African American Music African American Music By 1945, nearly everyone in the African American community had heard gospel music (2). At this time, gospel music was a sacred folk music with origins in field hollers, work songs, slave songs, Baptist lining hymns, and Negro spirituals. These songs that influenced gospel music were adapted and reworked into expressions of praise and thanks of the community. Although the harmonies were similar to those of the blues or hymns in …showed first 75 words of 6172 total…

…showed last 75 words of 6172 total…services. She was wrestling with the two Mahalia?s inside herself. The powerful, public one had fits of anger, ruthlessness and times of unthinking. The other was extremely lonely and spending hours on the phone with her ex husband. Inside she was a scared woman who was seeking a close companion. (3) In June 1975, a film entitled ?Kinfolks? documented the life and music of Mahalia Jackson. Her art was her work; her work was her art. (1)