551:. It was a popular war-time tour supported by recorded radio broadcasts of the Ward Singers on U.S. Armed Forces Radio. The Ward Singers narrowly missed death when their hotel in Vietnam was bombed and several guests died. Ward was invited back to Vietnam by U.S.O. in 1969 for several more months. These war-time tours were filmed and all the Ward Singers were given special certificates of recognition by the U.S. Army.
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Philadelphia. Gotham's Irv Ballen recorded some new Ward material, including "Surely God Is Able", and some of the Ward
Singers' Gotham recordings were transferred to Savoy Record Company in Newark, New Jersey to settle a contract dispute. When Savoy began contracting with the Ward Singers for new recordings in the 1950s, they were primarily recorded and engineered in
572:. She was cast as a waitress in a Nashville cafeteria who inspires a young singer, played by Williams, to pursue his dream of becoming a country recording artist. There are also several scenes of the Clara Ward Singers performing gospel songs in the film. This movie was released by MGM in 1968 and Clara's picture appears on lobby cards and other movie advertisements.
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on United
Artists, produced by Nikolas Venet and Sam Alexander, included an interpretation of Bill Wither's pop hit "Lean On Me" and a rearrangement of the Soul Stirrers' 1950s recording of "Thank You, Jesus". Also in 1972 Ward, because she was under exclusive contract to United Artists at this time,
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The Ward
Singers began touring nationally in 1943, following a memorable appearance at the National Baptist Convention held in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, earlier that year. Henrietta Waddy joined the group in 1947. The group's performance style, such as the mimed packing of suitcases as part of the
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Gertrude Ward created a booking agency for gospel acts, sponsored tours under the name "the Ward Gospel
Cavalcade", established a publishing house for gospel music, and wrote an instructional manual for churches, detailing how to promote gospel programs. Gertrude created and managed a second group,
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TV special, later released as a soundtrack album. Clara continued to perform at her mother's church, the
Miracle Temple of Faith for All People in Los Angeles, California, as well as at Victory Baptist Church. Her mother, Gertrude Ward, also had a popular religious radio program in the Los Angeles
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According to Willa Ward's biography of Clara Ward, with the exception of
Gertrude and Clara, Willa and other members of the group were grossly underpaid. In addition, their meager earnings were further reduced as Gertrude and Clara provided the group's housing and charged them for it. Accordingly,
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In 1949, the Ward
Singers toured from Philadelphia to California in their new Cadillac, appeared on national television programs, and recorded for the Miltone Record Company of Los Angeles. The Miltone recordings were purchased in a multi-artist package by Gotham Record Company, which had moved to
612:, Florida in May 1966. Ward suffered a series of strokes prior to her death. The first occurred in August 1967 which was listed as "massive". Two more strokes followed: one listed as "minor" during a recording session at her home in December 1972; another on January 9, 1973, which left Ward in a
449:"the Clara Ward Specials", to accompany the Ward Singers. Although as musical director of the Ward franchise, Clara was willing to share the spotlight with her talented co-singers, she and her mother were allegedly reticent about sharing the group's financial rewards with other members, as well.
425:
The addition of Marion
Williams brought to the group a powerful singer with a preternaturally broad range, able to reach the highest registers of the soprano range without losing either purity or volume, with the added ability to descend "growling low notes" in the style of a country preacher.
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Williams left the group in 1958, when her demand for a raise and reimbursement for hotel expenses was rejected. She was followed shortly thereafter by the rest of the group â Henrietta Waddy, Esther Ford, Frances
Steadman and Kitty Parham â who formed a new group, "the Stars of Faith". Their
591:. The Clara Ward Singers toured in Australia, Japan, Europe, Indonesia, and Thailand during the late-1960s through the early-1970s. They had a one-day TV special in London, England. They were in constant demand on American television programs and appeared on
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287:. A gifted singer and arranger, Ward adopted the lead-switching style, previously used primarily by male gospel quartets, creating opportunities for spontaneous improvisation and vamping by each member of the group, while giving virtuoso singers such as
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departure marked the end of the glory days for the Ward
Singers, who later alienated much of their churchgoing audience by performing in Las Vegas, nightclubs, and other secular venues in the 1960s. By this time, gospel singer
476:(the first being her former group members, which were known as the Stars of Faith, which starred Langston Hughes in the first Gospel stage play and first play that featured an all black cast to be produced on Broadway,
413:, consisting of herself, her youngest daughter Clara, and her elder daughter, Willarene Mae ("Willa," 1920-2012). Ward recorded her first solo song in 1940, and continued accompanying the Ward Gospel Trio, thereafter.
