The man who brought jazz and Mahalia to Europe
Hugues Panassié (1912-1974) was much more than just a jazz critic. The Frenchman was a pioneer whose passion for jazz not only shaped the European music scene, but also led the world to discover one of the greatest voices of all time: Mahalia Jackson. As co-founder of the Hot Club de France and author of the groundbreaking book Hot Jazz (1934), Panassié laid the foundation for serious jazz criticism and promoted early styles and black artists whose talent he deeply admired.
Discoverer and promoter: Mahalia Jackson's path to Europe
Panassié had an immense influence on Mahalia Jackson's career. During a stay in New York in March 1949, he and Mezz Mezzrow came across the gospel singer's recordings on the Apollo label. Panassié was immediately fascinated. He took her records, including hits such as “Amazing Grace” and “In My Home Over There,” back to France with him.
Distribution
What followed was a targeted campaign to popularize her music. Week after week, Panassié played Mahalia's recordings on his radio show on ORTF (Radio France), which could also be heard in the UK and other Western European countries. At the same time, he published an enthusiastic editorial about her in his magazine “La Revue du Jazz.” This tireless promotion led Mahalia Jackson to reach a broad, predominantly white audience—a rarity for black artists at the time. The success was so great that Vogue Records, which distributed the Apollo recordings in France and England, released Mahalia's work due to its overwhelming popularity. In March 1951, Panassié's efforts were crowned with the Académie's famous “Grand Prix du Disque” for Mahalia Jackson's single “I Can Put My Trust in Jesus” / “Let the Power of the Holy Ghost Fall on Me.” The crowning glory of his efforts was undoubtedly the invitation to Mahalia Jackson to perform in France in person – a direct result of Panassié's tireless advocacy.
A special connection: The “Angel of Peace” and her champion
The relationship between Hugues Panassié and Mahalia Jackson was deep and marked by mutual respect. When Mahalia Jackson arrived in Le Havre, she was greeted with flowers on behalf of Panassié. At Paris Orly Airport, she unwittingly played an unexpected role: she brought together Panassié and Charles Delaunay, the “protagonists of France's opposing and hostile jazz camps.” Her warm greeting and posing for photos with Mahalia led the Parisians to call her the “Angel of Peace.” Mahalia herself expressed a desire to meet Panassié, as he was the “man responsible for bringing her to Europe.” Their first meeting was emotional: she hugged and kissed him, and Panassié was “very moved,” establishing an immediate and deep friendship.
Emotional support
When she collapsed backstage after her concerts in Paris, he recited Bible passages to comfort her and was described as “part of her, this big, warm white man with his soul in his smile.” He also tried to allay her fears about bomb rumors, which later turned out to be false alarms. Shortly before a concert, Mahalia specifically asked him to stay, saying he was “the only one I know here.” Panassié was enthusiastic about Mahalia's performances and reported euphorically on her Paris concert for *Le Bulletin du Hot Club de France*, highlighting her beautiful singing. In 1963, he sent an enthusiastic review of Mahalia's *Greatest Hits* album, which had just been released in Europe, describing it as “wonderful.”
Hugues Panassié, who was also interviewed for Laurraine Goreau's biography “Just Mahalia, Baby,” asked Madeleine Gautier to write a tribute to Mahalia Jackson. His tireless dedication and deep admiration for Mahalia Jackson made him a key figure in her international career and cemented his place as one of the most influential personalities in the history of jazz and gospel.