The Sweet Inspirations are an American R&B

girl group A girl group is a music act featuring two or more women in music, female singers who generally vocal harmony, harmonize together. The term "girl group" is also used in a narrower sense in the United States to denote the wave of American female p ...

from

Newark, New Jersey Newark ( , ) is the List of municipalities in New Jersey, most populous City (New Jersey), city in the U.S. state of New Jersey, the county seat of Essex County, New Jersey, Essex County, and a principal city of the New York metropolitan area. ...

, founded by Cissy Houston who are mostly known for their work as backup singers on studio recordings for other R&B and rock artists but who are also a

Grammy The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious a ...

-nominated recording act in their own right. The group's origins went back to the late 1950s when the Gospelaires, a group which included siblings and future soul stars

Dionne Warwick Marie Dionne Warwick ( ; born Marie Dionne Warrick; December 12, 1940) is an American singer, actress, and television host. During her career, Warwick has won many awards, including six Grammy Awards. She has been inducted into the Hollywood Wa ...

and sister

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 East Orange, New Jersey, she was the sister of singer Dionne Warwick, the niece of Cissy Houston, a ...

as well as Sylvia Shemwell and another future soul star

Doris Troy Doris Troy (born Doris Elaine Higginsen; January 6, 1937 – February 16, 2004) was an American R&B singer and songwriter, known to her fans as "Mama Soul". Her biggest hit was " Just One Look", a top 10 hit in 1963. Life and career She was ...

and was an offshoot of the Drinkard Singers, began a professional career as session vocalists. Cissy Houston later replaced Dionne in 1961 with Troy later being replaced by Myrna Smith in 1962 while Dee Dee was eventually replaced by Estelle Brown in 1963. From 1963 until 1967, the group, known informally as "The Group", would back up several important artists in the

soul The soul is the purported Mind–body dualism, immaterial aspect or essence of a Outline of life forms, living being. It is typically believed to be Immortality, immortal and to exist apart from the material world. The three main theories that ...

, pop and

rock Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wale ...

genres, most prominently

Aretha Franklin Aretha Louise Franklin ( ; March 25, 1942 – August 16, 2018) was an American singer, songwriter and pianist. Honored as the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Queen of Soul", she was twice named by ''Rolling Stone'' magazine as the Roll ...

Solomon Burke Solomon Vincent McDonald Burke (born James Solomon McDonald, March 21, 1940 – October 10, 2010) was an American singer who shaped the sound of rhythm and blues as one of the founding fathers of soul music in the 1960s. He has been called ...

Otis Redding Otis Ray Redding Jr. (September 9, 1941 – December 10, 1967) was an American singer and songwriter. He is regarded as one of the greatest singers in the history of American popular music and a seminal artist in soul music and rhythm and blues. ...

Jimi Hendrix James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix (born Johnny Allen Hendrix; November 27, 1942September 18, 1970) was an American singer-songwriter and musician. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest and most influential guitarists of all time. Inducted ...

Van Morrison Sir George Ivan "Van" Morrison (born 31 August 1945) is a Northern Irish singer-songwriter and musician whose recording career started in the 1960s. Morrison's albums have performed well in the UK and Ireland, with more than 40 reaching the UK ...

Dusty Springfield Mary Isobel Catherine Bernadette O'Brien (16 April 1939 – 2 March 1999), better known by her stage name Dusty Springfield, was a British singer. With her distinctive mezzo-soprano voice, she was a popular singer of blue-eyed soul, Pop mus ...

and

Elvis Presley Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977) was an American singer and actor. Referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Elvis Presley, one of the most significant cultural figures of the ...

. In February 1967, they formally renamed themselves the Sweet Inspirations and signed with

Atlantic Records Atlantic Recording Corporation (simply known as Atlantic Records) is an American record label founded in October 1947 by Ahmet Ertegun and Herb Abramson. Over the course of its first two decades, starting from the release of its first recor ...

, achieving minor and major success on the pop and R&B charts. Their biggest hit was aptly titled " Sweet Inspiration", which reached the top 20 of the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and later earned them a Grammy Award nomination, notably making them just the third all female vocal group in history to earn a Grammy nomination. They were also known for their rendition of " I'm Blue", which was the b-side of "Sweet Inspiration" and later was sampled famously by

Salt-N-Pepa Salt-N-Pepa (sometimes stylized as Salt 'N' Pepa) is an American hip-hop, hip hop group formed in New York City in 1985, that comprised Salt (rapper), Salt (Cheryl James), Pepa (rapper), Pepa (Sandra Denton), and DJ Spinderella (Deidra Roper). ...

