Category: Passings

R&B Singer Fontella Bass (1940-2012)

Fontella Bass, R&B soul singer famous for her hit “Rescue Me,” died Wednesday.  She was 72 years old.

Bass was the daughter of gospel singer Martha Bass of the Clara Ward Singers.  Her brother, R&B and gospel singer David Peaston, passed in February of this year.

Read more on the career of Fontella Bass here.

Inez Andrews of the Caravans: From Labor to Reward

GMF has learned from gospel singer Ron Barrett that “The High Priestess of Gospel” Inez Andrews passed today. Her health had been in decline for several months.  She was 83 years old.

Inez Andrews was a long-time member of the famous Caravans and continued to captivate audiences as recently as her appreciation musical this past September with her signature performance of “Mary Don’t You Weep.” (How she could tease us with her playful hesitance: “I don’t know, but I think I can call her”–Mary, that is–“a lil’ bit louder,” before letting out that piercing shriek, “MAAAARY!”)
Some of the singer/songwriter’s other popular songs with the Caravans were “I’m Not Tired Yet” and “I’m Willing to Wait.” As a solo artist, one of her biggest hits was “Lord, Don’t Move the Mountain.”  
In the 1990’s, Andrews earned a Stellar Award nomination for her album Raise Up A Nation. In 2002, she was inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame. And, in what will now be a bittersweet tribute, she will be honored with the Ambassador Dr. Bobby Jones Legends Award at the 2013 Stellar Awards in January; she was selected for the award earlier this year. 
GMF’s heartfelt condolences and prayers are with Lady Andrews’ family, friends, and fans.

Services will be held at Apostolic Church of God, 6320 S. Dorchester Avenue, Chicago, IL 60637.


Musical
Thursday,
December 27, 2012
7 PM 
Homegoing Celebration
Friday,
December 28, 2012

11 AM

Visitation one hour prior

Maurice Culpepper, noted choir director, has passed

GMF is sad to report that Minister Maurice Culpepper, founder and director of the Showers of Blessings Choir, passed away Sunday morning.

Culpepper was a well-known and respected minister of music, having shared his gifts with several choirs and churches, including the Praise Power Fellowship Choir, Citadel of Hope Evangelistic Church Of God In Christ, and Decatur’s New Piney Grove Missionary Baptist Church.  Additionally, he and his singing aggregation, the Maurice Culpepper Singers, provided background vocals for Juanita Bynum’s 2006 gold-selling album, A Piece of My Passion.

GMF extends condolences to his wife Tina and to the entire Culpepper family, as well as to his many friends.

Homegoing arrangements will be announced by Gus Thornhill’s Funeral Home, Inc. of East Point, GA. 

Homegoing Arrangements for Sunday Best Finalist Dontavies Boatwright

November 13, 2012- JACKSONVILLE, FL – Arrangements have been finalized for Dontavies Boatwright, PEInc Gospel recording artist, who passed away on Thursday, November 8, 2012, in Jacksonville, Florida.
 
Friday, November 16th
 
PUBLIC VIEWING – 5:00 PM – 8:00 PM
J.E. Fralin & Sons Funeral Service

5065 Soutel Drive
Jacksonville, FL 32208

 
MEMORIAL CONCERT – 7:00 PM
Shiloh Metropolitan Baptist Church
A.B. Coleman Auditorium

1118 W. Beaver Street
Jacksonville, FL 32204

 
Saturday, November 17th
 
HOMEGOING CELEBRATION – 11:00 AM
Bethel Baptist Institutional Church

215 Bethel Baptist Street
Jacksonville, FL 32202

 
In lieu of flowers, donations to the Dontavies Boatwright Memorial Scholarship Fund can be sent to:
 
c/o Parriscope Entertainment, Inc.

5103 San Juan Avenue
Jacksonville, FL 32210

 
The Parriscope studios will be open Tuesday through Friday, 2-6 PM, for anyone who wishes to drop off monetary or food gifts.

