1^st

1899: Rev. Thomas A. Dorsey is born, Villa Rica, GA.

2^nd

1899: W. Herbert Brewster is born, Tenn.

1994: Marion Williams dies.

1998: Rev. Cleophus Robinson dies.

3^rd

1951: Twenty-Five thousand people attend Sister Rosetta Tharpe's wedding, Washington, D.C.

1962: Johnny Valentine of The Mighty Clouds of Joy is born.

4^th

2007: Bill Pinkney, the last surviving original member of The Drifters and founder of The Gospel Drifters, died in Daytona Beach, FL.

5^th

2008:  Bishop Charles Craig, who performed with his brother James Linsey Craig as The Craig Brothers, died in Detroit, MI.

6^th

1929: Arthur Crume of The Soul Stirrers is born, Portageville, Missouri.

1931: Della Reese of the Meditation Singers is born, Detroit, Mich.

2000: James Hill of the Fairfield Four dies in Nashville, Tennessee.    
 

9^th

1901: Gospel composer Jester Hariston is born, N.C.

2002: James Harris of The Gospel Four of Memphis, TN dies.

1952: Elder Troy Jackson of Brothers and Sisters of Willacoochee, GA is born in Willacoochee, GA.

Rodney Bennet of Doc McKenzie and the Hi-Lites is born in Virginia.

1986: Chester Feemster of the Salem Travelers, dies.

14^th

1972: Brother Joe May died in Thomasville, GA.

2008: Rev. Lawrence Roberts, longtime producer for Savoy Records, died.

15^th

1995: Bill Woodruff of the Sensational Nightingales dies.

16^th

1930: Rev. F. W. McGhee records "Fifty Miles of Elbow Room."

2008: Michael Cook of The Mighty Clouds of Joy died in East Orange, NJ.

19^th

1949: The Roberta Martin Singers record "Old Ship of Zion."

21^st

1953: Melvin Williams of The Williams Brothers is born in Smithdale, Miss.

2003: Tommie Johnson of the Harmonizing Four dies in Richmond, VA.

23^rd

1955: Shrine Auditorium Gospel Concert is held.

25^th

26^th

1933: Rev. Charles A. Tindley dies.

1936: J. J. Farley joins the Soul Stirrers.

2008: Rosalyn Brunswick-McDuffie, former Donnie McClurkin background singer, died in Houston, TX.

27^th

1984: Rev. C. L. Franklin dies.

1924: Paul Owens of the Dixie Hummingbirds is born in Philadelphia, PA.

1946: Lee Williams of The Spiritual QC's is born in Tupelo, MS.

2003: Ron Freeman founder of Atlanta International Records dies.

2008: Margaret "Babe" Allison, lead singer and founder of The Angelics Gospel Singers, died in Philadelphia, PA.

31^st

1915: Frances Steadman of The Stars of Faith is born in Baltimore, MD.

Founded in 1960 by their father, Leon "Pop" Williams, in Smithdale, Mississippi, The Little Williams Brothers soon grew to become The Sensational Williams Brothers. They changed their name once more to The Williams Brothers, recorded their first LP in 1973 for Songbird Records, and garnered an instant hit with the song "Jesus Will Fix It." 

Rev. Lawrence Roberts was a longtime producer for Savoy Records.  It was his church choir -- the Angelic Choir of the First Baptist Church of Nutley, NJ -- that teamed with Rev. James Cleveland on the historic "Peace Be Still" recording session in September 1963.  That album took Cleveland and the Angelic Choir to new levels of popularity in the gospel music industry and helped make Savoy the "go to" label for gospel choirs for the next three decades.   (Bob Marovich, The Black Gospel Blog)