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The birthplace of a gospel icon
New Orleans, the vibrant city on the banks of the Mississippi River, was more than just the birthplace of Mahalia Jackson, who would later become known as the "Queen of Gospel." It was the cradle of her musical soul, a melting pot of spiritual sounds, worldly rhythms, and profound experiences that would shape her unique style. Mahalia's connection to New Orleans was a lifelong, indissoluble relationship that was reflected in her music, her personality, and ultimately in her final resting place.
Childhood in the alleys of New Orleans
Mahalia Jackson was born on October 26, 1911, in New Orleans. Her childhood in the poor but lively Water Street in the Sixteenth District was formative. Up to 13 family members lived in a leaky three-room shotgun house that belonged to her aunt Mahala "Duke" Paul. These modest circumstances in the midst of a racially diverse neighborhood called Greenville, or "Niggertown," taught Mahalia about life at an early age.
Mahalia experienced the harsh reality of racial segregation (Jim Crow) at an early age. She had to use separate trams and was not allowed to enter white establishments. Despite these injustices, she developed a deep pride in her city. As an attentive child, she absorbed the stories and wisdom of her elders, which would later influence her storytelling.
Between church and jazz
Mahalia's musical journey began deeply rooted in the church. As a young girl, she sang in the choirs of Mount Moriah Baptist Church and Plymouth Rock Baptist Church. Her singing was influenced by the "singing tone," the cries and groans of Baptist preachers, and the communal energy of congregational singing—a style that came directly from the African American Protestant church.
But New Orleans was a city bursting with music, and Mahalia couldn't escape its worldly sounds. Her cousin Fred Duskin, known as "Chafalaye," introduced her to the world of jazz and blues. She heard greats such as King Oliver, Louis Armstrong, and Bessie Smith. She was particularly fascinated by blues singers such as Ma Rainey and Bessie Smith, whose "blue notes" and "screams" she incorporated into her own singing. Although she received offers to sing jazz or blues, she declined on religious grounds, as she saw "despair" in the blues, while "God's music gave her hope."
Nevertheless, her style was inextricably linked to New Orleans. She described it as the way she had heard it as a child, comparable to the affection that Irish and Italian people have for their folk music: "That's just me! It's part of the New Orleans people, the things they do. It's like eating red beans and rice!" The "second line" tradition of funeral bands that switched from sad to happy tunes influenced her energetic stage presence, her "bounce," and the "holy dance" in which she ran across the stage and fell dramatically to her knees. She also retained her distinctive New Orleans accent, which she referred to as her "brogue," throughout her life.
Lay preachers and congregational singing
At the tender age of four, Mahalia made her singing debut at Mount Moriah Baptist Church. Here she learned the "bounce" by tapping her feet and clapping her hands during the congregation's singing. The "singing tones" – the cries, moans, and chants of the Baptist preachers – also left a deep impression on her.
Sanctified Churches
Despite her Baptist affiliation, Mahalia Jackson was deeply moved by the music of the nearby Pentecostal churches. These were characterized by emotional singing, shouting, dancing, and the playing of instruments such as drums, tambourines, and triangles. Mahalia recognized that jazz, rhythm and blues, and rock and roll drew many of their rhythms and melodies from the Sanctified Church.
Jazz and marching bands
Mahalia was fascinated by the second line processions of New Orleans marching and funeral bands. The transition from sad to happy melodies after the funeral, often accompanied by "When the Saints Go Marching In" and dancing people, shaped her musical horizons. The music of jazz bands advertising dance events on trucks and artists such as King Oliver and Louis Armstrong also influenced her "rhythmic phrasing and improvisation," even though she did not sing jazz herself later in life.
Vaudeville - Blues Divas
During her childhood, Mahalia Jackson regularly listened to music by vaudeville blues singers such as Bessie Smith, Mamie Smith, and Ma Rainey. She tried to imitate Bessie Smith's singing and incorporated her "melancholic moans" and "lamenting tones" into her own style.
Street vendors and work songs
The musical sounds of black vegetable vendors touting their wares with "sad tones," singing railroad workers laying tracks, and the trains themselves shaped Mahalia's early musical impressions.
Mahalia's influence on New Orleans
Although Mahalia Jackson's music was deeply rooted in the traditions of New Orleans, there is also clear evidence of her influence on the city, particularly through the reception of her early recordings:
Spreading gospel music in secular spaces
Her first commercial recordings in 1937, such as "God's Gonna Separate the Wheat from the Tares" and "Oh My Lord," had a remarkable impact in the Deep South, especially in her old New Orleans neighborhood of Pinching Town. For the first time, jukebox suppliers in black neighborhoods played her religious records in bars—a first for gospel music.
Spiritual and emotional effects
Playing their records in New Orleans caused a kind of "uproar." Their music echoed through the streets, people gathered to listen, and many were deeply moved. Their music is even said to have led people to knock on church doors to be "saved" and baptized. This influence shows a change in the acceptance and emotional resonance of gospel music in non-church settings in New Orleans.
A lifelong connection
Homesickness and homecoming
At the age of 20, Mahalia moved to Chicago in search of a better life. It was her first trip outside New Orleans, and her new hometown seemed strange to her at first. She was very homesick for New Orleans, especially for her Aunt Duke and Mount Moriah Church.
Despite the physical separation, the emotional and family ties remained strong. Mahalia returned for visits, bought houses for her family in New Orleans, and was always proud of her roots, which she referred to as being a "child of New Orleans."
Mahalia Jackson's passing ultimately brought her back to New Orleans. In February 1972, her funeral was held in her hometown. Her coffin was carried through the city center in an impressive funeral procession, past tens of thousands of mourners who came to pay their last respects. The service at the Rivergate Convention Hall drew thousands, and traditional New Orleans marching bands played funeral songs, followed by cheerful swing music on the way home—a fitting "second line" celebration for the Queen of Gospel. She was buried at Providence Memorial Park in Metairie, Louisiana, just a stone's throw from Water Street.
Her deep connection to the city was recognized once again in 1993 when the Mahalia Jackson Theater in Louis Armstrong Park in New Orleans was unanimously renamed in her honor. Mahalia Jackson's life and artistic development were deeply influenced by her experiences and encounters in her hometown of New Orleans, and she will forever remain an integral part of the rich cultural diversity of this unique city.
©Thilo Plaesser