Sunday Best 2 finalist Dontavies Boatwright dies

GMF has just confirmed the passing of BET’s Sunday Best 2 finalist Dontavies Boatwright.  BET’s Torrence Glenn reports the cause of death as an apparent heart attack.  He was 33 years old.

Boatwright began singing publicly at the age of 12 and gained international recognition after placing in the top five during the second season of BET’s Sunday Best.  His approach to gospel music was a hit with fans because of his resounding baritone which was enhanced by his opera background.  Though he did not win the gospel contest, he eventually earned the title of “The Pavarotti of Gospel Music.”  Boatwright recently released the CD single “Sunday Best Medley: Glory to Glory” on the Parriscope label.

GMF extends its deepest condolences to Boatwright’s family, friends, and fans.

R.B. Greaves, pop singer and nephew of Sam Cooke, dies

Pop singer R.B. Greaves has died at the age of 68.  His passing in Los Angeles on September 27th was confirmed by his son.
Greaves scored success in 1969 with his self-penned single “Take A Letter Maria.”  The song reached #2 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Greaves was the nephew of gospel and soul singer Sam Cooke.  

You can read more of his career highlights at nytimes.com.

Photo credit: Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images

Rev. Benjamin Cone, Jr., minister and recording artist, passes

Jackson, MS  (September 18, 2012) – It is with heavy hearts and treasured memories that Malaco Music Group announces the passing of beloved minister and gospel recording artist Rev. Benjamin Cone, Jr. He died peacefully at his home in Jackson, MS on Sunday, September 16, 2012, after an extended illness.

Born in Waycross, GA on September 28, 1937, Rev. Cone moved to Mississippi in 1973. As fate would have it, he would meet and develop a friendship with Frank Williams, legendary gospel singer, songwriter, producer and Malaco Gospel Division Director. Frank would share his vision for a statewide gospel choir and invite Rev. Cone to become one of its founding members in 1988. He agreed to become the choir’s spiritual director with one stipulation: the choir would not just sing about the Lord, but extend an invitation of discipleship on every recording and at every the concert. Frank also agreed, and the rest is history.  He faithfully served the choir for 25 years.

Although he was known for his thunderous voice and the iconic sermonette “The Birds,” it was the sermonette “It was Worth It All” from their recording Not By Might that sums up who and what he was. This art imitating life story took place in the Mississippi Baptist Hospital Medical Center, where Rev. Cone was recovering from prostate cancer surgery. While having his vitals checked by the overnight nurse, he noticed that she seemed troubled. After talking to her for a while and gaining her confidence, he discovered that she did not have a relationship with the Lord. It was there in the hospital recovery room, that he would lead her to the Lord, and subsequently be prompted to say, “It was worth my getting prostate cancer, that the nurse might get the Lord–‘It Was Worth It All.'”

Rev. Cone was an artist in his own right, having released six CDs with Malaco Records. His uniqueness was to simply translate God’s good news into a thunder-voiced language that impacted the hearts and minds of those blessed to hear him.

According to Malaco’s President Tommy Couch, Jr., “He was a deeply religious man who always found God’s blessings in every situation. Upon hearing of the tornado destroying Malaco, Rev. Cone commented, ‘No one was hurt and you had good insurance….the Lord wanted Malaco to have a new building.’ Rev. Cone was present to bless the new offices at Malaco before the re-opening. He told us, ‘Every disappointment is an appointment with the Lord.’ We will truly miss Rev. Cone and his wisdom and love for our Lord.”

He leaves to cherish his memory a dedicated wife of 53 years, Louise Dixon Cone; five children, Marjorie Cone, Brenda Raiford, Danny James Cone, Benjamin Cone, III, and Audrey Cone Thompson; and one grandchild, Christian Cone.

Homegoing services will take place on Saturday, September 22, 2012, at 11 AM at New Jerusalem Baptist Church, 5708 Old Canton Road, Jackson, MS. Final arrangements have been entrusted to Lakeover Memorial Funeral Home, 1525 Beasley Road, Jackson, MS. Viewing will take place on Friday, September 21, 2012, from 1 to 7 PM.

