111:, a gospel performer. In two years she had become a skilled gospel accompanist, and at the request of her grandmother, she began playing the organ at her church and directing the music program. Elder Smith, a highly successful preacher and healer, had founded the All Nations Pentecostal Church, the first church ever established in Chicago by a woman pastor. Little Lucy's skill as an organist helped draw more worshipers to the already popular church. In 1933, the church began broadcasting its worship services on the radio through their "Glorious Church of the Air" program, becoming one of the first black churches to broadcast its services. Through the radio program, Little Lucy Smith's music was heard by people far beyond the Chicago area.
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In her teens, she formed the Lucy Smith Trio, which later became the Little Lucy Smith
Singers. She was joined by Catherine Campbell, Gladys Beamon Gregory and Sarah McKissick Simmons. By the mid-1950s, they had gained a significant following; their version of "Somebody Bigger Than You and I" was one
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In the late 1950s, Little Lucy Smith joined the
Roberta Martin Singers. She arranged much of their music, in addition to singing and playing piano and organ. Her organ playing was very popular and in 1962, she released a solo record of gospel tunes, entitled "Little Lucy Smith at the Organ." She
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Lucy Smith was born in
Chicago on March 16, 1925. Her mother, Viola (Smith) Austin, died in 1927, and thereafter, Lucy was raised by her father, James Eugene Austin, and her maternal grandmother, Elder Lucy Smith, a Holiness Pentecostal minister. To distinguish her from her grandmother, she was
95:, she began playing organ at the All Nations Pentecostal Church at age twelve. Among her more well-known compositions are "Oh My Lord, What a Time", "What a Blessing in Jesus," and "He's my Light," which became a hit for the Roberta Martin Singers.
87:(1925 – 2010), also known as "Little Lucy" Smith, was a gospel singer, pianist, organist, and composer. She led the female gospel group, The Little Lucy Smith Singers, and was a vocalist and accompanist for the
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She died on
September 19, 2010, at the age of 85. In her obituary, gospel music producer Anthony Heilbut is quoted as saying, "She is one of the most influential gospel pianists who ever played."
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In 1981, the
Smithsonian Institution held a ceremony to honor the Roberta Martin Singers, and many of her gospel songs were acquired by the Smithsonian.
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Little Lucy showed an aptitude for music at an early age, and when she was ten years old, her grandmother sent her to study piano with
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Only a Look: A Historical Look at the Career of Mrs. Roberta Martin and the
Roberta Martin Gospel Singers of Chicago, Illinois
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of their most popular recordings. They also recorded “Come Unto Me,” “Jesus, Lover of My Soul” and “Down on My Knees.”
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suffered a stroke in her 50s, which ended her professional career as an accompanist. She continued to sing however.
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called "Little Lucy Smith" as a child, a nickname that she would continue to use during her gospel career.
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In 1948, Little Lucy published her first original gospel song, “What a
Blessing in Jesus I’ve Found."
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292:"Passings: Gladys Beamon Gregory and Willa Ward Royster"
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320:"Lucy Smith Collier, Gospel Keyboardist, Dies"
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91:. The granddaughter of Holiness preacher
211:Ramirez, Margaret (September 22, 2010).
458:21st-century African-American musicians
453:20th-century African-American musicians
239:"Remembering Little Lucy Smith Collier"
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346:Encyclopedia of American Gospel Music
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433:20th-century American women pianists
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185:- The Lucy Smith Singers on YouTube
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443:African-American women musicians
370:Greer, Ronald L. (2015-09-17).
213:"Lucy Smith Collier, 1925-2010"
190:References/Notes and references
423:20th-century American pianists
183:Somebody Bigger than You and I
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178:The Little Lucy Smith Singers
343:McNeil, W. K. (2013-10-18).
318:Marovich, Bob (2010-09-19).
237:Marovich, Bob (2010-09-23).
324:The Journal of Gospel Music
268:"Lucy Smith Collier Papers"
243:The Journal of Gospel Music
20:"Little Lucy" Smith Collier
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165:The Roberta Martin Singers
413:African-American pianists
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418:American gospel singers
89:Roberta Martin Singers
35:Background information
428:Gospel music pianists
438:Singers from Chicago
296:GOSPEL MUSIC FEVER™
217:chicagotribune.com
85:Lucy Smith Collier
55:September 19, 2010
383:978-1-5127-0898-1
376:. WestBow Press.
356:978-1-135-37700-7
272:www.chipublib.org
219:. Chicago Tribune
148:Shanachie Records
144:Richard Smallwood
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160:Gospel Music
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75:Piano, Organ
408:2010 deaths
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99:Early years
397:Categories
329:2020-06-01
301:2020-06-01
277:2020-06-01
248:2020-06-01
223:2020-06-01
154:See also
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67:Gospel
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378:ISBN
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52:Died
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Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
