Gospel Music

NASHVILLE - David "Pop" Winans Sr., the Grammy-nominated patriarch of the awardwinning gospel music family, died Wednesday. He was 74. A statement from a Los Angeles public relations company representing the family said he died at a Nashville hospice, where he had been since January after suffering a heart attack and stroke in October. In 1999, Mr. Winans was nominated for a Grammy for his solo CD "Uncensored. " He and his wife, Delores, known as Mom Winans, were nominated for their CD "Mom & Pop Winans" in 1989.

Africa, art history, global warming, and gospel music are among the varied course topics on the spring and summer calendar of Opportunities, a lifelong learning program started by the Marshfield Council on Aging in partnership with Ventress Memorial Library and the historic 1699 Winslow House and Cultural Center. Adults of all ages - not just seniors - are welcome. Most courses cost $20 and take place during the daytime. The program has a Facebook page titled "Opportunities - Marshfield Lifelong Learning," with a link to the schedule.

HARTFORD -- Regina Taylor is best known for her role as the black housekeeper Lilly Harper in the 1990s TV show "I'll Fly Away," which was set in the South in the early days of the civil rights movement. Despite a life that wasn't easy, personally or politically, her character set a tone for the show that was simultaneously serious and celebratory, at least in terms of black pride. Taylor is also an accomplished playwright, and that same serious but celebratory tone is true of "Crowns," her adaptation of the book by author Craig Marberry and photographer Michael Cunningham about...

Join the Congregational Church of Westborough next Sunday for an evening dedicated to the celebration of African-American history, culture, and heritage. The church will be joined by a number of choirs from other local churches, putting on a special performance of spiritual and gospel music. The performance is an annual event led by music director Curtis Richardson in honor of Black History Month. Musical pieces that will be featured include: "Down to the River to Pray," "Peter, Go Ring Dem Bells," "Ride Up in the Chariot," and "Lift Every Voice and Sing.

CHICAGO - Jessy Dixon, a singer and songwriter who introduced his energetic style of gospel music to wider audiences by serving as pop singer Paul Simon's opening act, died yesterday. He was 73. Miriam Dixon said her brother died at his Chicago home. She said he had been ill, but declined to provide additional details. During a more than 50-year career, Mr. Dixon wrote songs for several popular singers, including jazz and rhythm and blues singer Randy Crawford. He later wrote songs performed by Cher, Diana Ross, Natalie Cole, and Amy Grant.

Africa, art history, global warming, and gospel music are among the varied course topics on the spring and summer calendar of Opportunities, a lifelong learning program started by the Marshfield Council on Aging in partnership with Ventress Memorial Library and the historic 1699 Winslow House and Cultural Center. Adults of all ages - not just seniors - are welcome. Most courses cost $20 and take place during the daytime. The program has a Facebook page titled "Opportunities - Marshfield Lifelong Learning," with a link to the schedule.

Join the Congregational Church of Westborough next Sunday for an evening dedicated to the celebration of African-American history, culture, and heritage. The church will be joined by a number of choirs from other local churches, putting on a special performance of spiritual and gospel music. The performance is an annual event led by music director Curtis Richardson in honor of Black History Month. Musical pieces that will be featured include: "Down to the River to Pray," "Peter, Go Ring Dem Bells," "Ride Up in the Chariot," and "Lift Every Voice and Sing.

Join the Congregational Church of Westborough next Sunday for an evening dedicated to the celebration of African-American history, culture, and heritage. The church will be joined by a number of choirs from other local churches, putting on a special performance of spiritual and gospel music. The performance is an annual event led by music director Curtis Richardson in honor of Black History Month. Musical pieces that will be featured include: "Down to the River to Pray," "Peter, Go Ring Dem Bells," "Ride Up in the Chariot," and "Lift Every Voice and Sing.

CHICAGO -- The architecture was majestic, the gospel choir was inspiring, and the services at the Pilgrim Baptist Church were so popular that worshipers in the 1930s and 1940s had to show up an hour early to find a seat. On Friday, the 115-year-old church, an integral part of the development of gospel music, was destroyed by a fire so intense that its flames and smoke could be seen from miles away. The fire gutted the church, and collapsed the roof and steeple. The cause was not known.

Gospel Night at the Boston Pops keeps getting better and better artistically even as it appears to be losing ground as a diversity and outreach event. In the past, gospel music has typically supplied only half the program, but on Sunday gospel reigned for most of the evening. While some of the wonderful soloists from years past have moved on, this year's group was a standout -- each and every one of them was vocally superior to any of the "American Idol" finalists. Two earned standing ovations -- soprano Ida Kamrara in "I'm Coming Home"...

