Frogtoon Music

Thy Will Original by The Original Gospel Harmonettes

Artist Biography For The Original Gospel Harmonettes

The Gospel Harmonettes— Later Renamed The Original Gospel Harmonettes— Had Achieved Some Fame In An Early Appearance When The National Baptist Convention Came To Birmingham In 1940. Led By Evelyn Starks An Amazing Pianist Whose Style Of Playing Was Much Imitated And Featuring Mildred Madison Miller A Mezzo Soprano Who Had A Down-Home Sound That Came To Be A Symbol Of The Group Singing As Its Lead Singer. The Group Also Included Odessa Edwards The Clear Voiced Alto Whose Sermonettes Could Create A Great Deal Of Fervor At Performances Vera Conner Kolb The Piercing Soprano Of The Group Whose High Notes Came With Such Ease That Marion Williams And Other Sopranos Of The Time Period Imitated Her Style And Willie Mae Thomss Newberry Garth The Group's Deep-Throated Alto The Group Had A Regular Half-Hour Radio Show Sponsored By A.G. Gaston A Local Businessman And Community Leader.
The Group First Recorded For RCA In 1949 But Without Dorothy Love After Appearing On Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts Television Program. Those Recordings While Not Particularly Memorable Are Considered A Rare Jewel Nowadays And Include The Two Songs "In The Upper Room" And "Move On Up A Little Higher".
Their First Sides For Specialty Records—"I'm Sealed" And "Get Away Jordan"—recorded With Love In 1951 Were Far More Successful The Group Recorded A Series Of Hits In The Years That Followed Before Disbanding In 1958.
Dorothy Was The Driving Force Behind The Group's Success Both On Record And In Person Singing With Such Spirit That The Other Members Of The Group Would Occasionally Have To Lead Her Back To The Stage—a Device That James Brown Copied And Made Part Of His Act In The 1960s But Which Was Wholly Genuine In Love's Case. She Also Took Over The Role Particularly After Odessa Edwards' Retirement Of Preacher/narrator Directing Very Pointed Criticisms From The Stage Of The Evils She Saw In The Church And In The World At Large.

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