In the mid-20th century, Louisville gospel music was occasionally recorded when members of the local gospel community pressed 45rpm records and LPs, and released them through grassroots record labels such as Sensational Sounds, Grace, Blessed, and D.J.S. Over the years, a substantial body of work was produced in our city, but those recordings are in danger of being lost forever. The Louisville Story Program has been working with dozens of people in the local gospel music community to locate, digitize, and preserve hundreds of these recordings and to develop a book that documents and honors the legacies of the people and communities that produced them. For decades, the passion, hard work, and support of countless people across dozens of Black church communities in Louisville have nurtured and sustained a rich gospel music ecosystem. This music has served as a central part of people's religious practice and as an expression of Black pride, joy, affirmation, love, dignity, determination, and hope. This legacy continues to this day. With support from The Owsley Brown II Family Foundation and Owsley Brown III Philanthropic Foundation, LSP has partnered with members of the gospel community and a local advisory group of local gospel historians and luminaries: To locate, clean, and digitize gospel records of local artists released by small local labels To accompany the local Black gospel music community in developing a 4 CD box set that includes a 200+ page hardcover book with first-person documentation of their rich history To create an accompanying double LP featuring 26 of those songs To create and maintain a public-facing digital archive of 1, 000 songs and 1, 000 photographs To celebrate the final release with a large concert at the Brown Theatre (September 28, 2024)

Track List

1. The Guiding Stars - Been Dipped in the Water
2. The Religious Five Quartet - Let Me Lean on You
3. The Butlerairs - He's So Good to Me
4. Eastern Star Chorale - Until You Try Jesus
5. The Sensational Bells of Joy - Lord Take My Hand
6. Green Street Baptist Church Youth Choir - He's All Right
7. The Singing Son of Zion - Steal Away
8. The Gospel Voices of Soul - Woke Up This Morning
9. The Gospel Motivators - Trust Him
10. Joe Thomas - I Feel Like Pressing My Way
11. The Indiana Wonders - Thank You Jesus
12. The Webster Singers - Stay By Our Side
13. Rev. Eddie James and Family - Jesus Will Fix It
14. The Solomonaires - Come Out of the Wilderness
15. The Antioch Majestic Voices - Peace Until My Soul
16. Rev. Thomas N. Pride - He Knows It All
17. The Ecclesiastics - He Made a Way for Me
18. The Gospel Descendents - Jesus Is All I Need to Get By
19. The Gospel Chanteurs - Lord Don't Leave Me
20. Newburg Radio Chorus - Calvary
21. Cleo K. Joiner III and the Metropolitan Community Choir - Spirit of the Living God
22. Jimmy Ellis and the Riverview Spiritual Singers - I've Come a Long Long Way
23. Rev. Charles E. Kirby - Lord You Been Good to Me
24. The Golden Crowns - We Are Trying
25. Indiana Community Choir - Lord Don't Move That Mountain
26. God's Girls - My Time Ain't Long

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