Sound of Gospel

Sound of Gospel, also known as Sound of Gospel Records, is a gospel music record label founded in Detroit, Michigan, in 1969 by Armen Boladian. The label operates as a gospel subsidiary of Westbound Records, the Detroit-based record company with which Boladian was also associated as a former president. Its catalog and artist roster are centered on church choirs, gospel vocal groups, ministers, organists, and other performers connected with the African American gospel tradition. The label became associated with a substantial range of gospel recordings over several decades. Its artists included established figures and ensembles such as Mattie Moss Clark, the Clark Sisters, Voices of Tabernacle, Thomas Whitfield, Rev. James Moore, Yolanda Adams, Esther Smith, Rev. Charles Nicks Jr. and the St. James Adult Choir, Jerry Q. Parries and the Christian Family Choir, and the Youth IV Christ Fellowship Mass Choir. The broader roster also included church-based mass choirs, regional gospel organizations, and performers connected with the Gospel Music Workshop of America. This roster reflects the label's emphasis on ensemble singing, congregational performance, religious repertoire, and the documentation of local and regional gospel communities. One of the label's most notable commercial associations was the Clark Sisters' recording of “You Brought the Sunshine,” which became a national hit. The Clark Sisters recorded for Sound of Gospel from 1976 to 1982, a period that helped connect the label's church-rooted catalog with a wider gospel and popular-music audience. Other releases represented the label's continuing focus on choir albums and recordings by pastors, church musicians, and gospel vocal groups. For example, Rev. Charles Nicks Jr. and the St. James Adult Choir released material including Hold Back the Night. Sound of Gospel is best understood as a specialist gospel imprint rather than a diversified mainstream music company. Its identity has been shaped by Detroit's gospel and independent-recording ecosystem, by its relationship with Westbound Records, and by a catalog that brings together solo artists, mass choirs, church choirs, and religious vocal ensembles. Publicly available reference material documents its founding, affiliation, artists, and selected releases, but does not establish a current operating structure, present ownership beyond the Westbound affiliation, active roster, or current distribution arrangements.

Sound of Gospel Records was established in Detroit, Michigan, in 1969 by Armen Boladian. From its beginning, the label was positioned within the Westbound Records organization, functioning as a gospel subsidiary. Boladian was also a former president of Westbound Records, linking Sound of Gospel to the independent Detroit record-business network associated with that company. The label's recorded output and artist relationships have largely reflected the structure of gospel music itself. Rather than concentrating only on individual commercial singers, Sound of Gospel worked with church choirs, mass choirs, ministers, organists, gospel vocal groups, and regional religious ensembles. Its documented roster includes Mattie Moss Clark, the Clark Sisters, Voices of Tabernacle, the New Jerusalem Baptist Church Mass Choir, Esther Smith, Rev. Charles Nicks Jr. and the St. James Adult Choir, Kenneth Ward and the Southwest Mass Choir, Thomas Whitfield, Rev. Donald Vails and the Choraleers, Rev. James Moore, and many other performers. The Clark Sisters were among the label's best-known acts. They recorded for Sound of Gospel between 1976 and 1982. Their song “You Brought the Sunshine” became a national hit, giving the label an important crossover moment while retaining the group's gospel identity. The label also released work by Rev. Charles Nicks Jr. and the St. James Adult Choir, including the album Hold Back the Night. These releases illustrate Sound of Gospel's combination of church-centered repertoire and commercially distributed recorded music. Over the following decades, the label's documented roster expanded across different parts of the United States and included organizations connected with the Gospel Music Workshop of America. Artists and ensembles listed in connection with the imprint include Yolanda Adams, Jerry Q. Parries and the Christian Family Choir, the Youth IV Christ Fellowship Mass Choir, the Texas Mass Choir of the GMWA, the Northern California Chapter of GMWA, the Michigan State Community Choir, Timothy Wright, Darius Brooks, Charles G. Hayes, James Cleveland, and numerous local or denominational choirs. The breadth of this roster indicates that the label served as a platform for both recognized gospel artists and community-based religious ensembles. Public reference material provides a clear account of the label's founding, Westbound affiliation, selected artists, and notable recordings, but gives limited information about later corporate ownership, distribution, current management, or present-day activity. Consequently, Sound of Gospel's current status cannot be confirmed from the available material. Its historical significance rests primarily on its contribution to recorded gospel music and on its role in documenting church and choir traditions through an independent-label framework.

• 1982

  The Clark Sisters' documented label period ends

  [1]Sound of Gospelen.wikipedia.org

  The Clark Sisters' listed Sound of Gospel period concluded in 1982. Their recording of “You Brought the Sunshine” became a national hit.

• 1976

  The Clark Sisters begin their documented Sound of Gospel period

  [1]Sound of Gospelen.wikipedia.org

  The Clark Sisters' documented recording relationship with Sound of Gospel began in 1976 and continued through 1982.

• 1969

  Sound of Gospel is founded in Detroit

  [1]Sound of Gospelen.wikipedia.org

  Armen Boladian founded Sound of Gospel Records in Detroit, Michigan, as a gospel subsidiary associated with Westbound Records.

A Detroit-rooted specialist gospel label focused on church choirs, mass choirs, gospel vocal groups, ministers, and religious music performers.

• Gospel single

  You Brought the Sunshine

  A recording by the Clark Sisters associated with Sound of Gospel. The song became a national hit and is the label's most prominently documented commercially successful recording.

• Gospel album

  Hold Back the Night

  An album released by Rev. Charles Nicks Jr. and the St. James Adult Choir through the label. It represents Sound of Gospel's emphasis on church-based choir recordings and minister-led gospel performance.

• Gospel music catalog · 1969

  Sound of Gospel catalog

  The label's broader catalog consists of gospel albums and singles by solo performers, church choirs, mass choirs, and religious vocal groups. Documented artists include Mattie Moss Clark, Thomas Whitfield, Yolanda Adams, Rev. James Moore, Voices of Tabernacle, and numerous regional ensembles.

1. 1Sound of Gospelen.wikipedia.org