's hit " Shoop". Following their first couple of months performing with Presley in Las Vegas, Houston left the group to raise her family and forge a successful solo career while the rest of the group carried on with Presley and as a recording act. The Sweet Inspirations were inducted into the second class of the National Rhythm and Blues Hall of Fame in 2014.

History

Origins

The history of the Sweet Inspirations started at the New Hope Baptist Church in

during the

1950s File:1950s decade montage.png, 370x370px, Top, L-R: U.S. Marines engaged in street fighting during the Korean War, late September 1950; The first polio vaccine is developed by Jonas Salk.Centre, L-R: US tests its first thermonuclear bomb with co ...

where Emily "Cissy" Drinkard was the Minister of Music leading several youth choirs. Among the young singers she mentored were her preteen nieces Dionne, Dee Dee, Judy Guions and Sylvia Shemwell and their friend

. By 1954, Judy had joined Cissy Drinkard's sibling gospel group the Drinkard Singers. Both Judy and Sylvia had been adopted by Cissy's sister Lee, another member of the Drinkard Singers and mother of Dionne and Dee Dee. By 1958, Dionne, Dee Dee, Sylvia Shemwell and Doris Troy agreed to form the group the Gospelaires and eventually opened for the Drinkard Singers, finding success at the

Apollo Theater The Apollo Theater (formerly the Hurtig & Seamon's New Theatre; also Apollo Theatre or 125th Street Apollo Theatre) is a multi-use Theater (structure), theater at 253 125th Street (Manhattan), West 125th Street in the Harlem neighborhood of U ...

in 1959 and were at this point being managed by Cissy's then-boyfriend John Russell Houston Jr. That year, while at the Apollo, a record label scout approached them backstage looking for background singers for a session for a musician named Sam "The Man" Taylor to which the Gospelaires agreed to sing on. Following that session and another with

The Drifters The Drifters are an American pop and R&B/soul vocal group. They were originally formed as a backing group for Clyde McPhatter, formerly the lead tenor of Billy Ward and his Dominoes in 1953. The second group of Drifters, formed in 1959 and ...

, the group became professional session vocalists. By September 1961, John Houston Jr. convinced Cissy to join a session for

Ronnie Hawkins Ronald Cornett Hawkins (January 10, 1935 – May 29, 2022) was an American rock and roll singer, long based in Canada, whose career spanned more than half a century. His career began in Arkansas, United States, where he was born and raised. He ...

after Dionne began working with

Burt Bacharach Burt Freeman Bacharach ( ; May 12, 1928 – February 8, 2023) was an American composer, songwriter, record producer, and pianist who is widely regarded as one of the most important and influential figures of 20th-century popular music. Start ...

, which led to Cissy Drinkard, who would later go by the name of Cissy Houston, officially joining the group. Within a couple of years, Dee Dee and Troy all left the group. Houston eventually replaced them with Myrna Smith, a New Hope choir member, and 17-year-old Estelle Brown, which formed the nucleus of the Sweet Inspirations. The group was in high demand among producers, publishers, artists, and songwriters in the early 1960s and backed recordings made by the Warwick sisters and Troy, backing Dionne on her debut hit, " Don't Make Me Over" and on Troy's only hit, " Just One Look" as well as

's " Cry to Me", and Garnet Mimms' " Cry Baby" and eventually began a long tenure backing

, later singing background on Franklin's hits such as " Chain of Fools", " (You Make Me Feel Like A) Natural Woman", " (Sweet Sweet Baby) Since You've Been Gone", " Ain't No Way", " Think" and " I Say a Little Prayer".

