Photo by Mississippi Snopes on Foter.com / CC BY-NC

Today we continue continue celebrating gospel music by country artists. This week’s post features music by three popular female singers.

Dolly Parton–He’s everything

Dolly Rebecca Parton (born 1/19/1946) is an American singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer, actress, author, businesswoman, and philanthropist. She is known primarily for her work in country music. Dolly began her career as a songwriter for others in the 1960s. She made her singing debut in 1967, with her album Hello, I’m Dolly.

She remained successful throughout the remainder of the 1960s. In addition to her career as a solo artist she also had a series of duet albums with Porter Wagoner. Her sales and chart peak came during the 1970s and continued into the 1980s. Parton’s subsequent albums in the later part of the 1990s were lower in sales. However, in the new millennium, Parton achieved commercial success again and has released albums on independent labels since 2000, including albums on her own label, Dolly Records.

Parton is the most honored female country performer of all time. Achieving 25 Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) certified Gold, Platinum, and Multi-Platinum awards. She has

• 25 songs reach No. 1 on the Billboard country music charts, a record for a female artist (tied with Reba McEntire).
• 41 career top-10 country albums, a record for any artist.
• 110 career charted singles over the past 40 years.
• 47 Grammy nominations.
• Nine Grammy Awards.
• Two Academy Award nominations.
• Ten Country Music Association Awards.
• Seven Academy of Country Music Awards.
• Three American Music Awards.

Dolly is one of seven female artists to win the Country Music Association’s Entertainer of the Year Award. In 1999, Parton was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. She has composed over 3,000 songs.

She composed “He’s Everything” for the 2012 musical Joyful Noise

Reba McEntire – Softly And Tenderly

Reba Nell McEntire (born March 28, 1955) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and record producer. While a sophomore in college, she performed the National Anthem at the National Rodeo

By Gage Skidmore, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=57215041

in Oklahoma City. Country artist Red Steagall, impressed by her performance, brought her to Nashville, Tennessee.

Often referred to as “The Queen of Country”, she is one of the best-selling artists of all time. Total sales exceed 95 million records worldwide. McEntire has

• released 29 studio albums,
• acquired 42 number one singles,
• 16 number one albums, and
• 28 albums have been certified gold, platinum or multi-platinum in sales by the Recording Industry Association of America

Softly and Tenderly” is a Christian hymn. It was composed and written by Will L. Thompson in 1880.

Thompson was a member of the Churches of Christ, where several of his hymns and gospel songs continue in use. “Softly and Tenderly” is the most widely known of his compositions. It is among the most prolifically translated gospel songs.

Martina McBride – Anyway

Martina Mariea McBride (born July 29, 1966) is an American country music singer-songwriter and record producer. She is known for her soprano singing range and her country pop material.

McBride has recorded a total of 13 studio albums, two greatest hits compilations, one “live” album, as well as two additional compilation albums. The RIAA gave eight of her studio albums and two compilations Gold certification, or higher.

In the U.S., she has sold over 14 million albums. In addition, McBride has won the Country Music Association‘s “Female Vocalist of the Year” award four times. (tied with Reba McEntire for the second-most wins). and the Academy of Country Music‘s “Top Female Vocalist. She is also a 14-time Grammy Award nominee.

“Anyway” is a song co-written and recorded by American country music artist Martina McBride. She released the song in November 2006 following a performance on the 2006 CMA Awards. It served as the lead-off single from her album Waking Up Laughing. McBride wrote the song with The Warren Brothers.

Photo by Mississippi Snopes on Foter.com / CC BY-NC

Today I am beginning a multi-week celebration of gospel music by country artists. This week’s post features music by three popular male singers.

Johnny Cash–He Turned the Water Into Wine

Johnny Cash included “He Turned the Water Into Wine” on the album The Gospel Road.

The Gospel Road is a double album, the fourth gospel album and 45th overall album by Johnny Cash, He released the album in 1973. It is the soundtrack to the film of the same name. The movie and the soundtrack tell the story of the life of Jesus. The album consists primarily of spoken-word recordings taken from the film of Cash describing the action on screen.

Additional vocalists are featured on varying tracks. This includes The Carter Family, The Statler Brothers, Kris Kristofferson and Rita Coolidge. Additionally. June Carter Cash portrays Mary Magdalene in the film and on the album.

Willie Nelson–Uncloudy Day

Josiah Kelley Alwood wrote the gospel song Uncloudy Day, also known as Unclouded Day, in 1879. Originally popular in church hymnals, it has come to be recorded many times over the years since, including being an early attention-getter for future star act The Staple Singers in 1956, their version serving as an inspiration to a young Bob Dylan, who called it “the most mysterious thing I’d ever heard”.

I prefer Willie Nelson’s version of Uncloudy Day.

Alan Jackson–I Want to Stroll Over Heaven With You

Alan Jackson Included his version of “I Want to Stroll Over Heaven With You” on the album Precious Memories. Precious Memories is Jackson’s thirteenth studio album. Notably, it is his first gospel 
album.

Unlike his previous albums, this is a side project composed of traditional gospel songs. The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) gave the album platinum certification. However, it contained no singles.

He was born poor, died rich, and never hurt anyone along the way.–Duke Ellington

It has been 47 years since the world lost Louis Armstrong. Many saw him as the world’s most beloved entertainer. Others called him the single most important musician in the history of jazz.

I believe he was both.

Armstrong was a human ray of sunshine. He had a mile-wide smile, gravelly voice, infectious laugh. and unparalleled way with a song. His joyous rendition of “Hello, Dolly!,” recorded when he was in his 60s, momentarily ended the Beatles’ three-month reign at the top of the singles chart.

We watched a lot of Disney movies when the girls were little. The Jungle Book was one of our favorites. Louis Armstrong provided the voice for one of the most captivating characters, King Louis.

Bob Thiele (as “George Douglas”) and George David Weiss wrote the pop ballad “What a Wonderful World“.  It was first recorded by Louis Armstrong and released in 1967 as a single, which topped the pop charts in the United Kingdom. Armstrong’s recording was inducted in the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1999.