Mahalia Jackson was an American gospel singer, widely considered one of the most influential vocalists of the 20th century. With a career spanning 40 years, Jackson was integral to the development and spread of gospel blues in black churches throughout the U.S.
During a time when racial segregation was pervasive in American society, she met considerable and unexpected success in her recording career, selling an estimated 22 million records and performing in front of integrated and secular audiences in concert halls around the world.
What happened to Mahalia Jackson?
Forty-seven years ago, gospel legend Mahalia Jackson died, on Jan. 27, 1972, in a Chicago hospital, of heart disease. She was only 60. The funeral for Jackson was like few New Orleans has seen.
Mahalia Jackson was born to Charity Clark and Johnny Jackson, a stevedore and weekend barber. Clark and Jackson were unmarried, a common arrangement among black women in New Orleans at the time. He lived elsewhere, never joining Charity as a parent.
