c. 1998 Religion News Service

UNDATED _ Four women gospel singers, including the renowned Mahalia Jackson, are featured in new stamps released this week by the U.S. Postal Service.”The Gospel Singers stamps serve as a colorful reminder of our musical heritage,”said LeGree Daniels of the Postal Service Board of Governors.”Each of these influential artists was a pioneer of the music we love. They moved audiences in churches and concert halls, and helped make gospel an important part of American music and popular culture.” Jackson, who is known as the queen of gospel music, had several hits that sold more than a million copies.

The other artists featured are Roberta Martin, founder of the Roberta Martin Singers; Sister Rosetta Tharpe, one of the first gospel singers to sell a million records; and Clara Ward, leader of the Ward Singers, a highly successful female gospel group in the 1950s.

All of the featured singers made historic contributions to gospel music. Jackson, for example, gained wide fame after performing at the inauguration of President John F. Kennedy Jr.

Martin established the first publishing distribution studio for gospel music in 1939, according to”African-American Good News (Gospel) Music.”Ward composed more than 200 gospel songs and performed gospel in secular venues such as Disneyland,”The Tonight Show”and the Newport Jazz festival. Tharpe was one of the first gospel singers to record with a major record company.

The stamps were unveiled Wednesday (July 15) during a conference of the Full Gospel Baptist Church Fellowship in New Orleans. They are part of the Legends of American Music series that has recognized Broadway musicals, rock ‘n’ roll, jazz and other music genres.

DEA END RNS