GOSPEL MUSIC AND THE BIRTH OF SOUL

ESSENTIAL QUESTION

How did Gospel inﬂuence American popular music?

OVERVIEW

Gospel music ﬁrst emerged from the fusion of West

African musical traditions, the experiences of slavery,

Christian practices, and the hardships associated with

life in the American South. Over time, as the inﬂuence

of the African-American church grew and the Great

Migration transported thousands of African Americans

from the South to America’s northern industrial

cities, the inﬂuence of this musical genre expanded.

Ultimately, Gospel’s reach would extend well beyond

the religious realm, directly affecting the world of

secular music.

In some cases, a mere change of lyrics could transform

a Gospel song into a successful work of Pop, wherein

the worshipped God (“He”) became the prosaic object

of worldly affection (“she”). When Sam Cooke and the

Soul Stirrers recorded “Wonderful,” they declared that “Whenever I need, the Lord will provide/

And praise my Lord’s name/I know he’s so wonderful.” Singing initially under the name “Dale

Cook” so as not to offend his Gospel listeners, Cooke would propel the same tune to Pop success

by singing, “There’s not quite another/Quite as sweet as you/I love my girl, she’s so lovable.”

In other cases, it was the rich vocal harmonies of groups such as the Jordanaires and the

Golden Gate Quartet that informed the sound of Pop, exerting an inﬂuence on everyone from

the Girl Groups of the late 1950s and early 1960s to the hits of Frankie Valli and the Four

Seasons. Elvis Presley’s vocal stylings bore the unmistakable inﬂuence of the Gospel sound he

had heard growing up in the poor neighborhoods of Tupelo and Memphis, where contact with

African-American culture was often very direct. And, with the Jordanaires a part of his recording

ensemble, white Gospel traditions were woven into the fabric of his music.

In this lesson, students will trace the inﬂuence of Gospel music on early Rock and Roll,

particularly in R&B’s embrace of such key musical features as the call-and-response and in the

uses of complex rhythms. The class will make side-by-side comparisons of Gospel and early Rock

and Roll songs, as well as work in groups to chart the overall inﬂuence of Gospel on a range of

different popular music genres.

GOSPEL MUSIC AND THE BIRTH OF SOUL

OVERVIEW

BOOK 1: BIRTH OF ROCK

Upon completion of this lesson, students will:

1. KNOW (KNOWLEDGE):

• Basic elements of Gospel music, including

“call-and-response,” complex rhythms, group

singing, and the employment of rhythmic

instrumentation

• Ways in which other musical genres “borrowed”

musical elements from Gospel Music to create

new sounds

OBJECTIVES

ACTIVITIES

2. BE ABLE TO (SKILLS):

• Make thematic connections between genres of

music

• Common Core: Students will analyze music

and lyrics and how the selection of words and

images changes the central meaning of the

song (CCSS Reading 6; CCSS Speaking and

Listening 2)

MOTIVATIONAL ACTIVITY:

1. Play an excerpt from the Southern Tones’ “It Must Be Jesus” (1954). As they listen, ask students to:

• Listen closely to the lyrics and identify the central message of the song. Have students identify the key

ﬁgure mentioned in the lyrics (i.e., Jesus).

• Think about whether the song reminds them of any music they have heard previously.

2. Play Ray Charles’ “I Got A Woman” (1954). As with the ﬁrst song, ask students to:

• Listen closely to the lyrics and identify the central message of the song. Have students identify the key

ﬁgure mentioned in the lyrics (i.e., “a woman.”)

• Think about whether the song reminds them of any music they have heard on the radio or on television.

(Note to instructor: Students may recognize the hook “She gives me money/When I’m in need” as the

same hook sampled in the song “Gold Digger” by Kanye West.)

3. Play the short clip from Kanye West’s “Gold Digger.” (Note to instructor: There are two

versions of this song; this clip is from the “non-explicit” version.) As with the ﬁrst two songs, ask

students to:

• Listen closely to the lyrics and identify the central message of the song. Have students identify the key

ﬁgure mentioned in the lyrics (i.e., “gold digger”)

4. Discuss:

• How similar are the three songs, musically speaking? What is similar, and what changes?

