Marion Williams: Difference between revisions

{{short description|American gospel singer (1927–1994)}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=SeptemberOctober 20142022}}<!--[[WP:STRONGNAT]]-->

{{Infobox musical artist <!-- See Wikipedia:WikiProject_Musicians -->

| name = Marion Williams

| image = Marion Williams =(singer).jpg

| background birth_name = solo_singer

| birth_namealias =

| death_placegenre = [[Philadelphia]],Gospel [[Pennsylvaniamusic]], United States

| occupationlabel =

| years_activewebsite =

== Early years ==

Marion Williams was born in [[Miami|Miami, Florida]], to a religiously devout mother and musically inclined father. She left school when she was nine years old to help support the family, and worked as a maid, a nurse, and in factories and laundries. She began singing in front of audiences while young. As was common in the area, Williams learned [[African American]] [[blues]] and [[jazz]], alongside Caribbean [[calypso music|calypso]].

Poverty caused Williams to leave school at fourteen to work with her mother at a laundry,<ref name=BlackPast_MarionWilliams /> although she eventually graduated from [[Pacific Union College]] in 1987. She sang at church and on street corners, inspired by a wide range of musicians, including [[Sister Rosetta Tharpe]] and the [[Smith Jubilee Singers]].

== Career ==

In 1958, she and other members of the Ward group formed the [[Stars of Faith]]. In 1965, Williams began her solo career. For the next 15 years, she toured the United States, Africa and the [[West Indies]].

In 1992, critic and music historian Dave McGee, writing in ''[[The Rolling Stone Album Guide]]'',<ref name="RSAG 1992">{{cite book|last1=McGee|first1=David|last2=DeCurtis|first2=edited by Anthony|last3=Henke|first3=James|last4=George-Warren|first4=Holly|last5=Coleman|first5=Mark|last6=Considine|first6=J. D.|last7=Evans|first7=Paul|title=The Rolling stone album guide : completely new reviews : every essential album, every essential artist|date=1992|publisher=Random House|location=New York|isbn=9780679737292978-0-679-73729-2|edition=3rd|access-date=September 16, 2014 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=wMEQAQAAMAAJ}}</ref> said "One will come away from her recordings believing that she was nothing less than the greatest singer ever".<ref name="GFO 99">{{Cite web |url=http://www.gadflyonline.com/archive/NovDec99/archive-marionwilliams.html |title=Marion Williams |publisher=Gadfly Online | date=November–December 1999 |last=Santelli |first=Robert |access-date=September 16, 2014}}</ref>

== Musical career ==

=== The Ward Singers ===

Williams was invited to join the Ward Singers when they heard her singing during a visit to a close friend in [[Philadelphia]] in 1946. Williams didfinally sojoined them in 1947, staying with them for eleven years. Her first recording with the group was ''"How Far Am I from Canaan''" (1948), followed by the breakthrough ''"Surely God Is Able''", which launched Williams and the rest of the group into super-stardom. Their concerts were mobbed by frenzied fans.

===Stars ofSolo career Faith===

===Solo careerDiscography ===

===Discography Filmography ===

==== Television appearances ====

On ''[[Hootenanny]]'', a [[variety show|musical variety]] television show, she performed ''"Packin' Up''" and ''"I've Got To Live The Life I Sing About In My Song''" as Marion Williams and Stars of Faith. Marion Williams also performed two songs on the''[[The Merv Griffin show, andShow]]''; during the appearance she and Merv Griffin sang a duet of "[[He's gotGot the wholeWhole worldWorld in His handsHands]]" together as a duet. During this appearance she also discussed her international touring plans.

=== Music ===

===Influences Influence ===

== Honors and awards ==

== Personal life ==

Williams was an esteemed member and Church Mother at the BM Oakley Memorial [[Church of God in Christ]] in Philadelphia under the pastorate of the late Mother Irene A. Oakley.<ref name=BlackPast_MarionWilliams>{{cite web|url=http://www.blackpast.org/aah/williams-marion-1927-1994|title=Williams, Marion (1927-19941927–1994) -– The Black Past: Remembered and Children Reclaimed, Robin Williams Sr. Grandchildren, Robin Williams Jr, Ryan Williams, Dominique Williams Reclaimed|website=www.blackpast.org|date=December 2013 |access-date=October 14, 2020}}</ref>

Williams died at the Albert Einstein Medical Center in Philadelphia on July 2, 1994, aged 66.<ref name="NYT 19940704">{{cite news |first1=Jon |last1=Pareles |title=Marion Williams Is Dead at 66; Influential Pioneer of Gospel |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1994/07/04/obituaries/marion-williams-is-dead-at-66-influential-pioneer-of-gospel.html |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |date=July 4, 1994 |issn=0362-4331 |access-date=September 16, 2014}}</ref> She was interred at [[Ivy Hill Cemetery (Philadelphia)|Ivy Hill Cemetery]] in Philadelphia.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Newall |first1=Mike |title=Philadelphia cemetery struggles with coronavirus victims, a Philadelphia cemetery aims to preserve the dignity of the dead |url=https://www.inquirer.com/news/philadelphia-ivy-hill-cemetery-crematory-20200505.html |website=www.inquirer.com |date=May 5, 2020 |publisher=Philadelphia Inquirer |access-date=July 3, 2022}}</ref>

== References ==

== External links ==

[[Category:MusiciansSingers from Miami]]