The Famous Ward Singers 1949-62

The Famous Ward Singers, based in Philadelphia, were one of the foremost gospel groups of the post-war era, originally founded as a family group in 1931 by Gertrude Ward, and achieving fame after WWII with Gertrude’s daughter Clara Ward as leader, with other notable singers joining to create their trademark lead-switching style. Soloists with highly individual styles within the group included Henrietta Waddy, Marion Williams and Willa Ward Moultrie, and they developed a powerful and extrovert approach to gospel in their ‘live’ performances which readily translated to their recordings. This great-value 77-track 3-CD collection comprises a fairly significant proportion of the 130 or so A and B sides released on the Gotham and Savoy labels during this era, which represented the years when they achieved their greatest success. The releases were under various guises – Clara Ward as a solo artist, The Famous Ward Sisters Of Philadelphia, The Clara Ward Specials, Clara Ward & The Ward Singers, The Clara Ward Singers, The Famous Ward Singers and simply as The Ward Singers. It features most of their best-known songs, including the million-seller “Surely God Is Able”, along with “How I Got Over”, and “Packin’ Up”, plus many gospel classics and standards. It’s an inspiring an uplifting showcase for their distinctive approach to gospel.