Raymond Anthony Myles was the electrifying Gospel Genius of New Orleans. Like a comet shooting across the sky, he was here one minute – brilliant, incandescent and unmistakably unique. And then, just as quickly, he was gone… But Raymond was more than a maverick musician. He was also highly representative of a vital but scorned minority within the Black church: a queer man who struggled with dogma and Scripture that said, "God's love does not apply to you."
During the same summer as Woodstock, over 300,000 people attended the Harlem Cultural Festival, celebrating African American music and culture, and promoting Black pride and unity. The footage from the festival sat in a basement, unseen for over 50 years, keeping this incredible event in America's history lost — until now.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Mahalia Jackson (October 26, 1911 – January 27, 1972) was an American gospel singer. Possessing a contralto voice, she was referred to as "The Queen of Gospel". She became one of the most influential gospel singers in the world and was heralded internationally as a singer and civil rights activist. She recorded about 30 albums (mostly for Columbia Records) during her career, and her 45 rpm records included a dozen "golds" (million-sellers).