Join the Congregational Church of Westborough next Sunday for an evening dedicated to the celebration of African-American history, culture, and heritage. The church will be joined by a number of choirs from other local churches, putting on a special performance of spiritual and gospel music. The performance is an annual event led by music director Curtis Richardson in honor of Black History Month. Musical pieces that will be featured include: "Down to the River to Pray," "Peter, Go Ring Dem Bells," "Ride Up in the Chariot," and "Lift Every Voice and Sing.

CHICAGO - Jessy Dixon, a singer and songwriter who introduced his energetic style of gospel music to wider audiences by serving as pop singer Paul Simon's opening act, died yesterday. He was 73. Miriam Dixon said her brother died at his Chicago home. She said he had been ill, but declined to provide additional details. During a more than 50-year career, Mr. Dixon wrote songs for several popular singers, including jazz and rhythm and blues singer Randy Crawford. He later wrote songs performed by Cher, Diana Ross, Natalie Cole, and Amy Grant.

ON WGBH He Touched Me: The Gospel Music of Elvis Presley 6:30 p.m. WGBH (Channel 44) Long before Elvis was heralded as the king of rock 'n' roll, he was a faithful fan of gospel music. This documentary features more than 30 of Elvis's gospel recordings and never-before-seen footage, including personal stories by those who knew him well. RADIO HIGHLIGHTS Only a Game 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. WBUR-FM (90.9) The year's best stories, including Mickey Ward's Hollywood knockout and the mysterious 18th-century portrait that still puzzles baseball historians.

Immigrants, expatriates, refugees, and the American-born next generation - the lineup for the African Festival of Boston tells any number of migration stories. From Congolese siblings making gospel music in Canada to top Ghanaian dancers living in New Hampshire, the program - which also features classic Afropop and shimmering club-style R&B - presents a snapshot of African cultures in a world of contact and flux. Akwaaba Ensemble. From his perch in New Hampshire, Ghanaian drummer Theo Martey leads this strong traditional percussion and dance ensemble.

FILM Arlington : “Rejoice and Shout’’ traces the evolution of gospel through its many musical styles - spirituals and early hymns, the integration of blues into gospel, the emergence of soul, and the blending of rap and hip-hop elements. Gospel music also walked in step with the story of African-American culture - from slavery, the exodus to major cities, the Depression, World War II, to the civil rights movement and empowerment. Tonight, 7:30, Monday, 2 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, 7:30 p.m. Saturday 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Regent Theatre, 7 Medford St. $8-$10.

The 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom was Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s most glorious moment, the occasion of his celebrated “I Have a Dream’’ speech. But the march, like all historical moments, also belonged to much lesser-knowns. Jerome Smith, for example, was a Freedom Rider from Mississippi who had been invited to a meeting on race relations at Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy’s Manhattan apartment a few months before the march. The secret huddle, arranged by the writer James Baldwin, featured committed celebrities such as Lena Horne and Harry Belafonte.

NASHVILLE - Singer Vern Gosdin, who recorded country music hits such as the award-winning "Chiseled in Stone" during a 30-year career, has died. He was 74. Michael Illobre, funeral director at Mount Olivet Funeral Home in Nashville, said yesterday that Mr. Gosdin was under hospice care and died late Tuesday at an area hospital. The singer's administrative assistant, Dawn Hall, said Mr. Gosdin had a history of strokes and suffered the latest one a few weeks ago. "We were quite hopeful there for a while because he was showing signs of coming back," Hall said.

Immigrants, expatriates, refugees, and the American-born next generation - the lineup for the African Festival of Boston tells any number of migration stories. From Congolese siblings making gospel music in Canada to top Ghanaian dancers living in New Hampshire, the program - which also features classic Afropop and shimmering club-style R&B - presents a snapshot of African cultures in a world of contact and flux. Akwaaba Ensemble. From his perch in New Hampshire, Ghanaian drummer Theo Martey leads this strong traditional percussion and dance ensemble.

TRENTON, N.J. — Garry Shider — the longtime musical director of Parliament-Funkadelic whose funky guitar work, songwriting skills, and musical arrangements thrilled fans around the globe and earned him a spot in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame — died Wednesday at his home in Upper Marlboro, Md. He was 56. Mr. Shider was known to millions as “Starchild’’ or “Diaperman,’’ the latter because of the loincloth he wore onstage....

NASHVILLE - Singer Vern Gosdin, who recorded country music hits such as the award-winning "Chiseled in Stone" during a 30-year career, has died. He was 74. Michael Illobre, funeral director at Mount Olivet Funeral Home in Nashville, said yesterday that Mr. Gosdin was under hospice care and died late Tuesday at an area hospital. The singer's administrative assistant, Dawn Hall, said Mr. Gosdin had a history of strokes and suffered the latest one a few weeks ago. "We were quite hopeful there for a while because he was showing signs of...