Singers'' *1984: ''The Early Years'' *1984: ''40 Years'' *1986: ''I've Got Victory'' *1987: ''Out Of The Depths'' *1989: ''Lord You Gave Me Another Chance'' *1992: ''He's My Ever Present Help'' *1993: ''I'll Live Again'' *1994: ''I've Weathered The Storm'' *1995: ''Try God'' *1997: ''The Big Question (Where Will You Spend Eternity)'' *1997: ''Jesus Is A Burden Bearer'' *2000: ''Home In The Rock'' ;Singles *1949: Jesus/There Is No Friend *1949: Just Jesus/This Same Jesus *1949: Touch Me, Lord Jesus/When My Savior Calls Me Home *1949: Yes, My Jesus Cares/Somebody Saved Me *1950: Back To The Dust/He Never Has Let Me Alone *1950: My Life Will Be Sweeter/There Must Be A Heaven Somewhere *1950: Remember Me/Follow In His Footsteps *1951: Dear Lord, Look Down Upon Me/Standing Out On The Highway *1951: Do Lord, Remember Me/Almost Persuaded *1951: Glory, Glory Hallelujah/I'm On My Way To Heaven Anyhow *1951: Jesus Will Answer Prayer/In The Morning *1952: Call On Jesus In Secret Prayer/I Heard Mother Call My Name *1952: Glory, Glory To The Newborn King/Jesus Christ Is Born *1952: Tell The Angels/My Faith Looks Up To Thee *1953: A Child Is Born/Christmas Morning *1953: I Thank You Lord/Do Not Pass Me By, O Gentle Savior *1953: If It Wasn't For The Lord/God's Roll *1953: Jesus Will Carry You Through/My Lord And I *1953: Since Jesus Came Into My Heart/Jesus Is All The World To Me *1954: Angels Watching Over Me/I'm Going Home To Jesus *1955: Jesus Is The Light Of The World/Only A Look *1955: Jesus Never Fails Me/I'll Be Alright *1955: Jesus Paid It All/I Want To See Him *1957: I've Weathered The Storm/Every Day *1959: Yes! Nobody Knows My Troubles/Touch Me Lord Jesus *1960: All That I Need Is Jesus/Out Of The Depths *1960: Jesus Is A Way-Maker/My Sweet Home *1961: I'm Getting Nearer (Pt 1)/I'm Getting Nearer (Pt 2) *1962: Be Sure He'll Take Care/He Never Left Me Alone *1962: Everybody Ought To Pray/Goin' Over Yonder *1963: I Shall Know Him/I Want To Go To Heaven *1964: Do Lord, Remember Me/Yes! He'll Take Care Of You *1965: Don't Know What I'd Do (Without The Lord)/Sometimes I Feel My Time Ain't Long *1966: Jesus, When Troubles Burden Me/Standing On The Highway *1968: Father I Stretch My Hand/Glory To The New Born King *1969: I Hope It Won't Be This Way Always/You Don't Know (What The Lord Has Done)

References

{{Authority control American gospel musical groups Musical groups from Philadelphia