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song of hope "If You Wanna Change the World". The album was later reissued on the Capitol's budget Pickwick label minus one track. In the same year, she recorded an album in Copenhagen, Denmark on the Philips label,
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and the Ward Singers performed their music live in Philadelphia with the city's Symphony and the Golden Voices Ensemble. Ward sang backup for pop artists with her sister Willa's background group, most notably on
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In July 1998, in recognition of her status, the United States Postal Service issued a 32-cent stamp with her image. The stamp can still be purchased with a CD and other gospel singers' stamps online.
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stars such as Marion Williams and Frances Steadman not only had to accept second billing and lesser pay for their work, but pay their employers rent out of their earnings.
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Though Clara Ward's birthday has been erroneously reported on the Internet as "August 21, 1924", according to her sister, Willa Ward, Clara's birthday was April 21, 1924.
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Ward was the first gospel singer to sing with a 100-piece symphony orchestra in the 1960s. The Clara Ward Singers recorded an album together on the Verve label, V-5019,
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Keller, Academic Dean and Professor of Church History Emeritae Rosemary Skinner; Keller, Rosemary Skinner; Ruether, Rosemary Radford; Cantlon, Marie (October 29, 2006).
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Ward's mother, Gertrude Mae Ward (nÊe Murphy; 1901â1981), founded the Ward Singers in 1931 as a family group, then called, variously,
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the opportunity to perform the lead vocal in songs such as "Surely, God Is Able" (among the first million-selling gospel hits), "
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In 1950, Clara Ward and the Ward Singers of Philadelphia made their first Carnegie Hall appearance on a gospel program titled
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which included country and Western, blues/folk, pop and an arrangement of the Beatles' hit song, "Help". Her 1972 album
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song "Packin' Up", condemned by some gospel music purists as "clowning", was wildly popular with their audiences.
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794:"Social Security Death Index". Baltimore, Maryland: Social Security Administration. 1954â1955. 182-30-7100.
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In 1963, Clara Ward was the second gospel singer to sing gospel songs on Broadway in Langston Hughes' play
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on the ballad "Lookin' For My Rainbow"; it was released on that album and as a single 45 rpm record.
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Williams' singing style helped make the group nationally popular when they began recording in 1948.
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In 1968, the Clara Ward Singers toured Vietnam at the request of the U.S. State Department and the
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singer who achieved great artistic and commercial success during the 1940s and 1950s, as leader of
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Singing in a Strange Land: C. L. Franklin, the Black Church, and the Transformation of America
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Great God A'Mighty! The Dixie Hummingbirds: Celebrating the Rise of Soul Gospel Music
868:. Johnson Publishing Company. December 28, 1972. p. 53 – via Google Books.
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Encyclopedia of Women and Religion in North America: Native American creation stories
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in New York City and her surviving sister, Willa, accepted the award in her honor.
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830:(1st ed.). 195 broadway, New York, NY 10007: HarperCollins. p. 66.
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Encyclopedia of African American Popular Culture [4 volumes]
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sang at her second memorial service held days later in Los Angeles.
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Ward died on January 16, 1973 at age 48 as a result of the strokes.
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and Rev. C. L. Franklin sang at her funeral in Philadelphia;
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How I Got Over: Clara Ward and the World-Famous Ward Singers
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Ward collapsed while performing at the Castaways Lounge in
768:"Death Of Clara Ward Saddens World â February 1, 1973"
774:. February 1973. p. 16 – via Google Books.
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Clara Ward and Her Gospel Singers at the Village Gate
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In 1969, Ward recorded an album for Capitol Records,
279:(April 21, 1924 â January 16, 1973) was an American
595:over a dozen times. They appeared on Oral Roberts'
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469:, and their group began to grow in popularity.