• How has the central ﬁgure in the song changed through the three versions? (The instructor may wish to

notate: Jesus --> A Woman --> A “Gold-Digger” on the board.)

• What has happened to the overall meaning of the song and the emotions it portrays through the three

versions? (Again, the instructor may wish to notate the evolution on the board, for example: Love of Jesus

--> Love of a Woman --> Anger at a Woman.)

GOSPEL MUSIC AND THE BIRTH OF SOUL

BOOK 1: BIRTH OF ROCK

• Who is Kanye West? What kind of music is he known for?

• Does “Gold Digger” have anything to do with Jesus? With religion in general? With love?

• Why might Kanye West have borrowed from a traditional R&B song in “Gold Digger”? What does the Ray

Charles sample bring to West’s song?

• What do these three clips suggest about how Gospel music has inﬂuenced and continues to inﬂuence

popular American music? About how musicians have taken elements of Gospel and transformed them into

something new?

BOOK 1: BIRTH OF ROCK

GOSPEL MUSIC AND THE BIRTH OF SOUL

PROCEDURE:

1. Divide students into groups of 3-4. Explain

that students will work with their groups

to investigate how popular songs of the

1950s and 1960s were inﬂuenced by

Gospel music. In this activity, students will

hear three different pairs of songs, each

consisting of one Gospel recording and one

Pop song. For each pairing, students will

work to identify the inﬂuence of the Gospel

recording on the Pop song.

2. Distribute Handout 1: Gospel and West

African Musical Traditions. Review the four

elements of Gospel music discussed on the

handout:

• Call-and-response

• Group singing

• Instrumentation emphasizing rhythm instruments

(drums, rhythm guitar, etc.)

• Complex rhythms or polyrhythms

3. Distribute Handout 2: Song Comparisons.

Students will use the chart to help them

identify speciﬁc features of each song they

hear and record their observations.

4. Play the three song comparisons:

• “(He Is) Wonderful” (1959), by Sam Cooke and the

Soul Stirrers, and “Loveable” (1956), which was

originally released under the name “Dale Cook.”

• The Jordanaires, “Dig a Little Deeper” (1950)

and Elvis Presley with the Jordanaires, “Too

Much” (1957).

• Sister Rosetta Tharpe, “Didn’t It Rain” (1964)

and Little Richard, “Tutti Frutti” (1957).

5. After all groups have had adequate time to

analyze and discuss each song comparison,

poll groups on their summary statements for

each comparison. Discuss:

• In the ﬁrst comparison, can you tell that the song

is almost identical and the vocalist is actually

the same person? (Explain to students that

Sam Cooke was one of many artists to make

the transition from Gospel singer to Pop singer.

He changed his name to “Dale Cook” when he

recorded “Lovable” in 1956, so as not to alienate

fans of his Gospel singing; though some listeners

were offended by the recording, Cooke went on to

have a highly successful Pop career.)

• Why do you think Cooke changed his name when

he recorded “Loveable?” Why might fans of

Gospel music be offended by changing a song

about God (“Him”) to a song about a woman

(“her”)?

• Does the song work equally well in each version?

Can the difference between a Gospel song and

a Pop song be as simple as just changing the

words?

• What does the second comparison have in

common with the ﬁrst? Who are the singers

singing about in each song?

• Why do you think the complex vocal harmonies

of Gospel songs such as “Dig a Little Deeper”

MOTIVATIONAL ACTIVITY: (CONTINUED)

worked well in Pop music? What overall effect

do they have on the listener?

• What do the rhythms of a song like “Too Much”

seem to borrow from Gospel? How do you

imagine Elvis Presley, who was white, learned

to master the vocal stylings of African-American

Gospel artists? (Explain to students that as

a young man, Elvis lived in a predominantly

African-American neighborhood and had many

opportunities to attend church services and

other musical performances in that community.)

• How similar are the vocal stylings of “Didn’t It

Rain” and “Tutti Frutti”? (Explain to students

that like many African-American singers of

his era, Little Richard grew up singing Gospel

music in church.)

• Why might white audiences be receptive to

music that was inﬂuenced by the music of

the African-American church? Would it matter

whether they were even aware of this inﬂuence

when listening to popular music?

