26 Black Female Gospel Singers With Voices Sent From Above

Jamie Grace

Jamie Grace is probably best known for her success as a contemporary Christian artist – singer, rapper and songwriter.

She was “discovered” by DC Talk rapper TobyMac, who signed her to his label, Gotee Records, after seeing her sing on YouTube.

While she may be best known for her mainstream hits like “Hold Me”, “Beautiful Day” and “Wait it Out”, there’s no arguing she has the voice of an angel.

Michelle Williams

Best known as a member of R&B group Destiny’s Child, one of the best-selling female groups of all time, Michelle Williams is a singer, songwriter, dancer, actress and record producer.

Williams made her musical debut when she was 7, when she performed a rendition of the hymn “Blessed Assurance” at St. Paul Church of God in Christ. She would go onto sing in gospel groups United Harmony and Chosen as well.

Though she was doubtful of her ability to make a career as a professional singer, she would go onto experience breakthrough with Destiny’s Child in the early 2000s.

Today, Williams is still active in a variety of capacities, wither it’s acting, reality TV or music.

Amber Bullock

Image source: Facebook

Urban contemporary gospel artist and musician Amber Bullock won season four of Sunday Best.

She released her first EP, Thank You, in 2011, which launched her music career. It charted on the Billboard 200, Top Gospel Albums and Independent Albums chart. Her first studio album, So In Love, also charted.

Prior to appearing on Sunday Best, Bullock had destroyed her car in an accident, which meant that she had to move in with a colleague at work and entrust her two-year-old daughter to her father. She’s a true underdog success story.

Casey J

Gospel singer Casey J is best known for her Billboard Gospel chart-topping song “Fill Me Up.”

She joined the Atlanta Young Singers of Callanwolde, singing with them until she went to the University of Georgia. Afterwards, she became a math teacher at Georgia Connection Academy Charter School in Duluth, Georgia and became the worship leader at Fresh Start Church in Duluth.

When she started signing Will Reagan’s “Fill Me Up” at Fresh Start Church, pastor Marquis Boone had Casey J record the song. This was the beginning of her music career.

Mahalia Jackson

The late Mahalia Jackson was a gospel singer with a contralto voice and has even been called “The Queen of Gospel.”

Arguably one of the most influential gospel singers in the world, Jackson was recognized both as a singer and civil rights activist.

Over the span of her long and illustrious career, she recorded roughly 30 albums. She won multiple Grammy awards too.

CeCe Winans

Gospel singer Cece Winans has won an astonishing 12 Grammy awards and has sold over 12 million records across the world.

Her first solo album, Alone in His Presence was released in 1995 and was certified platinum. It even won her a Grammy and two Doves.

Winans started her own recording company, PureSprings Gospel, in 1999. She has also authored multiple books.

Shirley Caesar

Singer, songwriter and recording artist Shirley Caesar, who began recording at age 12, is simply a legend. Her music career has spanned seven decades. She’s won 12 Grammy awards and has numerous Doves and Stellar Music awards to her name.

This luminary has a couple of nicknames – “First Lady of Gospel Music” and “The Queen of Gospel Music.”

Caesar has over 40 albums to her name and has even participated on over 16 compilations and three gospel musicals.

Aretha Franklin

The undisputed Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin had a prolific career as a singer, songwriter, pianist and civil rights activist.

When you think of “big voices”, it’s hard not to think of Franklin and her empowerment anthem, “Respect.”

While she may be best known for her mainstream success, her father was a Baptist minister and she grew up singing hymns like “Jesus, Be a Fence Around Me”.

Yolanda Adams

Gospel singer, record producer, actress and radio host Yolanda Adams has sold nearly 10 million albums across the globe.

Known as the “Queen of Contemporary Gospel Music”, “First Lady of Modern Gospel” and “Reigning Queen of Urban Gospel”, Adams became the Billboard No. 1 Gospel Artist of the last decade on December 11, 2009.

Before launching her musical career, Adams was a schoolteacher and part-time model in Houston, Texas. She broke through into the mainstream with the release of Mountain High… Valley Low in 1999 on Elektra Records.