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gospel music

noun

a now popularized form of impassioned rhythmic spiritual music rooted in the solo and responsive church singing of rural blacks in the American South, central to the development of rhythm and blues and of soul music.

Origin of gospel music

First recorded in 1950–55
Also called gospel.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
gospel music in Culture

gospel music

Intense, joyful music that is associated with evangelists (see evangelical) in the South, especially among African-Americans. Gospel had a strong influence on many rock 'n' roll singers. Well-known gospel artists include Mahalia Jackson and the Dixie Hummingbirds.

The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.