Mahalia Jackson Biography

Fast Facts

• Was one of Dr․ Martin Luther King Jr․'s close friends during the civil rights movement
• Won the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 1972
• During the 1940s, she first gained fame as a gospel singer in the choir at Greater Salem Baptist Church in Chicago
• Worked as a nursemaid, scrubbed floors and packed dates in a factory as a girl
• Quote: "[to Duke Ellington] "Duke, my music is the music of the Lord․""
• A famed gospel singer, her hit recordings included "Even Me, Lord," "I can Put My Trust in Jesus" and "In the Upper Room․"
• Sang before European royalty and toured the U․S․ extensively, making five concert appearances at New York's Carnegie Hall
• Loved blues singer Bessie Smith, especially her recording of "Careless Love․"
• Sang "Precious Lord," Dr․ Martin Luther King Jr․'s favorite hymn, at his funeral services in 1968
• Sang the national anthem in 1960 at the inauguration of President Kennedy