SUMMARY ACTIVITY:

On a slip of paper, ask students to complete an Exit Ticket in which they identify a

particular song, artist, or style of music they enjoy listening to that might in some way

have been influenced by Gospel music. Students should identify at least two specific

elements of Gospel music that have influenced the song, artist, or genre they have

identified.

WRITING PROMPT:

(Please note that it is up to the instructor to decide whether this activity will be

completed in class or as a homework assignment. The instructor may wish to have

students continue working in the same groups as during the lesson, or on an individual

basis.)

1. Distribute Handout 3: Gospel Music Family Tree to each student or group.

2. Assign each student or group one of the five genres of popular music: Pop, Rock and

Roll, Motown, Country, and Rhythm & Blues (R&B).

3. Each group will research and analyze the multiple ways in which their particular genre

has been influenced by specific elements of Gospel music.

4. Each group will present its findings to the class. Students are encouraged to provide

musical clips and other specific examples to illustrate their work.

5. The instructor may wish to construct a larger version of the top half of the family tree

using poster board. Each group may then summarize and illustrate its findings on a

piece of poster board. The entire family tree may then be displayed on the classroom

wall.

BOOK 1: BIRTH OF ROCK

GOSPEL MUSIC AND THE BIRTH OF SOUL

PROCEDURE: (CONTINUED)

EXTENSIONS:

Have students research the many Gospel songs recorded by Elvis Presley, including

“Swing Low Sweet Chariot” and “I Believe in the Man in the Sky,” and compare them to

Elvis’ Rock and Roll recordings. You may wish to address the following:

• What are the main similarities and differences?

• What musical techniques does Elvis emphasize in each genre?

• Do you think Elvis would have been as successful had he not grown up listening to Gospel? Why or why

not? What did Gospel music add to his work?

Students may further wish to investigate Elvis’ use of Gospel groups such as the Jordanaires

(featured in this lesson) as background vocalists for many recordings and concerts throughout

his career.

COMMON CORE STATE STANDARDS

College and Career Readiness Reading Anchor Standards for Grades 6-12 for Literature and

Informational Text

Reading 6: Assess how point of view or purpose shapes the content and style of a text.

College and Career Readiness Anchor Standards for Speaking and Listening for Grades 6-12

Speaking and Listening 2: Integrate and evaluate information presented in diverse media

and formats, including visually, quantitatively, and orally.

SOCIAL STUDIES – NATIONAL COUNCIL FOR THE SOCIAL STUDIES (NCSS)

Theme 1: Culture

Theme 2: Time, Continuity, and Change

Theme 5: Individuals, Groups, and Institutions

NATIONAL STANDARDS FOR MUSIC EDUCATION

Core Music Standard: Responding

Select: Choose music appropriate for a speciﬁc purpose or context.

Analyze: Analyze how the structure and context of varied musical works inform the response.

BOOK 1: BIRTH OF ROCK

STANDARDS

GOSPEL MUSIC AND THE BIRTH OF SOUL

VIDEO RESOURCES

• Sister Rosetta Tharpe – Didn’t It Rain (1964)

• Kanye West – Gold Digger (2005)

• The Southern Tones – It Must Be Jesus (1954)

• Chuck Berry – Guitar Solos

• Elvis Presley & The Jordanaires - Too Much (1967)

• The Jordanaires – Dig a Little Deeper (1950)

• Ray Charles – I Got a Woman (1954)

• Sam Cooke – Loveable (1962)

• Little Richard – Tutti Frutti (1957)

• Sam Cooke – Wonderful (1959)

FEATURED PEOPLE

• Ray Charles

• Sam Cooke

• Elvis Presley

• Sister Rosetta Tharpe

• Kanye West

HANDOUTS

• Handout 1: Gospel and West African Traditions

• Handout 2: Song Comparisons

• Handout 3: Gospel Family Tree

RESOURCES

BOOK 1: BIRTH OF ROCK

GOSPEL MUSIC AND THE BIRTH OF SOUL

Interpret: Support interpretations of musical works that reﬂect creators’ and/or

performers’ expressive intent.

Evaluate: Support evaluations of musical works and performances based on analysis,

interpretation, and established criteria.

Core Music Standard: Connecting

Connecting 11: Relate musical ideas and works to varied contexts and daily life to

deepen understanding.