Dorothy Norwood

Affectionately known as "the World's Greatest Storyteller," Dorothy Norwood used her soulful vocals and uplifting delivery to rise to the upper echelon of contemporary gospel music. Born in Atlanta in 1935, she was touring and performing with a family group at the age of eight. After she moved to Chicago in 1956, she sang with Mahalia Jackson and Reverend James Cleveland, and was a member of the Caravans. During the mid-'60s, she launched a solo career with the Savoy label and was a hit from the start. Her 1964 debut solo album Johnny & Jesus earned her first gold record, and her second, A Denied Mother, did equally as well upon release in 1966. Norwood regularly released new material through the '70s and '80s and was given another boost in the early '90s, when she began a long and fruitful association with Malaco.