Career

In a recording session on March 28, 1967, the group provided the backup vocals for

on his classic hit " Brown Eyed Girl". It was released in June 1967 and rose to No. 10 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 charts. In October 2007, Morrison was awarded a Million-Air certificate by BMI for 8 million air plays of "Brown Eyed Girl". Shortly afterwards, the group, who were now known under the nickname "The Group", was approached by

Jerry Wexler Gerald Wexler (January 10, 1917 – August 15, 2008) was a music journalist turned music producer, and was a major influence on American popular music from the 1950s through the 1980s. He coined the term "rhythm and blues", and was integra ...

to sign a recording deal with

, the parent label of Morrison's Bang label under the condition they sign as The Inspirations. After discovering that another group went by that name, Wexler added "Sweet" in front of the name. The Sweet Inspirations recorded by themselves for the first time in April 1967 for

. That session produced the first two singles released by Atlantic, a version of "Why (Am I Treated So Bad)," a song previously recorded by

The Staple Singers The Staple Singers were an American Gospel music, gospel, soul music, soul, and Rhythm and blues, R&B singing group. Pops Staples, Roebuck "Pops" Staples (December 28, 1914 – December 19, 2000), the patriarch of the family, formed the group w ...

and a soulful version of "Let It Be Me", a French song which had been a pop and R&B hit for Betty Everett and

Jerry Butler Jerry Butler Jr. (December 8, 1939 – February 20, 2025) was an American soul singer-songwriter, producer, musician, and politician. He was the original lead singer of the R&B vocal group the Impressions, who were inducted into the Rock and ...

in 1964. Though their first singles were only minor hits with "Let It Be Me" peaking inside the R&B top twenty, Atlantic was committed to the group, and an August session in Memphis yielded the bulk of songs used for the group's self-titled debut album, released in the late fall of 1967. Within a month of their chart climb, the group began work on their second album – a gospel record entitled ''Songs Of Faith & Inspiration''. It was released in 1968 under the name "Cissy Drinkard & The Sweet Inspirations." On March 30, 1968, the group scored their first and only top forty hit on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 with the song " Sweet Inspiration" on Atlantic Records. The record was on the chart for ten weeks and peaked at number 18. The song earned the group a

Grammy Award The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious ...

nomination for Best Rhythm & Blues Performance by a Duo or Group, Vocal or Instrumental, eventually losing to

The Temptations The Temptations is an American vocal group formed in Detroit, Michigan, in 1961 as The Elgins, known for their string of successful singles and albums with Motown from the 1960s to the mid-1970s. The group's work with producer Norman Whitfield ...

' " Cloud Nine" at the 1969 ceremony. The group joined

Martha and the Vandellas Martha and the Vandellas (known from 1967 to 1973 as Martha Reeves & the Vandellas) were an American girl group formed in Detroit, Michigan in 1957. The group achieved fame in the 1960s as a major act for Motown Records. Formed by friends Annett ...

and

The Supremes The Supremes were an American girl group formed in Detroit, Michigan, in 1959 as the Primettes. A premier act of Motown Records during the 1960s, the Supremes were the most commercially successful of Motown's acts and the most successful Amer ...

as the only other all-female vocal group in history to earn a Grammy nomination. The b-side of "Sweet Inspiration", a

funk Funk is a music genre that originated in African-American communities in the mid-1960s when musicians created a rhythmic, danceable new form of music through a mixture of various music genres that were popular among African-Americans in the ...

y cover of

The Ikettes The Ikettes, originally The Artettes, were a trio (sometimes quartet) of female backing vocalists for the Ike & Tina Turner Revue. Despite their origins, the Ikettes became successful artists in their own right. In the 1960s they had chart-toppe ...

' " I'm Blue", gained notoriety more than a quarter century later when it was sampled by hip-hop group

's 1993 smash hit, " Shoop". In 1967, the group did backing vocals for the

single " Burning of the Midnight Lamp" which was later featured on the album ''

Electric Ladyland ''Electric Ladyland'' is the third and final studio album by the Jimi Hendrix Experience, released in October 1968. A double album, it was the only record from the Experience with production solely credited to Hendrix. The band's most commercial ...

'' in 1968. They also backed

on her album '' Dusty in Memphis''. Shortly after cutting the gospel set, the Sweet Inspirations were back in Atlantic's studios to record their third album, ''What the World Needs Now is Love'', recorded at

Muscle Shoals, Alabama Muscle Shoals is the largest city in Colbert County, Alabama, United States. It is located on the left bank of the Tennessee River in the northern part of the state and, as of the 2010 census, its population was 13,146. The estimated popula ...

with the

Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section The Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section is a group of American session musicians based in the northern Alabama town of Muscle Shoals. One of the most prominent American studio house bands from the 1960s to the 1980s, these musicians, individually or a ...

. The late April 1968 session produced a version of

The Bee Gees ''The'' is a grammatical Article (grammar), article in English language, English, denoting nouns that are already or about to be mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the ...

