Today in 1911 the singer Mahalia Jackson was born, she may not be a well known name to most in this country but she became one of the most influential gospel singers in the world and is the first Queen of Gospel Music.Closely associated with the black civil rights movement, Miss Jackson was chosen to sing at the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s March on Washington rally at the Lincoln Memorial in 1963.
The granddaughter of a slave, she had struggled for years for fulfillment and for unprejudiced recognition of her talent. She was present at many of Dr. Kings speeches at this time and was vital in whipping up excitement and creating unity in often varied civil rights audiences.
She sadly died in 1972 of heart failure.
