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SPEAKER_06: Hello, I'm Alison Russell. I'm a Grammy-nominated singer, songwriter, poet, and activist. All month, I'll be your guest host for Wamanaka as we explore the contributions of Black women in music. Today, we're talking about a singer whose storied career and one of a kind voice helped bring gospel into mainstream music. Please welcome Miss Clara Ward.
SPEAKER_04: And the Ward gospel singers, watch out.
SPEAKER_06: Clara May Ward was born in Philadelphia on April 21st, 1924. Her father, George Ward, was a hand crafter and iron worker. Her mother, Gertrude May Murphy Ward, was a domestic worker to help keep the family afloat through the Great Depression. It was Gertrude who set Clara on the path to singing stardom. Gertrude was a talented pianist and singer. In 1931, after receiving a vision in a dream, Gertrude began singing gospel music. She quickly recruited her young daughters, Clara, and her older sister, Willa, to perform in churches throughout Philly. Clara was just seven years old at the time. The group called themselves the Ward Gospel Trio. Gertrude was a good singer, but an even better promoter for her daughter. By the time she was 16, Clara recorded her first solo song. And after an acclaimed performance at the 1943 National Baptist Convention, the Ward Trio were de facto professionals in the gospel church circuit. Clara became the focal point of the Ward Trio. But alongside her success also came discomfort with teenage stardom. Years later, she'd reflect on the time with frustration at how much pressure her mother applied to her career. But there was no denying it. Clara was a star. Though she stood only 5 foot 3 and weighed just over 100 pounds, Clara's performance was a force to be reckoned with. Her alto voice reverberated through the air. Her presence was supercharged with energy. And her eye for showmanship was impeccable. As the group grew in members and experience, Clara moved into a leadership position behind the scenes and controlled its artistic direction. She ordered striking new gowns and bold new hairstyles to raise the group's profile, literally. Legend has it the group's wigs were so tall one night, they touched the ceiling. Clara also reworked the group's musical style. Beyond being a great singer, she was also a great arranger. One of the group's biggest hits, Shirley, introduced Walt's rhythms into the standard gospel tracks. The Ward Singers were also the first gospel group to use switch lead shouting quartets, previously only used by male gospel quartets. This allowed for each member to improvise and perform more freely on their solos. Clara even changed the script on what a gospel venue could look like, taking the Ward Singers from churches into nightclubs and festivals. But she held fast to her beliefs. No matter the venue, she wouldn't allow alcohol to be served during a performance. Clara's moves brought the Ward Singers incredible success in the 1950s, but along with bigger tours and bigger paychecks, also came a mass of critics. The Ward Singers were still gospel singers, but their glamorous gowns and shifting musical style eschewed the norm of choir robes and more traditional repertoires. Gospel purists criticized her choices as clownish and demeaning to the genre and its African-American heritage. Nevertheless, the Ward Singers reached great commercial success. In the 50s and 60s, they traveled more than a million miles throughout the gospel circuit. They hit legendary venues like Harlem's Apollo Theater and earned an invitation to perform at the 1957 Newport Jazz Festival. At their peak, the Ward Singers toured with Reverend C.L. Franklin and became role models for his young daughter, Aretha. It's said that Clara's performance at Aretha's aunt's funeral inspired Aretha to become a singer. Clara also led a successful solo career. She performed at Carnegie Hall and sang backup on Dee Dee Sharp's number one hit, Mashed Potato Time. She also served as the choral director of Langston Hughes' musical, Tambourines to Glory, and performed at President Lyndon Johnson's inaugural ball. Though her voice was famous, Clara wasn't always the lead vocalist. Over the years, the group had added other vocal stars, which allowed Clara to focus on playing piano and arranging the Ward Singers' songs. Despite bringing in $5,000 per appearance, group members had been plagued by low wages. This may have been due to Clara and her mother's reluctance to share show revenue equally among the members. In a biography of Clara that her sister, Willa, wrote, Willa alleged that Clara and her mom had underpaid other vocalists. In 1958, Marian Williams, the group's powerhouse soloist, left over low wages. New recruits were brought in, and the group moved to the club circuit. There they played the likes of Disneyland and Las Vegas, encountering mainly white crowds, surprising new audiences, and bringing gospel into a new arena of music. At the time, their 40-week Vegas residency was the longest consecutive booking for any performer in the city's history. While performing in a Miami hotel in May 1966, Clara suffered a stroke and collapsed. It left her temporarily unable to sing, but she continued to accompany her group on piano. Five weeks later, on January 16, 1973, Clara suffered another stroke and died. She was only 48. In ward fashion, Clara's mother Gertrude arranged two funerals for her. The first was a service of triumph, closed out by a rendition of one of Clara's greatest hymns, sung by none other than Aretha Franklin. The second service garnered over 4,000 mourners, with performances by Marian Williams and Gertrude Ward. Clara's career forever changed the world of gospel music. In 1977, she was posthumously inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame. La Monica is a Wonder Media Network production. Special thanks to co-creators Jenny and Liz Kaplan, who invited me to guest host this month. Talk to you tomorrow.
SPEAKER_04: There's a lot going on in the world right now, and more of it than ever seems to be about business. How do workers benefit from the great resignation? Will TikTok change the music industry forever?
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