The Caravans were an American

gospel music Gospel music is a traditional genre of Christian music and a cornerstone of Christian media. The creation, performance, significance, and even the definition of gospel music vary according to culture and social context. Gospel music is compo ...

group that was started in 1947 by Robert Anderson. It reached its peak popularity during the 1950s and 1960s, launching the careers of a number of artists, including: Delores Washington,

Albertina Walker Albertina Walker ( – ) was an American gospel singer, songwriter and humanitarian. Early years Walker was born in Chicago, Illinois, to Ruben and Camilla Coleman Walker. Her mother was born in Houston County, Georgia, and her father ...

, Bessie Griffin,

Cassietta George Cassietta George (January 23, 1929 – January 3, 1995) was an American gospel vocalist, and composer for many of the songs sung by The Caravans. George was a member of Queen of Gospel Albertina Walker's The Caravans, She later launched a succ ...

, Dorothy Norwood,

Inez Andrews Sister Inez Andrews, born Inez McConico (April 14, 1929 – December 19, 2012) and better known as Inez Andrews, was an American gospel singer, who was noted for her powerful, wide-ranging voice. The ''Chicago Tribune'' stated that "Andrews' thr ...

Shirley Caesar Shirley Ann Caesar-Williams (Birth name, née Caesar; born October 13, 1938), known professionally as Shirley Caesar, is an American Gospel music, gospel singer. Her career began in 1951, when she signed to Federal Records at the age of 12. Thro ...

and the Rev. James Cleveland, among others. The group underwent numerous personnel changes between 1951 and 1961. The years 1962 to 1966 provided the Caravans with its most stable group member lineup, consisting of Washington, Walker, Caesar, George, James Herndon and Josephine Howard. The group also made frequent TV appearances during this time on shows such as TV Gospel Time and Jubilee Showcase.

Founding

The Caravans were founded in 1947 under the name Robert Anderson and his Gospel Caravan by Robert Anderson in

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to serve as Anderson's backing vocalists. The group consisted of Ora Lee Hopkins, Elyse Yancey, Irma Gwynn, Edward Robinson, the pianist, and Louise Overall Weaver as their organist. Their recordings between 1949 and 1951 were made under the names of Robert Anderson and Choir, Anderson Singers with Robert Anderson, Anderson Singers, and Robert Anderson and his Gospel Caravan. In 1952, Gwynn left the group, a slight change of the group's name to Robert Anderson and The Caravans was made, and Nellie Grace Daniels and Albertina Walker joined the group. The group featuring Walker and Daniels under their new name made their first and only recording on April 18, 1952. During this recording session, a sequence of events happened, resulting in Robert Anderson parting ways with his background singers. Walker, Hopkins, Yancey, and Daniels and Lelia M.Davidson of New Jersey came into the group recorded the remainder of their tracks, and adopted the group name of The Caravans simply by dropping Robert Anderson's name from the group name. Walker was the featured singer on the albums which the newly emancipated Caravans made. That changed, however, as other singers joined the group, which retained the close harmonies and precise rhythms of the original group, but now allowed each member the opportunity to solo on alternating leads. At their height in the late 1950s the Caravans combined the alto of Shirley Caesar on songs such as "

Swing Low, Sweet Chariot "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot" is an African-American spiritual song and one of the best-known Christian hymns. Originating in early African-American musical traditions, the song was probably composed in the late 1860s by Wallace Willis and his d ...

" with the contralto of Inez Andrews on "

Mary Don't You Weep "Mary Don't You Weep" (alternately titled "O Mary Don't You Weep", "Oh Mary, Don't You Weep, Don't You Mourn", or variations thereof) is a Spiritual that originates from before the American Civil War. As such, scholars sometimes refer to it as a ...

