It has been stated that American gospel composer Doris Akers (1923-1995) supplied the soundtrack for the civil rights motion.
Born in Missouri because the eighth of ten kids, Akers moved to Los Angeles on the age of twenty-two. Right here she printed her first tune whereas performing with the Sallie Martin Singers. In 1957, Akers was invited to direct the 100-voice-strong Sky Pilot Choir. One of many earliest built-in choirs, it was heard on recordings, tv, and radio throughout the nation.
Bridging cultural gaps between black and white, Doris Akers’ music mirrored the message of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. who, in his well-known 1963 Lincoln Memorial tackle, dreamed that “in the future proper down in Alabama little black boys and black ladies will be capable of be part of palms with little white boys and white ladies as sisters and brothers.”
The phrases of the refrain of Akers’ 1962 tune, Candy, Candy Spirit unfold as a prayer and a celebration of divine presence. This efficiency was recorded in 1994 as a part of the Gospel Pioneer Reunion live performance:
This early recording is from the 1964 album, Doris Akers and The Statesmen Quartet Sing for You:
