In 1949, having expanded the lineup to include singers Henrietta Waddy and Marion Williams, the group traveled to Los Angeles and cut their first records for the Miltone label. If youre in charge of handling the affairs for a recently deceased loved one, this guide offers a helpful checklist. Other singles and albums also appeared during that period on such labels as Duke, Dot and Vanguard. With Clara as lead singer and arranger, the Famous Ward Singers not only defined the female Gospel sound but set about establishing the demeanor of the female group in performance, gospel historian Horace Clarence Boyer wrote in his forward to Willa Wards 1997 book How I Got Over: Clara Ward and the World-Famous Ward Singers. Browse our online biographies for each of our artists below. Every Memorial Website celebrates the legacy of a life. To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Clara Ward please visit our. Wards beautiful alto continues to delight music lovers. Financial hardships caused her and her family to move 19 times before her adulthood. Also surviving are many nieces, nephews and friends. Events surrounding Emmett Tills life and death, according to historians, continue to resonate, and almost every story about Mississippi returns to Till, or the region in which he died, in some spiritual, homing way. About. Clara Ward was influenced early in life by gospel singers Queen C. Anderson and Clara The Georgia Peach Hudman. - Accuracy of the file. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. The best poems for funerals, memorial services., and cards. seeing the photos of Emmett Tills mutilated body. According to Willa Ward's biography of Clara Ward, with the exception of Gertrude and Clara, Willa and other members of the group were grossly underpaid. You can start building your own collection of David Bowie memorabilia thanks to his extensive body of music, film and more. Clara's depression resulted in alcoholism. Clara Ward was born on April 21, 1924 (to January 16, 1973). Gotham billed them as The Famous Ward Singers (of Philadelphia) and the name stuck, albeit without the name of the city. Interment will follow at Erie Cemetery. The story begins in 1973 at Clara Ward's funeral, after the performer died from a stroke at 49, then via flashback proceeds to depict her rough-ride from poverty to international fame. Tuesday. Her only real happiness seems to have come from her longtime romance with Rev. Share Your Memories and Sympathies and Join the Bereaved! .. Clara was often an advocate in the court system for people in trouble. What is Fold3. Click on the address to view a map. Note: Do you have a family photo of Clara Ward? Always your friend, Sarah. Their departure marked the end of the glory days for the Ward Singers, who later alienated much of their churchgoing audience by performing in Las Vegas, nightclubs, and other secular venues in the 1960s. Sysoon enables anyone to create a free online tribute for a much loved relative or friend who has passed away. Their support was vital to the move of Bethel Bible Village from Signal Mountain to Hixson. Waddy brought to the group a "rougher" alto sound and the enthusiastic stage manners learned from her South Carolina Pentecostal church background. A year later, the Ward Singers toured from Philadelphia to California, and even appeared on television in Hollywood. During her career,. She sounds like she was an amazing woman. Has Calisphere helped you advance your research, complete a project, or find something meaningful? Information and advice to help you cope with the death of someone important to you. The album was later reissued on the Capitol's budget Pickwick label minus one track. Lived: 51 years. Visit the Funeral Home's Website. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. ", My lovely aunt Clara me and the kids are very upset but our family is strong. Clara will be deeply missed by her family and everyone who knew her. Curiously, none of the songs they recorded in Los Angeles were ever issued on Miltone, but many soon appeared on other labels, including Dolphins of Hollywood, Gotham and Savoy. Look below the item for additional data you may want to include. Other charitable organizations that benefited from the involvement and resources include Tennessee Baptist Childrens Homs, John Hagai Ministries, Foreign Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention, and the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga where the funds for the elevator at the football stadium were contributed by the Wards. You can even leave virtual flowers on the memorials you visit to complete the online cemetery experience. The addition of Marion Williams, who arose of the Miami, Florida Pentecostal tradition brought to the group a powerful singer with a preternaturally broad range, able to reach the highest registers of the soprano range without losing either purity or volume, with the added ability to descend "growling low notes" in the style of a country preacher. I, DID NOT KNOW HER PERSONALLY BUT, SPIRITUALLY, YES, I, DID. What kind of arrangement is appropriate, where should you send it, and when should you send an alternative? It's surprising how much a musical selection can affect mourning. To offer your sympathy during this difficult time, you can now have memorial trees planted in a National Forest in memory of your loved one. With millions of names, it's an invaluable tool for genealogists and history buffs. Mrs. Ward and her husband, Clifton, and their friends, Charles and Jean Campbell, came to Chattanooga from West Virginia in 1953 to start Uniform Rental Service. Two of their songsSurely God Is Able and Move Up a Little Higher, both released by Gotham that yearbecame major gospel hits, said to have sold more than a million copies each. As part of the investigation, the body was exhumed and autopsied resulting in a positive identification. Clara relocated to Erie, where she has been a faithful member of the Second Baptist Church. Clara Ward was first exposed to singing in her church. [2], In 1949, the Ward Singers toured from Philadelphia to California in their new Cadillac, appeared on national television programs, and recorded for the Miltone Record Company of Los Angeles. Click on the address to view a map. The first occurred in August 1967 which was listed as "massive". SHE WILL TRULY BE MISSED BY FAMILY FRIENDS AND THE ERIE COMMUNITYWELL DONE MRS WARD REST WITH THE ANGELSBLESSED ARE THOSE WHO MOURN, FOR THEY WILL BE COMFORTED MATT" 5:4. Information about the funeral process. You can become a member, create a memorial, submit data, add flowers, add photos and search our database at no charge. Through the program, Clara took dozens of kids on different field trips. Despite her career success, Wards life was an unhappy one. Her former group members, known as the Stars of Faith, were featured along with Hughes in the first gospel stage play on Broadway, and the first play to feature an all-Black cast on Broadway Hughes musical play, The Black Nativity.. She also recorded an album for MGM/Verve, Hang Your Tears out to Dry, which included country and western, blues/folk, pop, and an arrangement of the Beatles hit song, Help., Wards 1972 album, Uplifting on United Artists, included her stunning interpretation of Bill Withers pop hit Lean On Me, and a rearrangement of The Soul Stirrers 1950s recording of Thank You, Jesus. Because she was under exclusive contract to United Artists at this time, Ward provided vocals for a Canned Heats album New Age, on the ballad Looking For My Rainbow.. Clara was born in Princewick, WV on December 29, 1929. Accordingly, stars such as Marion Williams and Frances Steadman not only had to accept second billing and lesser pay for their work, but pay their employers rent out of their earnings. Rosa Parks said that she thought about going to the back of the bus, but when she thought about Emmett Till, she couldnt do it (her refusal to give her seat to a white man occurred 95 days after Tills death). Part of the renovations made during Extreme Makeover was the extension of the Youth Development Center. Clara was born in Princewick, WV on December 29, 1929. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Ward Singers narrowly missed death when their hotel in Vietnam was bombed and several guests died. How the Emmett Till Case Changed 5 Lives, Emmett Tills Mother Starts a New Life.. May you all find comfort in her everlasting loving caring Memories. Share Your Memories and Sympathies and Join the . She was the first gospel singer to sing with a 100-piece symphony orchestra in the 1960s. They shared the stage with Mahalia Jackson, and appeared at Carnegie Hall on Bostics program again in 1952. Unless you are experienced as an estate executor, you probably should hire an attorney. If you are experiencing technical issues, we'd request that you contact Calisphere directly. Although initially local newspapers and law enforcement officials decried the violence against Till and called for justice, they soon began responding to national criticism by defending Mississippians, which eventually transformed into support for the killers. Rock And Roll Jet Magazine Black Magazine Jackson Coloured People Elvis Presley Photos Priscilla Presley King Of Music Sports Stars More information . Preceded in death by her husband Timothy F. Ward who served in 4 different branches in the military. C. L. Franklin (with whom the Ward groups extensively toured), the famous Detroit-based preacher and father of Motown legend Aretha Franklin. Sexually abused in childhood by a cousin and relentlessly driven as prime breadwinner by her mother throughout her life, Clara's life was one of constant work and little joy. 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Clara Mae Ward[1] (April 21, 1924 January 16, 1973)[4][5] was an American gospel singer who achieved great artistic and commercial success during the 1940s and 1950s, as leader of The Famous Ward Singers. Born June 25, 1940 in Troup County, Mrs. Rogers was the daughter of the late Robert and Christine Hawk Ward. Learn how and when to remove this template message, "Death Of Clara Ward Saddens World February 1, 1973", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Clara_Ward&oldid=1134647085, Burials at Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Glendale), 20th-century African-American women singers, All Wikipedia articles written in American English, Articles needing additional references from January 2017, All articles needing additional references, Short description is different from Wikidata, Pages using infobox musical artist with associated acts, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 19 January 2023, at 19:49. Let others know about your loved one's death. . Congratulations to our friend, Dr. Bill Ferris. Clara spent much time in the Franklin home and, along with Mahalia Jackson (another close Franklin family friend), mentored Aretha. Institution: University of Southern California Digital Library. Her marriage ended after only one year. Gertrude had no trouble finding new members for the Ward Singers, however. As gospel music grew in popularity in the first half of the twentieth century, Ward started singing professionally, first with her mother and her sister Willa as The Ward Trio. We will remember him forever. Memorial donations may be made to the Tennessee Baptist Childrens Home 6623 Lee Hwy, Chattnooga, TN 37421or Bethel Bible Village PO Box 729, Hixson, TN 37343 in memory of Mrs. Ward. contributor's website. In the 21st century, it's not just urns and gravestones anymore. Lamont Higginbottom. Ward is interred in the Forest Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery in Glendale, California. (Olson) Kenneth Wells, choir director, announcer, preacher, and : Highway to Heaven Broadcast Ministries program, 1990, : Aretha Franklin, the Queen of Soul, 1990, : Obsequies of Reverend Arthur Altas Peters, Victory Baptist Church, Sept. 30, 1975, : Voices of Victory Choir financial and membership report, Victory Baptist Church, 1970. : Too close to heaven; I don't care what the world may do : Resolution letter and envelope, Victory Baptist Church, 1980, : The heart, the faith, the soul of Clara Ward, ca. And the name stuck, albeit without the name of the renovations made during Extreme was! Photos Priscilla Presley King of music, film and more when their hotel in Vietnam was bombed and several died... Magazine Jackson Coloured people Elvis Presley Photos Priscilla Presley King of music, film and.. Born in Princewick, WV on December 29, 1929, along with Mahalia Jackson and. Makeover was the first gospel singer to sing with a 100-piece symphony in! 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