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Clara Ward was born in Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania in 1924. During the late 1920s, Clara Ward sang in the
Baptist church services with her sister Willa and her mother Gertrude.
Clara sang her first solo at age five. Although the Ward family had no
formal training, their music was vibrant and passionate and little
Clara had the voice of an angel.
The Ward family gained nationwide
attention at the National Baptist Convention of 1943 and
began performing around the country. In 1947 Marion Williams and
Henrietta Waddy joined the group which became known as the Famous
Ward Singers. However, it was the amazing power and range of
Clara's voice even as a small child that carried the group to fame.
The group was somewhat controversial
among gospel fans of the fifties. They were known for wearing
glamorous clothing and exotic hairstyles. They also emphasized
showmanship over traditional religious performance.
The Famous Ward Singers
became the number one female gospel group of the fifties with the
release of their hit singles, Surely, Our God is Able
and How I Got Over. Clara and her mother opened
their own publishing company in 1954, The Clara Ward House of
Music. In 1957 they became the first gospel group to perform
at the Newport Jazz Festival. They were also the first gospel group to
play Carnegie Hall. The original group broke up in 1958 when Marian
Williams and Henrietta Waddy left to form their own gospel group, Stars
of Faith.
During the sixties Clara and her group
made a successful comeback. The Famous Ward Singers
performed in Vietnam, toured Europe, and performed at the
inaugurations of Presidents Kennedy and Johnson.
Clara Ward died on January 16, 1973.
Sources:
GospelCity.com
Encyclopedia
Africana
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