' "To Love Somebody", which became the group's fourth R&B chart hit, and a version of

The Righteous Brothers The Righteous Brothers are an American musical duo originally formed by Bill Medley and Bobby Hatfield but now comprising Medley and Bucky Heard. Medley formed the group with Hatfield in 1963. They had first performed together in 1962 in the L ...

' "Unchained Melody," which gave the group a charted, though minor hit. In 1969, the group recorded their fourth album, ''Sweets for my Sweet''. The Sweet Inspirations also began recording and touring with

as both background singers and his warm-up act, as well as doing occasional live dates with Aretha Franklin. The association with Presley became well-publicized as he routinely introduced the Sweet Inspirations (along with the

TCB Band The TCB Band is a group of musicians who formed the rhythm section of Elvis Presley's band from August 1969 until his death in 1977 (depending on the context, the nickname may also extend to Presley's background vocalists during that same perio ...

members, the J. D. Sumner & Stamps Quartet, and Kathy Westmoreland) on his telecast concerts and live recordings. The Sweet Inspirations worked with Presley until his death in 1977. Houston's last recording session with The Sweet Inspirations was in October 1969, since she wanted to pursue a solo career and concentrate on her family. The session produced the group's biggest R&B hit in some time. A Gamble & Huff composition, "Gotta Find Me A Brand New Lover" appeared on the group's fifth album ''Sweet Sweet Soul''.

Later years

The remainder of the album was recorded in November 1970, with Shemwell, Brown, Smith, and new member Ann Williams, a friend of Brown's who stayed for what turned out to be the group's last full Atlantic album. Also included from that set are "That’s The Way My Baby Is", and "Flash In The Pan". A final Atlantic session in June 1970 brought the group (now a trio with Brown, Smith, and Shemwell) its last two singles for the label; "This World" (from the musical ''The Me Nobody Knows''), and "Evidence". In 1973, Brown, Smith, and Shemwell recorded an album 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 September 1961. It also shared its operations with sister label Volt Records. ...

. By 1979, Estelle Brown had quit the group and was replaced by Gloria Brown, who toured with them but did not sing on the Sweet Inspirations’ last LP, ''Hot Butterfly'', on

RSO Records RSO Records was a record label formed by rock and roll and musical theatre impresario Robert Stigwood and record executive Al Coury in 1973. The letters "RSO" stood for the Robert Stigwood Organisation. RSO managed the careers of several ma ...

, with singer Pat Terry featured on the actual recording. The group broke up shortly thereafter. In 1978, the group sang backing vocals on

Frankie Valli Francesco Stephen Castelluccio (born May 3, 1934), better known by his stage name Frankie Valli, is an American singer and occasional actor, best known as the frontman (lead singer) of The Four Seasons (band), the Four Seasons. He is known for ...

's No.1 hit "Grease" from the film of the same name. In 1979, the group toured with

during their U.S. Spirits Having Flown Tour singing backup. The Sweet Inspirations (Estelle Brown, Smith, and Shemwell) got back together again in 1994, with new member Portia Griffin. They performed at Elvis Presley tribute shows, and released new material in 2005. Shemwell suffered a

stroke Stroke is a medical condition in which poor cerebral circulation, blood flow to a part of the brain causes cell death. There are two main types of stroke: brain ischemia, ischemic, due to lack of blood flow, and intracranial hemorrhage, hemor ...

in 2001, which forced her into early retirement. They also recorded choir backing for

The Killers The Killers are an American Rock music, rock band formed in Las Vegas, Nevada, in 2001 by Brandon Flowers (lead vocals, keyboards, bass) and Dave Keuning (lead guitar, backing vocals). After the band went through a number of short-term bas ...

' 2004 recording, '' Hot Fuss'', on songs "Andy, You're a Star" and "

All These Things That I've Done "All These Things That I've Done" is a song by American Rock music, rock band the Killers. The song was released as the third single from the band's debut studio album, ''Hot Fuss'' (2004), on August 30, 2004. It was written by frontman Brandon F ...

". Shemwell died on February 13, 2010. In March 2010, while on a European tour for ''Elvis: The Concert'', Smith developed

pneumonia Pneumonia is an Inflammation, inflammatory condition of the lung primarily affecting the small air sacs known as Pulmonary alveolus, alveoli. Symptoms typically include some combination of Cough#Classification, productive or dry cough, ches ...