637:In 1977, Ward was honored posthumously at the
480:.). She was also the play's musical director.
465:, in 1952, following the advice of her mentor
898:How Sweet the Sound: The Golden Age of Gospel
490:The Heart, the Faith, the Soul of Clara Ward,
8:
1055:20th-century African-American women singers
524:Ward also recorded an album for MGM/Verve,
701:Smith, Jessie Carney (December 17, 2010).
662:(1963) Vanguard VRS-9135 (m) VSD-2151 (s)
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915:The Gospel Sound: Good News and Bad Times
743:. Indiana University Press. p. 992.
673:List of best-selling gospel music artists
393:Learn how and when to remove this message
129:Learn how and when to remove this message
984:I Remember Gospel and I Keep On Singing
947:, Temple University Press, 1997, Paper
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554:Ward co-starred in the Hollywood movie
30:For other people named Clara Ward, see
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27:American gospel singer (1924â1973)
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484:1953â1972: The Clara Ward Singers
932:, Little Brown, 2005, Hardcover
575:Other movie appearances include
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970:Oxford University Press, 2003,
318:needs additional citations for
54:needs additional citations for
630:Clara Ward is interred in the
407:the Consecrated Gospel Singers
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1065:20th-century American singers
958:Interview with Willa Ward,
526:Hang Your Tears Out To Dry,
501:", which reached #2 on the
417:1931â1952: The Ward Singers
32:Clara Ward (disambiguation)
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917:Limelight Editions, 1997,
707:. ABC-CLIO. p. 1465.
191:Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
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1030:Singers from Philadelphia
900:Elliott and Clark, 1995,
828:Isn't Her Grace Amazing 1
753:– via Google Books.
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634:in Glendale, California.
604:Health, death, and legacy
432:Bergen County, New Jersey
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896:Boyer, Horace Clarence,
850:: CS1 maint: location (
639:Songwriters Hall of Fame
1025:American gospel singers
589:Night Time In Las Vegas
519:Walk A Mile In My Shoes
285:the Famous Ward Singers
208:Los Angeles, California
982:Viale, Gene D (2010).
826:Wills, Cheryl (2022).
807:Cite journal requires
654:Soul & Inspiration
533:provided vocals for a
163:Background information
1040:Savoy Records artists
960:Philadelphia Inquirer
943:Ward-Royster, Willa,
593:The Mike Douglas Show
1045:Duke Records artists
510:Soul and Inspiration
474:Tambourines to Glory
439:Negro Music Festival
434:by Rudy Van Gelder.
327:improve this article
295:" and "Packin' Up".
63:improve this article
581:the Isley Brothers
562:Hank Williams, Jr.
499:Mashed Potato Time
478:The Black Nativity
461:formed her group,
18:Clara Ward Singers
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714:978-0-313-35797-8
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342:"Clara Ward"
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325:Please help
320:verification
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246:Years active
203:(1973-01-16)
157:Ward in 1970
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119:January 2017
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61:Please help
56:verification
53:
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1020:1973 deaths
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988:AuthorHouse
648:Discography
610:Miami Beach
579:, starring
560:, starring
540:The New Age
535:Canned Heat
225:Occupations
1009:Categories
679:References
353:newspapers
234:songwriter
184:1924-04-21
169:Birth name
145:Clara Ward
89:newspapers
846:cite book
570:Ed Begley
537:'s album
530:Uplifting
505:in 1962.
497:'s hit, "
383:July 2023
261:Stateside
250:1931â1972
667:See also
600:market.
264:Vanguard
237:arranger
367:scholar
103:scholar
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299:Career
281:gospel
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231:Singer
219:Gospel
215:Genres
210:, U.S.
193:, U.S.
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866:"Jet"
585:Spree
549:U.S.O
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110:JSTOR
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972:ISBN
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919:ISBN
902:ISBN
852:link
832:ISBN
813:help
745:ISBN
709:ISBN
614:coma
346:news
198:Died
178:Born
82:news
772:Jet
409:or
329:by
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