The Caravans

During the period stretching from the late '50s to the mid-'60s, the Caravans went unrivaled as the nation's most popular touring gospel group; acclaimed as one of the greatest female acts ever to arrive on the spiritual music front, their fluctuating roster was unparalleled as a launching pad for future superstars -- <a href="spotify:artist:5hrUVXJsPParZB87QtAz1R">Shirley Caesar</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:3KT4jB978CkSbdqWbLgT1x">Inez Andrews</a>, Bessie Griffin and <a href="spotify:artist:5g1lWbZIQ0LCWbKmRJDSSn">James Cleveland</a> were just a few of the ensemble's alumni who later went on to solo fame. The Caravans were formed in Chicago in 1952 by contralto <a href="spotify:artist:3GlX5THsFQhKH2lT8tblZv">Albertina Walker</a> and other onetime members of <a href="spotify:artist:7JbGp7Xue2GTmJVqCTSC0a">the Robert Anderson Singers</a>, among them Ora Lee Hopkins, Elyse Yancey and Nellie Grace Daniels; virtually from the outset, their lineup shifted regularly, but in addition to longtime mainstay <a href="spotify:artist:3GlX5THsFQhKH2lT8tblZv">Walker</a>, the recordings the group made for the States label between 1952 and 1956 include Griffin, <a href="spotify:artist:3B2PSZmAw3xz6cQ2XMXta7">Dorothy Norwood</a> and <a href="spotify:artist:2ejjMPhh3GiFTHJbwXG6h4">Cassietta George</a>, who enlisted in 1954. Also present was <a href="spotify:artist:5g1lWbZIQ0LCWbKmRJDSSn">Cleveland</a>, who not only accompanied the group on piano but also narrated hymns, his relaxed monologues a stark contrast to the fervent group vocals behind him.

By 1956, the Caravans were among the most popular acts in all of gospel music, famed for their uncanny -- almost telepathic -- teamwork. They moved to Savoy in 1958, where their lineup now included both <a href="spotify:artist:38GT1InME4iqSJwNl3UQJA">Andrews</a> and <a href="spotify:artist:0Hmtx7Z2meqdYRfTOgOJQn">Caesar</a> as well as Dolores Washington; the combination of the young soprano phenom <a href="spotify:artist:0Hmtx7Z2meqdYRfTOgOJQn">Caesar</a> and the shrieking contralto <a href="spotify:artist:38GT1InME4iqSJwNl3UQJA">Andrews</a> was a powerhouse one-two punch, and as the decade drew to a close, the Caravans were the queens of the gospel circuit. Although <a href="spotify:artist:38GT1InME4iqSJwNl3UQJA">Andrews</a> had exited by 1962, the group continued to ride high, signing to Vee-Jay to record the LP Seek Ye the Lord. Their Vee-Jay tenure proved their most stable, with a consistent roster of <a href="spotify:artist:3GlX5THsFQhKH2lT8tblZv">Walker</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:0Hmtx7Z2meqdYRfTOgOJQn">Caesar</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:2BWfZGPtsjRlRp7JTDqI45">George</a>, Washington, <a href="spotify:artist:0Slwn7j4KGDlKemxPkA9Oy">Josephine Howard</a> and pianist James Herndon appearing on all of their output for the label. However, when <a href="spotify:artist:0Hmtx7Z2meqdYRfTOgOJQn">Caesar</a> exited in 1966 to go solo, the Caravans' run at the top ended, and within months only <a href="spotify:artist:3GlX5THsFQhKH2lT8tblZv">Walker</a> remained. She set about forming a new edition which included future disco diva <a href="spotify:artist:3m5hegxlB80Z2zQb1893pc">Loleatta Holloway</a>, but the venture proved short-lived; Caravans reunion concerts, however, were common in the years to follow. ~ Jason Ankeny, Rovi