"Touch
The Hem Of His Garment" by Sam Cooke with the Soul Stirrers
Clickn the arrow for music
It was unusual for an R&B act to do a gospel album in the '50s. They would sing for the devil or the lord, but not for both!
Ray Charles took what he heard in the church and applied it to secular music, but I don't think he ever made a straight up gospel album.
The church folk tended to shun those who left the fold, but this began to change with Sam Cooke, a huge star in the gospel world with the Soul Stirrers.
Although he was chastised by the gospel community when he started to sing pop, he was just too talented and beloved to be ostracized for very long.
Alternatively, in the C&W field it was assumed that an artist would do a religious album and most of them did. There was no stigma attached.
When an artist had many gospel releases (like Al Green or the Staples Singers) I picked out 2-3 for the gallery.