", the soprano of Delores Washington, and the frenetic piano style of Eddie Williams. Bessie Griffin joined the group in 1953, but left after a year. Cassietta George also joined in 1953 and stayed for two years, but returned in 1960 to stay for another year before rejoining in 1962 and staying for another four years. Norwood joined in 1955 and left in 1957, forming her own group, the Norwood Singers. Inez Andrews joined, at the suggestion of

James Cleveland James Edward Cleveland (December 5, 1931 – February 9, 1991) was an American gospel singer, musician, and composer. Known as the "King of Gospel," Cleveland was a driving force behind the creation of the modern gospel sound by incorporating ...

, the pianist and arranger for the group, in 1957 and left in 1962 to form her own group, the Andrewettes (a.k.a. The Gospel Challengers of

Jamaica, New York Jamaica is a neighborhood in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of Queens. It has a popular large commercial and retail area, though part of the neighborhood is also residential. Jamaica is bordered by Hollis, Queens, Hollis, ...

). Andrews returned in 1966, only to depart again and go solo in 1967. Caesar had joineded the Caravans in 1958 and left to pursue a solo career in 1966.

Later years

recently recorded a reunion album with her group The Caravans entitled "Paved The Way", which was released by Malaco Records on September 5, 2006. This was the group's first new recording since 1976. The group consisted of Walker, Norwood, Andrews, Washington, and special guest Evelyn Turrentine-Agee. The album was dubbed by ''Billboard'' Magazine as one of the most memorable releases of 2006 (Deborah Evans Price, December 9, 2006) and entered the Billboard charts in the top ten and has remained in the top forty for sixteen weeks. "Paved the Way" was recently nominated for a Grammy, Dove, & Soul Train Music Award. Albertina Walker died from respiratory failure on 8 October 2010.

Members

*Ora Lee Hopkins (1951-1954; died 2000) *Elyse Yancey (1951-1954) *Irma Gwynn (1951-1952; died 2006) *

(1952-1972 and 1976 and 2006; died 2010) *Nellie Daniels (1952-1954) *Edward Robinson (1952-1953) *Louise Overall Weaver (1952-1953) *Charlotte Nelson (1953) * Bessie Griffin (1953-1954; died 1989) *Iris Humble (1953-1955) *Johneron Davis (1953-1957 and 1960–1962; died 1965) *

(1953-1957 and 1967; died 1991) *

(1953-1956 and 1960 and 1962–1966 and 1976; died 1995) *Gloria Griffin (1954-1955) * Dorothy Norwood (1956-1957 and 1967 and 2006) *Sarah McKissick (1956-1958) *Imogene Green (1956-1957) *

(1957-1962 and 1966–1967 and 2006; died 2012) *Eddie Williams (1957-1959 and 1961–1962) *

(1958-1966) * Delores Washington (1958-1959 and 1961–1967 and 1976 and 2006; died 2020) *James Herndon (1960 and 1963–1967) *Josephine Howard (1963-1967 and 1976; died 1978) *Julia Mae Price (1966-1972) *Bessie Lance (1967) *Willie McPhatter (1967-1972) *

Loleatta Holloway Loleatta Holloway (, ; November 5, 1946 – March 21, 2011) was an American singer known for disco songs such as "Hit and Run" and " Love Sensation". In December 2016, ''Billboard'' named her the 95th-most successful dance artist of all time. Acc ...

(1967-1972; died 2011) *Gwen Morgan (1967-1972) *

Doris Willingham Doris Willingham ( Curry, May 18, 1941 – March 21, 2019), known for much of her singing career as Doris Duke, was an American gospel and soul singer, best known for her 1969 album ''I'm a Loser''. Biography Duke was born in Sandersville, G ...

(1968-1969; died 2019) *

Isaiah Jones, Jr. Isaiah Jones Jr. (1940–2008) was an American musician and Presbyterian minister. Music Jones authored more than 100 hymns. His works have appeared in Presbyterian, United Methodist, Lutheran, Episcopal, Baptist, and Catholic hymnals. "Fill ...

(1976; present) * Evelyn Turrentine-Agee (2006) *Lelia Davidson (1956-1957) *Catherine Morgan (1956-1958)

Founding

Later years

Members

References

Further reading