• Jubilee Showcase bridged Gospel, Blues and R&B

Y’all, I had never heard of the Jubilee Showcase until this month. Did y’all know ‘bout this? Born in the crucible of the civil rights movement the gospel TV show, Jubilee Showcase, uniquely bridged the worlds of gospel, blues and R&B and was a precursor to modern soul music. Produced and hosted by a white Jewish political activist, Sid Ordower, this program was a singularly pioneering show in television history.

For most of the artists who appeared on the program, it was their first time on television, helping launch many of their prolific careers. Jubilee Showcase was a literal “who’s who” of Gospel icons, including the likes of Mavis Staples and The Staples Singers, Albertina Walker and The Caravans, the Soul Stirrers, and Thomas A. Dorsey… Over 30 Grammy awards were handed out to artists from Jubilee Showcase over the years, and the show was awarded an Emmy for a, “pioneering project in television.

Broadcast from 1963 to 1984 in Chicago, Ordower’s show took the bold step of presenting gospel music as an art form in its own right. The majority of the guests on Jubilee Showcase were African-Americans, many of them Baptists. It’s amazing that we have this archived footage to see today. 🤎

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And just listen to the joyful voice of Queen Shirley Caesar! Whew!!!! This performance is so powerful! This is some amazin’ motivation to get on up each and every day and be thankful for all we have right here and now. Encouraging y’all to be thankful for life, health, and strength today. 🤎 So much love and light to Pastor Shirley Caesar. 

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