The Caravans

Through the period extending from your late ’50s towards the mid-’60s, the Caravans proceeded to go unrivaled because the nation’s most widely used touring gospel group; acclaimed among the very best female functions ever to reach on the religious music front side, their fluctuating roster was unequalled as a starting pad for long term superstars — Shirley Caesar, Inez Andrews, Bessie Griffin and Wayne Cleveland had been just some of the ensemble’s alumni who later on continued to solo popularity. The Caravans had been created in Chicago in 1952 by contralto Albertina Walker along with other onetime users from the Robert Anderson Performers, included in this Ora Lee Hopkins, Elyse Yancey and Nellie Elegance Daniels; practically from the outset, their lineup shifted frequently, but additionally to longtime mainstay Walker, the recordings the group designed for the Claims label between 1952 and 1956 consist of Griffin, Dorothy Norwood and Cassietta George, who enlisted in 1954. Also present was Cleveland, who not merely followed the group on piano but additionally narrated hymns, his calm monologues a stark comparison towards the fervent group vocals behind him. By 1956, the Caravans had been being among the most well-known acts in every of gospel music, famed for his or her uncanny — nearly telepathic — teamwork. They relocated to Savoy in 1958, where their lineup right now included both Andrews and Caesar in addition to Dolores Washington; the mix of the youthful soprano phenom Caesar as well as the shrieking contralto Andrews was a powerhouse one-two punch, so when the 10 years drew to some close, the Caravans had been the queens from the gospel circuit. Although Andrews experienced exited by 1962, the group continuing to trip high, putting your signature on to Vee-Jay to record the LP Look for Ye god, the father. Their Vee-Jay tenure demonstrated their most steady, with a constant roster of Walker, Caesar, George, Washington, Josephine Howard and pianist Wayne Herndon showing up on all their result for the label. Nevertheless, when Caesar exited in 1966 to visit single, the Caravans’ operate at the very top finished, and within weeks only Walker continued to be. She go about forming a fresh edition including long term disco diva Loleatta Holloway, however the opportunity demonstrated short-lived; Caravans reunion concerts, nevertheless, had been common within the years to check out.