The Caravans.html



The Caravans is a gospel group that reached its peak popularity during the 1950s and 1960s, launching the careers of a number of artists, including: Delores Washington, Albertina Walker, Bessie Griffin, Cassietta George, Dorothy Norwood, Inez Andrews,Shirley Caesar, Rev. James Cleveland, and more. The group underwent numerous personnel changes over the years. 1962 to 1966 provided the Caravans with its most stable group member lineup, consisting of Albertina Walker, James Herndon, Shirley Caesar, Josephine Howard, Delores Washington, and Cassietta George. The group also made frequent TV appearances during this time on shows such as TV's Gospel Time and Jubilee Showcase. By 1966 the group's popularity began to dim as many members left to pursue solo careers. During the transition years of 1967-1968, an all new set of Caravans was assembled by Albertina Walker, consisting of Walker, Loleatta Holloway, Willie James McPhatter, Julia Mae Price, Doris Willingham, and Gwen Morgan. In the early 1970s, The Caravans recorded some songs composed by Donny Hathaway for the small, Chicago based Caritas record label. The songs were released on a 45 rpm album. Despite this release, by 1972, most of the group members were enjoying solo careers and the group was disbanded. In 1976, Caravans members Albertina Walker,Cassietta George, Josephine Howard, and Delores Washington reunited to record an album for the Birthright Records label with all new material titled "Shine", featuring special guest Isaiah Jones, Jr. on piano. Afterwards, the group members still did reunion concerts occasionally. Notable reunion concerts include a 1988 Stellar Awards performance with Albertina Walker, Inez Andrews, Shirley Caesar, Delores Washington and Rev. James Cleveland, a 1994 reunion on a Dorothy Norwood album with Albertina Walker, Dorothy Norwood, Delores Washington, and Cassietta George, and a 2004 reunion for the Malaco Records "Gospel Legends" DVD with Albertina Walker, Dorothy Norwood, Inez Andrews, Shirley Caesar, and Delores Washington. As of today (2008), the group tours with its last surviving members whom are willing and/or able to participate: Albertina Walker, Dorothy Norwood, Delores Washington, Shirley Caesar, and Inez Andrews.

Walker founded the group in 1952 in Chicago, Illinois with Ora Lee Hopkins, Elyse Yancey and Nellie Grace Daniels after the group they'd formerly sung with, The Robert Anderson Singers disbanded. Walker was the featured singer on the records that the first version of the Caravans made, which had the measured style typical of artists influenced by Roberta Martin.

That changed, however, as other singers joined the group, which retained the close harmonies and precise rhythms of the original group, but now allowed each member the opportunity to solo on alternating leads. At their height in the late 1950s the Caravans combined the energetic, agile alto of Shirley Caesar on songs such as "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot" with the powerful contralto of Inez Andrews on "Mary Don't You Weep."

Bessie Griffin joined the group in 1953, but left after a year. Cassietta George joined in 1954 and likewise stayed only a year, but returned in 1960 to stay for another year before rejoining in 1962 and staying for another four years. Norwood joined in 1955 and left in the late 1950s, forming her own group, the Norwood Singers. Inez Andrews joined, at the suggestion of James Cleveland, the pianist and arranger for the group, in 1956 and left in 1962 to form her own group, the Andrewettes (aka: The Gospel Challengers of Jamaica, NY). Andrews returned in 1966, only to depart again and go solo in 1967. Shirley Caesar joined the Caravans in 1958 and left to pursue a solo career in 1966.

Albertina Walker recently recorded a reunion album with her group The Caravans entitled "Paved The Way", which was released by Malaco Records September 5, 2006. This was the group's first new recording since 1976. The group consisted of Albertina Walker, Dorothy Norwood, Inez Andrews, Delores Washington, and special guest Evelyn Turrentine-Agee. The album was dubbed by Billboard Magazine as one of the most memorable releases of 2006 (Deborah Evans Price, Dec. 9, 2006) and entered the Billboard charts in the top ten and has remained in the top forty for sixteen weeks. "Paved the Way" was recently nominated for a Grammy, Dove, & Soul Train Music Award.

Members

• Albertina Walker 1952-1972 and 1976
• Ora Lee Hopkins 1952-1954
• Nellie Grace Daniels 1952-1954
• Elyse Yancey 1952-1954
• Charlotte Nelson 1953
• Bessie Griffin 1953-1954
• Gloria Griffin 1954-1955
• Louise McDowell 1954-1956
• Sarah McKissick 1956-1958
• Imogene Green 1956-1957
• Eddie Williams 1957-1959 and 1961-1962
• Shirley Caesar 1958-1966
• Inez Andrews1956-1961 and 1966-1967
• Rev. James Cleveland 1953-1956
• Cassietta George1954-1956 and 1960 and 1962-1966 and 1976
• Dorothy Norwood 1956-1957 and 1964-1966
• Delores Washington 1958-1959 and 1961-1967 and 1976
• James Herndon 1960 and 1962-1967
• Willie James McPhatter 1967-1969
• Josephine Howard 1962-1967 and 1976
• Isaiah Jones, Jr. 1975
• Julia Mae Price 1966-1969
• Loleatta Holloway 1967-1969
• Gwen Morgan 1967-1969
• Doris Willingham (aka Doris Duke 1968-1969)
• Johneron Davis 1953-1957 and 1960-1962

Hit songs

• Paved The Way
• Remember Me
• Ain't Got Tired Yet
• Lord Keep Me Day by Day
• Mary Don't You Weep
• I Know The Lord Will Make A Way
• I'm Willing
• Show Some Sign
• I Won't Be Back
• Make It In
• Think Of His Goodness
• Seek Ye Thee Lord
• Unto Thee Oh Lord

Further reading

• Heilbut, Tony, The Gospel Sound: Good News and Bad Times Limelight Editions, 1997, ISBN 0-87910-034-6.
• Horace Clarence Boyer, How Sweet the Sound: The Golden Age of Gospel Elliott and Clark, 1995, ISBN 0-252-06877-7.
• Cedric Hayes and Robert Laughton, "Gospel Records, 1943-1969: A Black Music Discography" Record Information Services, 1996, ISBN 0907872298
• Bil Carpenter, "Uncloudy Days: The Gospel Music Encyclopedia" Backbeat Books, 2005, ISBN 0-87930-841-9