Photo courtesy of the artist

2005 NEA National Heritage Fellow Albertina Walker Chicago, IL Gospel singer

Albertina Walker, known as the "Queen of Gospel Music," was nominated for an NEA National Heritage Fellowship by her church, the West Point Missionary Baptist Church of Chicago, where she has been a member for more than 70 years. At the age of four, she began singing in the children's choir. Under the mentorship of Mahalia Jackson, she decided to pursue a gospel music career, and at the age of 22 organized her own gospel group, the Caravans. The group launched the careers of such gospel greats as Shirley Caesar, Inez Andrews, Dorothy Norwood, and James Cleveland. Through the years, the Caravans had many hits – "Sweeping Through the City," "Mary Don't You Weep," and "Walk Around Heaven," to name a few.

To date she has recorded more than 60 albums, with five gold records and 10 Grammy nominations among them. In 1995, she received a Grammy for the Best Traditional Gospel Album. Always active in her church and community, she founded the Albertina Walker Scholarship Foundation for the Creative and Performing Arts in 1998, which offers financial assistance to college students who aspire to serve the gospel community.

 
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NEA Heritage Fellows
1982-2012: 
BY YEAR | ALPHA