. Once back in the U.S., her condition continued to deteriorate, as she suffered

kidney failure Kidney failure, also known as renal failure or end-stage renal disease (ESRD), is a medical condition in which the kidneys can no longer adequately filter waste products from the blood, functioning at less than 15% of normal levels. Kidney fa ...

, further complicated by a severe

. By October 2010, she was a patient at the Canyon Oaks Nursing & Rehabilitation Center in

Canoga Park, California Canoga Park is a neighborhood in the San Fernando Valley region of the City of Los Angeles, California. Before the Mexican–American War, the district was part of a Ranchos of California, rancho, and after the American victory it was converted ...

. She died on December 24, 2010. Ann Williams died on October 1, 2013. Smith was replaced with Los Angeles–based singer Kelly Jones; , the Sweet Inspirations are continuing to perform backup vocals with ''Elvis: The Concert'' and continue to do many concerts worldwide with Elvis Presley Enterprises' first ever "Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist", Shawn Klush, sometimes as a duo and other times as a trio. On October 7, 2024, group founder Cissy Houston died in her sleep from complications of

Alzheimer's disease Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disease and the cause of 60–70% of cases of dementia. The most common early symptom is difficulty in remembering recent events. As the disease advances, symptoms can include problems wit ...

at the age of 91 in her home of Newark, New Jersey, leaving Estelle Brown as the only surviving member of the original group. In 2014, Houston and Brown accepted the Sweet Inspirations' induction into the National Rhythm and Blues Hall of Fame, the same night Houston's daughter, Whitney, was posthumously inducted.

Members

Current members * Estelle Brown – contralto/2nd alto (1967–1979, 1994–present)"Elvis Presley Estelle Brown Sweet Inspirations Backup Singer Interview The Spa Guy"
February 10, 2020. * Portia Griffin – soprano (1994–present) * Kelly Jones – mezzo-soprano/soprano (2011–present) Former members * Cissy Houston – soprano/1st soprano (1967–1969; died 2024) * Sylvia Shemwell – mezzo-soprano/2nd soprano (1967–1979, 1994–2001; died 2010) * Myrna Smith – contralto/1st alto (1967–1979, 1994–2010; died 2010) * Ann Williams – soprano/1st soprano (1969–1970; died 2013) * Gloria Brown – contralto (1979) * Pat Terry (1979)

Discography

Albums

*1967: ''

The Sweet Inspirations The Sweet Inspirations are an American R&B girl group from Newark, New Jersey, founded by Cissy Houston who are mostly known for their work as backup singers on studio recordings for other R&B and rock artists but who are also a Grammy-nominat ...

'' (Atlantic) *1968: '' Songs of Faith & Inspiration'' (Atlantic) *1968: '' What the World Needs Now is Love'' (Atlantic) *1969: '' Sweets for My Sweet'' (Atlantic) *1970: ''Sweet Sweet Soul'' (Atlantic) *1973: ''Estelle, Myrna and Sylvia'' (Stax) *1974; ''Wanted Dead or Alive''(Columbia) *1979: ''Hot Butterfly'' (RSO) *2005: ''In the Right Place'' (Frixion) With

Yusef Lateef Yusef Abdul Lateef (born William Emanuel Huddleston; October 9, 1920 – December 23, 2013) was an American jazz multi-instrumentalist, composer, and prominent figure among the Ahmadiyya Community in the United States. Although Lateef's main i ...

*1968: '' The Blue Yusef Lateef'' (Atlantic) *1970: '' Suite 16'' (Atlantic) *1970: '' The Diverse Yusef Lateef'' (Atlantic) *1971: '' The Gentle Giant'' (Atlantic)

Backing vocals

*1967: ''

Blowin' Your Mind! ''Blowin' Your Mind!'' is the debut studio album by Northern Irish musician Van Morrison, released in 1967. It was recorded 28–29 March 1967 and contained his first solo pop hit " Brown Eyed Girl". It was included by ''Rolling Stone'' as one ...

'';

*1967: ''

Aretha Arrives ''Aretha Arrives'' is the eleventh studio album by American singer Aretha Franklin, released on August 4, 1967, by Atlantic Records. Its first single release was " Baby I Love You", a million-selling Gold 45, which hit #1 R&B and #4 on the '' ...

