Acclaimed Hammond organist Ralph T. Lofton performs "Lift Every Voice and Sing", also referred to as the Black National Anthem, live at the Nashville Jazz Workshop on February 1st, 2025.
Featuring:
Ralph T. Lofton - organ
Jay White - bass
Ricky Daughtridge - drums
TJ Fuller - guitar
Lance Lucas - piano
Producer, artist, and Hammond organ artist Ralph T. Lofton is one of the most revered and respected names in gospel music. Having performed or recorded with Whitney Houston, Little Richard, Aretha Franklin, Luther Vandross, Stevie Wonder, Bebe and Cece Winans among many others, his credits alone are a glimpse into music history, and his unmistakable sound on organ has influenced countless keyboardists and organists today.
About the song (from NAACP.org)
Often referred to as "The Black National Anthem," Lift Every Voice and Sing was a hymn written as a poem by NAACP leader James Weldon Johnson in 1900. His brother, John Rosamond Johnson (1873-1954), composed the music for the lyrics. A choir of 500 schoolchildren at the segregated Stanton School, where James Weldon Johnson was principal, first performed the song in public in Jacksonville, Florida to celebrate President Abraham Lincoln's birthday.
At the turn of the 20th century, Johnson's lyrics eloquently captured the solemn yet hopeful appeal for the liberty of Black Americans. Set against the religious invocation of God and the promise of freedom, the song was later adopted by NAACP and prominently used as a rallying cry during the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 1960s.
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