Product Description

This celebrated gospel singing group from Chicago rose to fame during 'the Golden Age of Gospel' (1945-65) and became popular recording artists. The three sisters, Evelyn (alto, piano), Mildred (soprano) and Geraldine (tenor/piano), with their younger brother Donald (tenor) was a multitalented family out of the sanctified church. It was Evelyn, the oldest sister, who developed a skill to work standard Protestant hymns into rhythmically exciting gospel songs. As a youth she had accompanied Mahalia Jackson. While sister Mildred's lyrical soprano was equal to Delois Barrett or Marion Williams, sister Geraldine's executions at the piano rendered her the title, 'the Erroll Garner of Gospel'. Little brother Donald became a singing pastor at an early age. His fiery preaching and catchy singing is featured on the latter part of the CD. But it is Evelyn's moving, sonorous solo voice that is heard on the majority of the tracks, when she is not harmonizing with her sisters. Gospel Friend Records has selected the Gay Family's most stirring performances, covering the period 1948-1977, from their recordings for major companies like Savoy, Chess/Checker and Peacock/Song Bird, as well as for local labels. Informative booklet notes by Robert Sacré.

Review

Thanks to Per Notini and Gospel Friend Records, a collection of classic Gay Family recordings from the 1940s to the 1970s are commercially available on CD for the first time...you will be pleased to listen to them cleanly remastered ...Robert Sacré's liner notes, informed by a lengthy interview with Donald Gay, are fascinating... a marvelous tribute to the Gay Sisters...Five of Five Stars. --Bob Marovich, theblackgospelblog.com (September 27, 2012)

...this CD swings and rocks in the old gospel way. The Gay Sisters were great vocalists, too...Great job, Slim and Sacré. --Kevin Nutt, Sinner's Crossroad, WFMU, Montgomery, Ala.

What an achievement! This is your greatest release, because it finally places the Gay family in musical history. Even I hadn't heard half of the material...You captured it. It's the essence of sure nuff sanctified gospel. --Anthony Heilbut, author of The Gospel Sound and The Fan Who Knew Too Much (October 2012)