Niece of Vickie Winans succumbs

Vickie Winans
Dannielle “Precious” Wasson, niece of Vickie Winans (left) and Tim Bowman, Sr., passed away today due to cancer complications.  She was 30 years old.
 
Wasson is the daughter of Eddie and Cathy Williams, marriage seminar counselors and regular hosts on the TCT television network.  Cathy is Vickie and Tim’s sister.
 
In addition to her parents, Wasson is survived by her husband, two daughters, one sister, a host of aunts and uncles, and other family and friends.
 

Let us remember the Wasson, Williams, Winans, and Bowman families in our prayers during this difficult time.

Passings: Gladys Beamon Gregory and Willa Ward Royster

These are the news items that really sadden me to pass along.  


My friend Bob Marovich of The Black Gospel Blog has reported that Gladys Beamon Gregory of the acclaimed Little Lucy Smith Singers and Willa Ward Royster, sister of Clara Ward and member of the famous Ward Singers have entered into eternal rest.  They died yesterday and today, respectively.
Born in 1925, Gregory was a member of the original Lucy Smith Trio, which later became the Little Lucy Smith Singers.  One of the group’s biggest hits was “Somebody Bigger Than You and I.”
Royster, her sister Clara, and other members of the Ward Singers traveled all over the country and overseas, working capacity crowds into frenzies in their heyday.  At various points, she had her own groups also: the Willa Ward Singers, the Willa Moultrie Singers, the Gay Charmers (later performing as the Sophisticates), the Willettes, the Willa Ward Trio, and the Willa Ward Duo.  She was 92.
The Black Gospel Blog will post additional information on Gregory and Royster as it becomes available. 

Chicago Tribune also remembers Gladys Beamon Gregory with an informative news piece.

GMF extends sincere condolences to the families and friends of these two gospel greats and prays the circle of gospel pioneers and legends will be unbroken by and by.
_______________________  

Above left:  The Little Lucy Smith Singers, whose members were Little Lucy Smith, Gladys Beamon Gregory, Catherine Campbell, and Sarah McKissick.

Above right: Willa Ward Royster during a 2009 interview with Casey Snyder, Mari Saito and Julio Nunez.

Andre Lester Mobley, Shekinah Glory Ministry member, has died

Shekinah Glory Ministry member Andre Lester Mobley passes away just weeks before release of platinum-selling ensemble’s new Surrender live CD on September 25th

Andre Lester Mobley

Chicago, IL – Andre Lester Mobley, 46, a founding member of the platinum selling-ensemble, Shekinah Glory Ministry, passed away on August 2nd from blood clot complications. “There are heavy hearts in Shekinah Glory Ministry and the Kingdom Records family today,” says Kingdom Records President, Joan Sullivan. “Another soldier gone.”  This tragic death comes just weeks after another veteran member of the group, Pepe Epting, suddenly died of renal failure in June. One longtime friend wrote on Facebook that Mobley was “a man of a gentle, quiet and humble spirit.”

Mobley, who was born November 17, 1965, joined Valley Kingdom Ministries (the church home of Shekinah Glory Ministry and Kingdom Records) April 5, 1992, when he played the organ during the 8 AM service. He played on three of Shekinah Glory Ministry’s hit recordings, including “Praise Is What I Do,” “Live,” and “Jesus.”  He did not play on the group’s forthcoming CD Surrender that was recorded live at Valley Kingdom this past April and will be released nationally on September 25.  Mobley’s survivors include two children, Andrea and Avery.

Mobley’s viewing will take place Thursday, August 9, 2012, at Callahan Funeral Home, 7030 S. Halsted, Chicago, IL from 4 to 7 PM. The funeral service takes place Friday, August 10, 2012, at Valley Kingdom Ministries International located at 1102 East 154th Street, South Holland, IL.  The wake begins at 10 AM with the memorial service starting immediately thereafter at 11 AM.

“I’m just a wonderful person who loves God and people,” Mobley once posted on his Facebook page.  “If you don’t know me, I’m probably someone you would want to know.” Everyone at Valley Kingdom Ministries International agrees.  For news on Shekinah Glory Ministry, log on at http://www.sgmsurrender.com.