Elder Charles D. Beck was a pioneering figure in gospel music, responsible for more than 60 recordings in his lifetime for a multitude of small labels. Born in 1900, Beck appeared in tent revivals and in Black churches all over the United States during his long career, and was a famous live performer who viewed recording as an essential part of his work, both as a means to spread the gospel and to establish his name. He first turned up on record in December 1930 in a session for OKeh Records, and really hit his stride after World War II. Between 1946 and 1956, he recorded for Eagle, Gotham, King, Chart, and possibly other small labels. Beck's final recording was a full-length LP, Urban Holiness Service, made in December 1957 for Folkways, comprising an entire service recorded at the Church of God in Christ in Buffalo, New York.