'';

*1968: '' Lady Soul''; Aretha Franklin *1968: '' Aretha Now''; Aretha Franklin *1968: ''

'';

The Jimi Hendrix Experience James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix (born Johnny Allen Hendrix; November 27, 1942September 18, 1970) was an American singer-songwriter and musician. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest and most influential guitarists of all time. Inducted ...

*1968: '' Goodies'';

George Benson George Washington Benson (born March 22, 1943) is an American jazz fusion guitarist, singer, and songwriter. He began his professional career at the age of 19 as a jazz guitarist. A former child prodigy, Benson first came to prominence in the ...

*1969: ''

Hey Jude "Hey Jude" is a song by the English rock music, rock band the Beatles that was released as a non-album single in August 1968. It was written by Paul McCartney and credited to the Lennon–McCartney partnership. The single was the Beatles' fir ...

'';

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 more than 50 songs that made the US R&B charts, many of which crossed over to the '' ...

*1969: '' Elvis in Person at the International Hotel''; Elvis Presley *1969: '' Dusty in Memphis'';

*1969: ''Do Your Own Thing'';

Brook Benton Benjamin Franklin Peay (September 19, 1931 – April 9, 1988), known professionally as Brook Benton, was an American singer and songwriter whose music transcended rock and roll, rhythm and blues, and pop music genres in the 1950s and 1960s, with ...

*1970: ''Turning Around'';

*1970: '' This Girl's in Love with You''; Aretha Franklin *1970: '' That's the Way It Is''; Elvis Presley *1970: ''

Spirit in the Dark ''Spirit in the Dark'' is the seventeenth studio album by American singer Aretha Franklin, released in August, 1970, by Atlantic Records. It received critical acclaim, but met with sloping sales, despite continued hit singles. " Don't Play Tha ...

''; Aretha Franklin *1970: ''Just a Little Lovin;

Carmen McRae Carmen Mercedes McRae (April 8, 1920 – November 10, 1994) was an American jazz singer. She is considered one of the most influential jazz vocalists of the 20th century and is remembered for her behind-the-beat phrasing and ironic interpretati ...

*1971: ''Warm and Tender'';

Petula Clark Sally "Petula" Clark (born 15 November 1932) is a British singer, actress, and songwriter. She started her professional career as a child actor, child performer and has had the longest career of any British entertainer, spanning more than 85 y ...

*1971: '' Search and Nearness''; The Rascals *1971: '' Thirds''; James Gang *1972: '' As Recorded at Madison Square Garden''; Elvis Presley *1972: '' Young, Gifted and Black'' Aretha Franklin *1973: '' Aloha From Hawaii: Via Satellite''; Elvis Presley *1973: '' The Weapon''; David Newman *1974: '' T.B. Sheets'';

*1974: '' Elvis Recorded Live on Stage in Memphis''; Elvis Presley *1977: ''

Elvis in Concert '' ''Elvis In Concert'' is a Death, posthumous 1977 television special starring Elvis Presley. It was Presley's third and final TV special, following ''Elvis'' (a.k.a. ''The Elvis (1968 TV program), '68 Comeback Special'') and ''Aloha from Hawai ...

''; Elvis Presley *1979: ''

Reddy Reddy (also Hunterian transliteration, transliterated as Reddi or Raddi; also known as Reddiar or Reddappa) is a Telugu people, Telugu Hindu Caste system in India, caste predominantly found in the states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana in Sou ...

'';

Helen Reddy Helen Maxine Reddy (25 October 194129 September 2020) was an Australian-American singer, actress, television host, and activist. Born in Melbourne to a show business family, Reddy started her career as an entertainer at age four. She sang on ra ...

*1998: '' Undiscovered Soul'';

Richie Sambora Richard Stephen Sambora (born July 11, 1959) is an American musician, singer, and songwriter, best known as the lead guitarist of the rock band Bon Jovi from 1983 to 2013. He and lead singer Jon Bon Jovi formed the main songwriting unit for the ...

*2004: '' Hot Fuss'';

*2006: ''Elvis Lives: The 25th Anniversary Concert'' (DVD)

Charts

Albums

U.S. chart singles

References

External links

Sweet Inspirations Bio PageInterview with Myrna Smith
* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Sweet Inspirations, The American gospel musical groups American soul musical groups American Christian musical groups American rhythm and blues musical groups RSO Records artists African-American girl groups Stax Records artists Musical groups established in 1967 Elvis Presley Houston–Warwick family