Three times voted Gospel Group of the Year, the quartet known as 4Him formed in 1990 as a spinoff from the choral group Truth. Fronted by Kirk Sullivan, the vocal group released its self-titled debut album in 1990 for the Benson label. Four albums followed in the next four years (Face the Nation, The Basics of Life, The Season of Love, The... [+] Read More

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Al Green was the first great soul singer of the '70s and arguably the last great Southern soul singer. With his seductive singles for Hi Records in the early '70s, Green bridged the gap between deep soul and smooth Philadelphia soul. He incorporated elements of gospel, interjecting his performances with wild moans and wails, but his records were... [+] Read More

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One of the most renowned and widely respected pioneers of contemporary gospel music remains Andrae Crouch. By combining such classic gospel music elements as call-and-response and choir, along with pop songwriting techniques and production, Crouch's style has influenced countless other artists. Born July 1, 1942, in Pacoima, CA, Crouch got his... [+] Read More

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An urban Black gospel band with crossover appeal, Commissioned are an extremely evangelistic group in concert who put on such a dramatic show that the altars are routinely packed with repenters following their performances. Members Fred Hammond, Keith Staten, Michael Brooks and Marvin Sapp have all done many successful solo projects as well.... [+] Read More

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A trailblazing force behind the evolution of the contemporary gospel sound, Edwin Hawkins remains best known for his 1969 classic "Oh Happy Day," one of the biggest gospel hits of all time and a major pop radio smash as well. Born in Oakland, CA in 1943, he began singing in his church youth choir while still a toddler, and by age five was... [+] Read More

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Pastor Marvin Winans rose to fame as a member of the Winans -- not just the well-known First Family of contemporary black gospel, but the actual quartet of that name which laid the foundation for the family's veritable gospel empire beginning in the early '80s. Winans never really chose to devote his focus to a solo career, preferring instead to... [+] Read More

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