First off I have to agree with AFKAP concerning one particular point. The whole "I grew up in church" mantra has become more of a PR tactic rather than a 100% true statement. It has at times become sickening and makes me not want to mention my own church background to avoid being lumped in that category. Those of us who really grew up in the culture can spot a faker in a heartbeat and there are a number of Black singers out there who obviously have very little if any tangible church training.

With that said I think it is important to look at how church training is seen/heard in any singer today who's background is credible. At the point that most young singers encounter Gospel music today we have to keep in mind the changes that the music has gone through from the 80's to now. One constant in Gospel music has always been its interaction or flirtation with secular music. This dates back to Thomas Dorsey (of course), can be heard in the music of James Cleveland (rewriting Gladys Knight and The Pips hit, "The Best Thing That Ever Happened" for example), and the careers of The Hawkins Family or Andrae Crouch. With the success of the Hawkins' and Crouch, came the emergence of "Contemporary Gospel" in the late 70s/80s. The most influential group to emerge (IMO) were The Winans. What we saw and heard in their music was a continuation of what Hawkins and Crouch had started as well as cited influences like Rance Allen. As the musical mind behind The Winans, Marvin Winans displayed a new vocal style that referenced the classic church sound when needed but also showed us he had been exposed to a wide body of Black and other types of secular music---this became even more evident in the career of his brother Bebe who had a classic old school church upbringing but his voice lacks most if not all of the typical "Gospel" sound. The early 80s also brought us the ultimate female Gospel group, The Clark Sisters. When I think about runs, melisma, and "crazy" vibrato, I think about Twinkie, Karen, Dorinda, and Jacque. I place these woman at the root of any and all fascination and the ultimate popularization of runs (Daryl Coley should be somewhere in there too). Yet another group that MUST be mentioned is Commissioned. These brothers sought to bring an even "edgier" sound to "Contemporary Gospel" and continued to challenge the idea of what Black Gospel is or should be.

Much of the so-called church or Gospel sound that we hear today in modern-R&B is largely due to the music of The Clark Sisters and Commissioned (IMO). I know some of you want to give Kim Burrell some credit here but I'm strictly talking bout roots---she ain't no pioneer. In conjuction with the Contemporary Gospel influence we have a generation that has grown up with MTV/BET. Naturally this adds a new dimension to today's sound and oftentimes masks the church's influence however it should not in anyway lead the listener to question the credibility of that influence. A perfect example of how the overt and covert ways "the church" can show up in modern R&B is the music of Boys II Men and Jodeci. Given the smooth doo-wop harmonies and Pop success of BIIM one would immediately say there was no church influence however Wanya's vocals alone show us the classic use of "runs" for effect an emotion that have no other reference point except the church. Overall I think BIIM's music masks the church influence. On the opposite side of the coin is Jodeci with lead singer K-Ci. His voice was obviously "church" but could have easily been developed from listening to Blues records and a lot of Bobby Womack. K-Ci also went as far as biting Commissioned on one of Jodeci's songs singing the line "My arms are open wide, and I don't have to cry..." a direct reference to Commissioned's "Running Back To You". While Jodeci's church influence was obvious to many, to others their overtly sexual lyrics and "thug" image led some to attribute their sound/style to the streets rather than the pews.

These are just a few thoughts...I'm really feeling this post BTW...

----------------------------
http://www.broadjam.com/gregsoundz

http://profiles.myspace.com/users/13379233

"...the problem is that you Americans
think poetry is democratic, that
anyone can write. It's not--it's
aristocratic"
Derek Walcott